Slot Canyons, Canyons, Moqui Marbles, Geology Heaven - a report by Jake

I just got back from the most amazing trip to the Grand Staircase. We went hiking in the slot canyons called Peekaboo, and Spooky. While hiking down there we walked on a huge rock outcropping of sandstone, and I observed the water weathering the rock as it ran down. As we got to these canyons I was able to recognize all the steps that it would take for a natural bridge to form, starting with potholes and flood after flood. It was neat. Going through Spooky, I realized why it was so spooky it got so narrow that we had to walk sideways to fit through it. There were moqui marbles being uncovered everywhere. It was neat to see the principal of how resistant some rocks are compared to others and see that these iron based stones were more resistant so they stuck out of the walls. Sat and pointed out all the things i have learned to the class and taught them about everything from differential weathering to how the Navajo sandstone came to look the way it does, i.e. layering. On the way back up that outcrop of rock I mentioned earlier I saw recognized that the weathering that was happnening where the water was running down the rock was actually the beginning of a baby slot canyon!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?

Next we went to the Box of Pine Creek canyon just north of Escalante, and I started was in heaven again being able to look at all the layers, and finding all sorts of rocks. This place had only a alot of igneous rocks and Sedimentary. It was way cool to see how much I have learned from that field trip and a few weeks of class. I think my class got sick of me pointing out all of the cool facts to them. We stopped at the Devil's garden and looked at the HooDoo's there. with the natural bridges. I even taught my class the difference between them. And of course I was pouring acid on every thing:) I had my eye lens and also had my piece of glass so I could clasify.

I LOVE GEOLOGY!!