Little Goose Canyon Road Big Horn, Wyoming

Huge irrigation system on ranch near Big Horn, Wyoming

 

Fleeting view of a magnificent "hogback" exposed in the eastern foothills of the Big Horn Mountain Range near Big Horn, Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Goose Canyon Road out of Big Horn, Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

Little Goose Canyon Road out of Big Horn, Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stunning view of a magnificent "hogback" exposed in the eastern foothills of the Big Horn Mountain Range near Big Horn, Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spotted this simply awesome"hogback" at the end of Little Goose Canyon Road on what appears to be the Little Goose Ranch. The "hogback" running from one side of this picture to the other was visible for much more than this picture was able to capture. For those of you that are not familiar with the term "hogback" let me help you a bit. According to "Webster": a hogback is: "a ridge of land formed by the outcropping edges of tilted strata; broadly : a ridge with a sharp summit and steeply sloping sides". Several things have occurred to create this "hogback". In terms of how this happened we must go back 50 to 100 million years ago when this area was an inland sea where over millions and millions of years layers of sediment formed that would eventually become layers of sedimentary rock. Over millions of more years the inland see rose and dried out. Then the mountain building process began that created the Big Horn Mountain Range -- we are looking west at the eastern exposure or foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. As the mountains rose those once flat layers of sedimentary rock were thrust up until they broke. Some of those layers of sedimentary rock were much harder than others. With those layers of sedimentary rock now in an almost vertical position instead of laying flat, erosion started carrying away the softer layers exposing the almost vertical side of the much harder layer of sedimentary layer (now sedimentary rock like limestone or sandstone). So that "hogback" that you see exposed across the entire length of this picture is the result of mountain building forces that thrust the once flat sedimentary rocks into a vertical position then erosion that carried away the softer sedimentary rocks exposing the much harder layer of sedimentary rock. We see these hogbacks up and down the eastern slope of the Rockies in Colorado and along I-25 & the Big Horn Mountains here in Wyoming. Another beautiful exposure can be seen northwest of Cheyenne, Wyoming from Horse Creek Road SR-211 between Horse Creek and Farthing. A few miles west of Loveland, Colorado off Big Thompson Canyon Road, is an exceptional hogback called Devil's Backbone. In Canon City, Colorado near Royal Gorge there is a scenic drive called Skyline Drive that is a one-way drove along that hogback. Do not miss that scenic drive and experience when you visit Canon City and or Royal Gorge. Another great "hogback" is located a few miles southwest of Denver in a place called Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, Colorado. Dinosaur Ridge is indeed a spectacular hogback that beautifully exposes dinosaur-bearing rock. Both bones and tracks of a variety of animals from the Age of Dinosaurs are visible. This is a great (must do) place for both adults and children. There is a Dinosaur Ridge Discovery Center on site that really helps both children and adults understand what they have seen and are about to see.

Old barn on Little Goose Canyon Road near Big Horn, Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for some Colorado travellogs

Until next time remember how good life is.

More Wyoming Adventures

Some Idaho Adventures ** More 2014 Travel Adventures

 

Mike & Joyce Hendrix

 

 

 

Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are

We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures:

Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page

Travel Adventures by Year ** Travel Adventures by State ** Plants ** Marine-Boats ** Geology ** Exciting Drives ** Cute Signs ** RV Subjects ** Miscellaneous Subjects

 

We would love to hear from you......just put "info" in the place of "FAKE" in this address: FAKE@travellogs.us

Until next time remember how good life is.