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Oklahoma Tallgrass Trip-2002 Sandhill
Crane Trip-2001
A DINOSAUR NAMED SUE, CASTLE ROCK
AND MORE!
A lucky coincidence led Sue Hendrickson to notice
a fossil in a hillside in the Black Hills
of South Dakota in the summer of 1990. The fossil turned out to be the largest, most
complete
and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever found. It was named Sue after the person
who
discovered it, not because it was a female (the gender of the animal is uncertain). After several
years of controversy over the ownership of the fossil, it ultimately came to reside in
the Field Museum in Chicago. The
fossil was carefully removed from the sandstone that
encased it and molds of the bones were taken to create two exact replicas. One of
these
replicas came to the Sternberg Museum in Hays
during the spring of 2001. We decided
that was too good to pass up, and put together a field trip to see it - and a few other
things as well!
Our drive up to Hays from Wichita had only one
detour - to see the Garden of Eden
at Lucas.
This remarkable collection of concrete sculpture has to be seen to be believed!
Samuel P. Dinsmoor,
a Union veteran, built - at age 64 - his own "log cabin" out of native limestone
in 1907. He then
surrounded it over the next 22 years with 113 tons of hand-formed concrete statues.
The sculptures
depict his own unique view of the world, invoking Biblical and populist images.
Unfortunately,
the facility was not open at the time we were there, so we could not take the tour and had
to
content ourselves with a walk around the perimeter.
All photos by Jim Mason
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Driving on to Hays, Sue lived up to its advance billing. It was
located on the second floor gallery and posed as if it was looking for its next
meal. Nearby was a replica of the skull on a rotating platform. Several focus
kiosks interpreted the details of what is known about this spectacular species of
dinosaur. |
| Upstairs was the marvelous Cretaceous panorama room. In the photo
at right, a Plesiosaur loafs on the beach as a flock of Pteranodons glides overhead.
An Edmontasaurus can be seen in the distance. Just around the bend awaits an
animated T Rex, whose roar elicits screams of terror from the nearby herd of herbivorous
dinosaurs! |
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| We made a side trip to Castle
Rock on our way from Hays to our motel in Oakley. This amazing chalk formation
is located on private property about 14 miles south of I-70. It is a
free-standing hunk of the Niobrara formation which apparently had an extra-hard capstone
material that saved it from erosion. (NEWS FLASH -
JULY 22, 2001: The tallest spire of Castle Rock came crashing down some
time in the week previous to July 22. This marks the first major change to its
general shape in recorded history. We were lucky to see it when we did.)
It is several hundred yards from the nearest outcrop of parent material. The
group enjoyed climbing around in this "badlands" area.
Horned Larks and Western Meadowlarks were seen - and heard - frequently in the
vicinity. We were fortunate to be there at a time when the weather was almost
perfect; shirtsleeve temperature and no wind! |
Standing: Connie, Julia, Nancy, Clem, Doug,
Bob G., Carolyn, Susan and Dana
Crouching: Bob H., Pat C. and Pat W.
Taking the picture: Jim
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The Niobrara chalk formation -
parent material of Castle Rock
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Michelle and Bob Gress
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On the second day, we travelled to the Smoky Valley Ranch, a 16,000 acre
chunk of shortgrass prairie recently purchased by the Nature Conservancy. We were
met at the ranch headquarters by Michelle Martin, one of the caretakers.
Michelle told us of the history and future plans for the property, and then led us out on
the ranch roads to see the lay of the land and visit the resident bison herd. The
headquarters building is made of stone quarried on the property just a few miles to the
north. |
Here are some of the wildflowers that were
blooming while we were there.
 
Easter Daisy, Golden Currant
 
Venus' Looking Glass, Missouri Milk-Vetch |
| This abandoned homestead is located near the west boundary of the
ranch. It is only a hundred yards from the river, and has not been lived in for
decades. A good tin roof has saved it from the elements. Owls, pigeons and
turkey vultures live in it now. Two of the upstairs rooms were literally carpeted
with the small bones of the prey of the owls!
After exploring the area, we had our picnic lunch in the shade of the trees and then
drove to the old quarry site to hunt for shark's teeth. |
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Our last stop before returning to Wichita was at Monument Rocks, only a short distance
from the Smoky Valley ranch. Another enduring piece of the Niobrara formation, it
has been left by the ages for us to wonder at.
The window in Monument Rocks is one of the most frequently photographed places in
Kansas. |
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