Petrified Forest

motorcycle adventures 3 Minutes

This Blog was to be issued yesterday.  But due to the technical difficulty, it went out this morning.

Today’s (Tuesday, April 9) motorcycle ride was 187 miles from Eagar, AZ to the Petrified Forest National Park, through the Park and then onto Window Rock, AZ., which is on the Navajo Indian Reservation and on the border of New Mexico.

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The Green Dot is Eagar, AZ where I slept last night, and the checkered flag dot is where I am sleeping tonight, Window Rock, AZ

While the winds that I reported yesterday were an issue, they were not insurmountable as I left at 7:30 AM before the winds picked up and arrived in Window Rock around 3 PM, in a dust storm.  The good news is that I am no longer riding alone.  I have joined a motorcycle gang and we now ride as one…

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The area I rode today was what may be called “Wide Open Spaces”.  The topography and the solitude were what I am seeking.  Parts of the ride were so quiet that the silence was deafening.

Route 180 from Eager to the Petrified Forest gave me views of many miles without a sole in sight.  I rode through a high desert with views that went on forever.  And, once in the Petrified Forest, I learned amazing things.

For instance, and some of you may know this, but billions of years ago, there existed one continent called Pangaea.  Pangaea consisted of all the continents that we have today.  And, as all the continents were one and rotated, Arizona resided at the equator and was similar to the Amazon basin.  Over the years, the continents broke up and traveled to their current locations.

As Arizona migrated north, the large trees that existed in what is now Arizona died.  The logs soaked up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time crystallized into quartz and petrified.  This process created a rainbow of colors that can be seen in the wood rings.

In addition, as this process took billions of years, the many changes in the environment can be seen in the colored layers of the plateaus.  The Petrified Forest, like the rest of our National Parks, is a National treasure that must be supported and protected as they are a window back in time.

Solitude on the Road to the Petrified Forest at 7:30 AM with a view for miles and miles.  Come to think about it, looks a lot like the beginning of Hwy 191 yesterday.

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Hwy 180 Eagar to Petrified Forest – The quiet was deafening
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A Petrified Tree Trunk in the National Forest
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The remnants of trees were over a wide area
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The picture does not do justice to the reds, golds, blues, etc that can be seen in their rings

 

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This shows the layers built upon the plateaus that are thousands of feet high – Each layer an ecological event
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The expansive views were impressive
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A self-serving picture to prove that I am on the road and not in my living room making this all up 🙂

I woke up this morning, Wednesday, April 10 to 42º weather and winds still blowing 20 MPH+.  After three days of 70º, 80º and 90º – this is a cruel reminder of what riding the open road is all about.

I have a quick one-hour run over to Chinle, AZ where I will be exploring Canyon de Chelly.  And I am happy it is only one hour as riding in the 40º weather is a challenge.

Stay tuned for Canyon de Chelly (pronounced – Canyon de Che).

Keep Wheeling!

 

 

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Published by Paul Kramer

Paul Kramer’s award-winning and distinguished career is characterized by a long track record of building high-performance sales and marketing communication organizations. He brings a high-energy, enthusiastic approach to marketing that is contagious and produces results. His expertise is a unique blend of creativity, technical marketing analysis, and a keen business sense for strategic positioning. He has worked with some of the world's greatest communication companies, including Grey Advertising, Bates Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, D.L. Ryan Companies and Epsilon. He is skilled in all areas of marketing from both the agency and client side of the business. He is especially strong in strategic planning, global marketing, national brand & account management, marketing communications, licensing and business development. In addition, he has a solid thirty plus year management foundation with accomplishments in P&L management, intellectual property, forming and maintaining strategic alliances and building business. Mr. Kramer has documented successes in companies from $10 Million to $100 Million in size, with industries ranging from automotive, restaurant to consumer packaged goods and durable goods. He brings an unusually strong multi-product, multi-market background. The beneficiaries of his marketing acumen include Johnson & Johnson, M&M Mars, Cadbury, Toyota, The Stanley Works, Timex, Wal*Mart, Alcoa, Novartis and more. Mr. Kramer has received awards for his career accomplishments, including a Promotional Marketing Association Reggie for Global Marketing and a Promotional Marketing Association Reggie for Account Specific Marketing. Mr. Kramer is married to Catherine and has two beautiful daughters, Emma and Sarah, and his hobbies include tennis, motorcycling, and boating.

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