Please read the description before starting down the trail.
The Geology Time Trail on the campus of Pueblo Community College at Cañon City will take you on a hike through two billion years of geological history. Each foot on the trail corresponds to one million years of time in Earth's history. Twice around the trail would represent the history of the Earth since its creation. At this scale, wooly mammoths went extinct 1/8 inch down the trail. Neanderthals disappeared 1/2 inch from the start of the trail! Stegosaurus lived 150 million years ago. One hundred and fifty feet down the trail is a life-size stegosaurus sculpture.
Three fossilized stegosaurus skeletons have been found in quarries seven miles north of here. Other dinosaurs unearthed include Ceratosaurus, Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Haplocanthosaurus, and Diplodocus.
As you follow the trail you will regress backward in time. There are interpretive signs along the trail explaining the local geology and how it relates to regional and world geology. You will also learn a bit of history about the people who made important geological discoveries in our local area.
Across highway you will see a 600 foot high hogback ridge. There are four distinctly visible layers that make up this ridge: Dakota, Morrison, Ralston Creek and Fountain. These layers were built up over a period of 200 million years.
Skyline Hogback Ridge:
To claim credit for this EarthCache answer the following questions:
1. The formations on Skyline Ridgee have distinctively different colors. What do you think caused these different colors?
2. On the trail, how many years do you think are represented by the thickness of one sheet of paper. Your guess is fine.
3. To prove that you were here take a photo of yourself or a personal item with either the stegosaurus or Dakota Ridge Hogback in the background and post it in your log.
Please send your answers to me via message within seven days of your visit.
Thank you for visiting the Geology Time Trail!