Death of the Dinosaurs Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
An exciting drive up the Old Raton Pass, past Goat Hill, leads to the K-T Boundary at an elevation of 7143 feet.
For more background, See "The New Yorker", April 8, 2019, pp. 52-65.
One geological theory about the decline of the dinosaurs and the rise of mammals relates to world wide chilling caused by a dark cloud of rolling debris formed by the impact of a giant asteroid off the coast of Yucatan 65 million years ago.
The Iridium clay layer, which marks the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) Boundary, consists of shocked quartz and extra-terrestrial ejecta, first described in Gubbio, Italy, by Walter Alvarez. It may also be seen at the head of Trinidad Lake.
Dinosaur tracks, including those of Tyannosaurus rex, have been found nearby on the Philmont Scout Ranch. You may visit dinosaur trackways at Clayton Lake, New Mexico (GCT5HV), Black Mesa, Oklahoma (GC27FB), and Pinyon Canyon, Colorado.
The Old Raton Pass was built in 1906 by the Territory of New Mexico. It winds steeply from the Pierre shale, up through the Trinidad sandstone and the fossil filled Raton coal beds, to the surface of the Park Plateau with views of the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo mountains to the west.
The panoramic view from Goat Hill includes the route of the Santa Fe Trail beneath the rim rock of the basalt capped mesas to the east. The gravel road is safe but has no guard rails. Be careful while climbing.
In the Raton section of the Great Plains we have a lot of wildlife, including black bears and mountain lions. You may see mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, red and gray foxes, fenced bison herds, rattlesnakes, lizards, black widow spiders, and numerous birds.
The City of Raton granted permission for the placement of this cache in our City Park. No off road vehicles, please. Cache In Trash Out. Please leave no food or smelly things.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures