Time for my contribution to this report. Before the trip, I did a little reading online and learned a couple of things. In Big Bend some very large creatures existed at one time. I found this clip about large crocodiles:
"The fossilized remains of gigantic crocodiles have been discovered in the Aguja Formation in the south-central part of the Big Bend National Park. These are among the largest crocodiles ever known.
With lengths of 40-50 feet and jaws studded with 6-inch teeth, these powerful predators were extraordinarily equipped to feed upon a variety of dinosaurs. In fact, dinosaur bones have been found here that are heavily damaged and covered with distinctive crocodile bite marks! Just like modern day crocodilians, Deinosuchus riograndensis probably hunted by ambush...lying submerged near shore, and violently seizing large dinosaurs as they foraged amid the vegetation of Big Bend's ancient swamps.
The magnificent skull of Deinosuchus is on display at the Dallas Museum of Natural History."
In 1971 a lucky University of Texas geology student found parts of a terradactyl like creature with a wing span of 35 feet.
"Discovery of the Fossil
In 1971, Douglas A. Lawson, a student at the University of Texas in Austin, was performing geological field work in the park for his master’s thesis when he discovered a fossil bone eroding out of an arroyo bank. His professor, Dr. Wann Langston Jr., determined that this long, hollow, very thin-walled bone could only be from a pterosaur wing. Subsequent excavations recovered more wing bones, but unfortunately the wing must have detached from the body before being buried and fossilized, because no body bones could be found. Lawson named his discovery Quetzalcoatlus after the Mexican deity Quetzalcoatl, who was worshipped by the Aztecs in the form of a feathered snake.
Dr. Langston continued to search for and study Big Bend fossils and eventually found other specimens of Quetzalcoatlus in another part of the park. Although these specimens were smaller than the original, they were more complete and had a very impressive wingspan of at least 18 feet. Comparison of these complete specimens with the huge bones of the original Quetzalcoatlus made it possible to calculate the body size of Lawson’s specimen. This enormous pterosaur had an estimated wingspan of 36-39 feet, making it the largest known flying creature of all time. It is not yet clear whether the smaller specimens were young individuals of the large species, or whether they represent a distinct, smaller species of Quetzalcoatlus."
That was not all!
"In 1999, Dana Biasetti, a graduate student from the University of Texas at Dallas, discovered giant dinosaur bones protruding from a dry hillside in the Javelina Formation of Big Bend National Park. Upon careful excavation, this hillside yielded partial pelvic bones and ten articulated cervical vertebrae of an adult Alamosaurus.
Alamosaurus belongs to the group of dinosaurs named Sauropods-large herbivores with extremely long necks and tails. The Big Bend Alamosaurus appears to have been a massive individual, measuring in at 100 feet in length and probably weighing over 50 tons.
Due to their extreme size and the remote location of the fossil site, excavation and removal of these giant bones by hand was nearly impossible. As a result, Big Bend National Park issued a special permit to the excavation team to remove the fossil by helicopter. In 2001, UT Dallas, now teamed with the Dallas Museum of Natural History, made history with Big Bend's first ever "dinosaur airlift." Over the next several years, the fossil will be cleaned, studied, and prepared for display."
Interesting info! All found here
http://www.nps.gov/bibe/naturescience/pterosaur.htm
So on with the fun.
A trailer full of fun.
Faces only a mom could love. I AM a mom!
I love this tent.
Miscreants! My bike needs hours of therapy now.
Rachel and Bill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Bill fell down and hurt his knee, and Rachel didn't fall at all.
Uh, I don't know how it works, but my feet reach the ground.
Oh, I get it! Thanks Graeme for letting me do this. It was a blast.
Ed floor boarding the mighty Burg. He tried SO hard to wheelie.
These bluebonnets were about 30 inches tall!
I enjoyed the pink cactus.
I found this cemetery in Lajitas. I couldn't help but notice that one of the occupants died when attacked by a pterasaur with a 35 foot wingspan.
I just like this picture. On the way to Presidio the road is up and down and up and down and up and down..... It is a really wonderful ride. There is a ten mile stretch of gravel detour with two mountain passes one must ride. And by that I mean less than two miles with hills.
The home Elzi is seeking!
My foot would fit in these cracks.
I saw this creature earlier in the day as it was rolling down the large hill to the west of the ghost town. It is a bicycle built for many.
See?
This place in Marathon is very yummy.
And biker friendly!
Mike rolled up to camp on Wednesday and was dubbed "New Guy". Now we all think of him as a great guy.
We had a nice ride to the McDonald Observatory.
Cool picture of the Mule Ears.
Several folks made a run to Candelaria and had a great lunch at La Esconditos.
Our host was a school teacher in the DFW area until his uncle left the restaurant to him.
Chispa Road is where the pavement ends.
Other fun views.
I was missed by some folks.