Day 2

T-Rex footprint

Photographer: Ron Dykstra Date: Jun 17, 01 Description: Standing nearly two stories tall and moving at speeds of 6 to 7 MPH, the 7-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex left behind this footprint approximately 65-70 million years ago. The track was first discovered in 1983 by geologist Charles Pillmore, and remains the only undisputed track of a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the World. The print was formed as a T-Rex strode across the vegetated wetland mudflat and was preserved by just the right conditions - mud that was firm enough to retain the shape without filling with water. The track remained in the river plain until it was flooded by a gentle current that, over time, filled the print with a 3 to 5 foot layer of sediment. The sediment became covered by many layers and solidified to form a rock. The layers eventually eroded away and the track was exposed as the canyon valleys and ridges were formed. The sandstone block containing the T-Rex track has fallen from a ledge higher up the hill and rotated, so the bottom of the print now faces upwards.