Heading upstream, I was able to find several Brontosaurus trackways that ran more or less parallel to the river.  Who could visit here and not try to picture in their mind the giants as they made these footprints? I sat on a big rock and drank some warm water and tried to wrap my head around it all. trying to picture the muddy shoreline of an ancient shallow lake. None of these hills around me were here back then - all that material was laid down later, and it was only the action of the river that washed it all away in this spot.  Someday in the far future the works of a certain bipedal mammal would also ended up buried in the same manner. What a rich and puzzling treasure we will leave for future bone hunters.

My mind flashed back to one of the petroglyphs I had seen earlier today, a series of staggered circles. Could those represent these tracks? What did those early peoples think of this place?  Did they wonder what kind of creatures could leave tracks in solid rock? This had to be a place of great mystery to them.  Perhaps the therapod impressions made them think of giant birds; maybe the brontosaur tracks brought mammoths to mind.  The big hairy elephants certainly lived on in native legends long after they disappeared from the landscape.

I spent several more hours scrambling about the place, taking pictures and chasing the occasional racerunner and collared lizard while I pondered and puzzled over what I was seeing.  I had drunk half of my water, and the afternoon was getting on - time for me to think about heading back. I was not looking forward to the hot five mile walk in front of me. I had plenty to think about as I put one foot in front of the other and headed back to the current era.