This weekend I joined other members of the Los Alamos Geological Society on a field trip to the Small Fry prospect on the highway to El Rito (“The Ritual.”) Here the amateur geologist can find interesting samples of fluorite, calcite, and barite. A prospect is a location on public lands...Read more

The wedding morning at Scott’s house. Mom, Lisa, and one of the cousins. Cousin is evidently more interested in the French toast being prepared than in my awful diabetic-healthy bran cereal. The wedding is not until 1:30. I have time to get some exercise, after indulging in just one slice...Read more

This installment is short on geeky geologic goodness and long on family togetherness. Feel free to skip to Day 6. I am glad to have a chance to rest up at Mom’s. She is glad to have me there: She is almost 89, nearly blind, and recently fell and wrenched...Read more

Up at sunrise. At left is Howell Peak, underlain by (among others) Cambrian Howell Formation. Morning in Marjum Pass. Gary does breakfast. We pack up and start south for the pass. Along the way there is what looks a lot like a landfill. Gary is curious and persuades me to...Read more

Up with the sun. The rain apparently did not fall for long the previous night, and the ground is already mostly dry. It is shaping up to be a cool but beautiful day. We feast on pancakes, bacon, and eggs, and break camp. I pause just outside the camp area...Read more

It does not quite rain during the night, but it seems to have been thinking about it. The forecast is for crummy weather today, which is regrettable considering that Capitol Reef National Monument, our destination for the day, deserves sunny weather. Be that as it may, we breakfast on cold...Read more