Thenaturalmedic Adventures
Hello there, and thanks so much for joining us here! You are probably wondering what this podcast is all about? In this podcast, we will talk about all sorts of outdoor adventures, but primarily, for now, we will focus on hiking and backpacking. No other outdoor adventure is so accessible to so many people! So please join us as we talk about how to hike/backpack and learn how to hike any length trail from your local neighborhood parks to those long trails such as the Appalachian and others worldwide! Remember... "in every walk with nature; one receives far more than he seeks... - John Muir " See you on the trail!
Thenaturalmedic Adventures
Wind and Wonder: A Journey Through Arizona's Ancient Landscape
Note: Audio only. Please see Youtube for Video Version.
Venture with me along the mesmerizing Blue Mesa Trail, where time itself seems written into the landscape of Petrified Forest National Park. On this brisk March day, I braved the characteristic winds of northeastern Arizona to bring you an intimate tour of one of the park's most beloved hiking paths.
The Blue Mesa Trail is a geological wonderland – a relatively easy one-mile loop with just 120 feet of elevation change that delivers spectacular rewards. As we descend from the mesa top into a sheltered gully, the full splendor of the badlands unfolds around us. Vibrant bands of blue, purple, gray, and brown ripple across the eroded hillsides, each color representing distinct sedimentary layers deposited during the Late Triassic epoch, roughly 225 million years ago.
Walking the asphalt path that protects this fragile environment, we discover the fascinating story of these rock formations. The topmost sandstone layer, composed of pebbles and cobbles, reveals ancient high-velocity streams that once flowed here. Lower layers of finer sediments tell of calmer waters and changing environments through deep time. Perhaps most remarkable are the scattered pieces of petrified wood – ancient trees transformed into stone through a remarkable mineralization process, preserving their cellular structure while replacing organic material with brilliant crystals.
The Blue Mesa's otherworldly beauty showcases nature's artistry through geology, offering photographers endless opportunities for stunning compositions. Whether you're a casual hiker seeking unique landscapes or a science enthusiast fascinated by Earth's history, this trail delivers an unforgettable experience in just 45 minutes of walking time.
Ready to explore this geological treasure for yourself? Pack plenty of water, wear sturdy shoes, and consider bringing a windbreaker – those famous Petrified Forest breezes can be surprisingly strong! Share your own Blue Mesa experiences in the comments, and subscribe for more hidden gems from America's national parks. Send us an email!
Hello there, on a beautiful March, blustery northeast Arizona day. Today I'm in Petrified Forest National Park about to hike the Blue Mesa Trail. Take a look at it. Here is an overview of the trail itself. It's a one mile loop with an asphalt surface with a 120 elevation change. It's not super cold today it's in the low 40s, but the wind, of course.
Speaker 1:Being out here in Petrified Forest is the opposite of what you would think, makes it a bit of a challenge. I hope you'll join me as we discover the Blue Mesa Trail here in Petrified Forest National Park. Be careful as you walk along. Look out for falling men. It's still windy, but once you descend off the top of the mesa, you go down to this gully here and there's lots of badland areas to check out. And look at the vibrant colors. Isn't that cool, super cool. As you look out here, fully into the bottom of the gully, or however you want to phrase it, just look around at all the different blues and grays and browns. I find it really fascinating, just all the different views that you can see. Lots of people are just walking all over the place off of the path. I don't really think that's allowed, but I think they did create this asphalt path I'm walking on for a reason to reduce erosion and the path. You probably can't see it very distinctly, but this panel is talking about the layers of rock. Let's look up here. I'll try to zoom in a little bit. You're not going to be able to see really good, but you should be able to see a little bit.
Speaker 1:The topmost layer is called the Flap Tops 1 sandstone. It's part of the Suncella member, which is the conglomerate. That conglomerate means it was a collection of cobbles and pebbles that were cemented together, indicating they were laid down in a stream in the late Triassic epoch. The larger size pebbles in the conglomerate indicate that it was moving at a very high velocity. As you go down the sides the particles become finer, as they become silt or mud that was cemented together, that was formed in slow moving or still water. All that determines the erosional changes. The interesting thing about these ancient tree trunks is you can see different layers of wood, now rock, and different chemicals that turned organic material into stone. Very interesting.
Speaker 1:This material is very dense. Okay to handle it. I'm not taking it home with me that's against the rules, but I think, since you can't observe it where it is and handle it. Very dense piece of stone, very interesting. Yeah, this weird looking rock here is that sandstone I was mentioning when I was in the below area. It's that conglomerate Sandstone made up of other rocks Very interesting. Huh, it's that topmost layer laid down on the Triassic the Triassic. So this is the Blue Mesa.
Speaker 1:Over there is where we parked for going down on the trail. It's about a mile round trip Took about 45 minutes, including stops. I think it's a really fascinating area. I can definitely see why it's one of the most popular hikes in Petrified Forest National Park. This is early March 2025. I can imagine how many visitors it gets in the summertime. What do you think of this hike? Did you like it? If you did, give it a thumbs up and leave a comment. Tell me. Have you ever been here before? Would you like to come here and have questions? Let me know Until next time, see you on the trail.
