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Which trip? = Nov-03 - Dec-03 - Jan-04 - Feb-04 - Mar-04 

   

The white arrow points to two motocross bikers, taking advantage of the amazing area.
(scroll down for more photos and info)

The blue arrow shows a gash in the side of the hill created by fossil hunters.  The fossil layer is apparently exposed at that level.  The motocross bikers enjoy the obstacles created by the fossil hunters, often jumping the gash.  The red arrow points to several dark stripes that go up the ridges.  These are motocross paths, created as bikers climb the hills.  In fact, you can see such paths crossing the fossil-hunting gash, where bikers have jumped the gash.

Throughout the day, we saw people on motocross bikes, three-wheelers and four-wheelers.  Late in the day I saw a small group of mountain bikers riding the ridge.  I bow to their sense of adventure and physical prowess.  We got up the ridge in Johns 4x4 SUV, on a road (and I use that word loosely).  We were parked off to the side of the "road" and throughout the day had bikers going up and down past us, as shown in the photo, left.

To the right, you'll see that I was attempting to photograph a biker as he (or she) climbed one of the motocross paths.  I was waiting for him to enter the frame, where he would be silhouetted against the light sky.  Before he got to the center of the frame though, something happened.  When it did, I quickly snapped the photo, getting a view of him hanging on for dear life, as he wheelied and came off the back of the bike.  Fortunately, he wasn't injured, but the day before we saw a helicopter fly overhead and discovered that they had taken an injured biker to the hospital.  We never did hear what the extent of injuries where, but as we were leaving that afternoon, there was an ambulance arriving for a second accident.  Motocross looks fun, but is certainly not risk-free.  I think I'll stick to fossil hunting.

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