Better than the pictures

The second unit of the John Day Fossil Beds is called the Painted Hills Unit.  I have seen photographs and paintings of this area before.  It is better than the pictures. 

One short trail takes you an a board walk around one of the colorful mounds.





 They ask people to stay off of the mounds.  Up close they look like this and do seem that they would crumble if walked on.


 The colors come from different minerals in the soil.  Some formations of this type have a lot of clay in them and are used for commercial applications for things like kitty litter.

 

There was a great overview spot where the light changed several times as clouds moved through.  It was stunningly beautiful.  

Shortly after this last picture was taken, we picked up a guy who was having car trouble and took him to the next town 60 or so miles away.  It must have been good karma, given that our tire didn't go flat until after we had dropped him off and gone on to the next town, found a motel and eaten dinner.  No we don't normally do that, but you can't leave someone with gray hair on the roadside 60 miles from civilization.  He turned out to be a retired Forest Service Biologist, who pays for his travels by selling his photographs.  None of these pictures are his.  :-)