Day #3
The 3rd day of the trip is monumental because that's the day we enter my home state of Kansas. Kansas may be a weird place politically, but it has some of the prettiest landscapes in the central Great Plains. Many different geomorphic subdivisions in the state too, which makes it a great place to visit in the context of this class.
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The surface geology (left) ranges from Mississippian in the southeastern corner of the state to Quaternary in the west. Bedrock landscapes dominate the eastern 1/2 of the state, whereas much of the west is mantled by loess and dunes. As a result of this variability, the state is divided into several subregions (center), including the glaciated part of the northeast. Contrary to popular belief Kansas is not flat, as elevation changes from about 900 ft along the eastern border of the state to over 4,000 at the Colorado line! To learn more about the geology of Kansas, check out the Kansas Geological Survey.
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After breaking camp at Fairbury State Park, we quickly enter Kansas in the north-central part of the state. We drive south on U.S. 81 to Interstate 70. On the way, we make a stop at Minneapolis (not Minnesota) to have a lock at the hoodoos at Rock City.
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These unusual formations are weathered remnants of Dakota Sandstone. Check out those crossbeds!
What a good day so far. The next step is to drive west on 70 to Wilson Reservoir where we set up our camp for the next 3 days. Wilson is a beautiful man-made lake on the Saline River.
This image looks east at the earthen dam at Wilson Reservoir. We camp in a small park just downstream of the dam.
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Since we're at Wilson for 3 nights, we have to earn our keep to camp for free. In 2011, we picked up trash along the base of the dam. The task took about 3 hours and, as you can see, we did a fine job. Dr. Lusch ponders just how disgusting people can be. Unbelievable some of the things we found.
The main highlight of the day is an excursion to the World famous Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas. Words can't describe the place, so I won't really even try. Suffice it to say that it's a must see if you're in central Kansas and that....................Mr. Dinsmoor was really eccentric. And that's being mild.
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