The Bonanza Badlands
The Bonanza Badlands is an expanse of desert about 30 miles southeast of Vernal, Utah. There’s a coal power plant in Bonanza, a track for an electric train (feeding the power plant), and a highway that heads east towards Rangley, Colorado. There’s just not much out there to excite the typical person. There are no trees, no shade, and no water. There is however, a beautiful landscape with lots of room to explore.
David and Paxton on the ridge checking out the dirt formations. Mom, Kathi and Klaire further in the background. We had great weather, and no bugs.
There’s just something about exploring a desert landscape – a feeling of isolation, peace and stillness that is hard to find anywhere else. The landscape is fragile, you can break apart with your hands what might have taken nature thousands of years to produce. The desert covers the new and reveals the old. There are signs of life, but life is rarely seen.
We had a great time exploring the hills and formations, we found fossils, ancient bones in rock, recent bones in the wash, and enjoyed a moment in a place where time seems to stand still.
Kathi and Paxton on a ridge. The dirt formation were spectacular, making for lots of interesting exploring.
The main geological formation of the area is the Uinta Formation, hills of dirt containing fossilized turtles and other animals from the Eocene era.
The hills are covered in this fractured soil, in a state of constant erosion.
We found this piece of fossilized bone on top of one of the formations. It was clearly visible (from the top) but must have come from a large animal of some type (maybe a Uintatherium, as they have been found in this formation.)
Another fossil in the rock wall, which looks to be an intact prehistoric turtle shell. That’s my dad, Ken, below taking photos.
View more photos and higher resolution images on flickr.
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