Good Morning Hanksville!A one-girl army is out and about, exploring the gravels!When passing by this range along the Fremont River we agreed this was a place to visit.Driving down Hartnet Road for half an hour reveals a stunning landscape.The hills are composed of the Brushy Basin shale member of the Morrison Formation.This layer was formed during Jurassic times when mud, silt, fine sand, and volcanic ash were deposited in swamps and lakes.Jasper and agate shards in all warm colors can be found mixed into the loose top gravels.Bentonite clay (altered volcanic ash) absorbs water and becomes very slick and gummy when wet, making vehicle or foot travel difficult or impossible.On Google Maps the area is called “Purple Mountains”, which is technically true.Thinking about it I guess a fake name would help save the area from too many tourists.They would drive in in their chunky GMCs and run around on too many delicate ledges.Was very cautious not to ruin anything though.Hopefully it can be conserved for many onlookers after me.Thanks for having me!
