True Happiness and Sitting Horizontally

The Magnificent Elkheart Cliffs

When you are outside, off the trail, with just you and your friends, that's true happiness.  At times, it seems like the five of us are sharing the same thoughts.  Today, we settled into the field research, functioning as a true team:  a day spent at a new field site, the Elkheart Cliffs, passed by in what seemed like an hour or two (it probably helped that the geology and the view were spectacular).  Running perpendicular to a segment of the Sevier fault, a small, dry waterfall provided the perfect shaded background for our work.  Slick, banded sandstones, the kind you see for sale in tourist shops throughout the west, surrounded us as we made measurements, took photos, and drew sketches.  Honestly, it's a bit spiritual.  I mean, we're not chanting out here or anything, but even the sternest of us have to admit:  there's something spiritual about this place. 

In-sync fieldwork

Sunrise over the Elkheart Cliffs

"I'm not laying down, I'm just sitting horizontally."

But, even when you're in an amazing place, if you spend enough time in the sun, you may wear down.  Each day, one person tends to fall victim to the "it's really hot out, and I want to take a little nappy-nap" epidemic.  Today, that person was Caroline.  Though she seemed strong and peppy in the morning, by noon, she was exhibiting all of the symptoms:  inability to swing a rock hammer, the telling of pointless stories, and the overwhelming desire to immediately sleep wherever shade is present.  Luckily, Caroline wasn't too far gone, and the affliction is easily treated with water and dreams of structural geology.  So, while the rest of the students documented faults, we let Caroline nap and dream of propagating fracture systems beneath a sandstone overhang.  Then, after just minutes, she sprang back to life, no doubt restored by her dreams and the miraculous healing properties of the Elkheart Cliffs.

The long and winding trail

A beautiful spot

Proper Ostrich Technique

Tip of the Day:  "Hot Head" - Perhaps you've heard about how ostriches bury their heads to keep cool.  As it turns out, the exact same technique works for budding geologists.  So, if you find yourself getting a bit warm in the field, do what the ostriches do.  See photo above for proper technique.