Petrified Forrest

During the Triassic Period, Something like 225 million years ago, mighty Conifers graced the banks of the rivers. Floods caused the riverbanks to become less and less stable, until those mighty trees came crashing down. There they lay for years and years until the time was counted in the hundreds of millions of years. All the time the wooden cells absorbed silicates and slowly turned to stone.

...over time, mineral deposits filled and then replaced the wooden cells until,

millions of years later, the wooden tree changed to solid rock.

Please note the line of stone logs running along the comb of this hill. (above)

Hundreds, likely thousands of these petrifications scatter the valley.

Varying sized pieces of this petrified rock litter the county side.

Logs lie scattered around and I simply must descend

to photograph this scenery.

... here are some close-ups of these once mighty conifers,

turned to stone in all their chemical substance.

Of course it is strictly prohibited to remove even the smallest part of such stone.

From the outer bark to the very center of this once mighty conifer,

the stone shows different colors.