Travelogue: Shell Canyon (Bighorns), Wyoming

Welcome to Shell Canyon, carved by Shell Creek, on the west-central flanks of the Bighorn Mountains in north-central Wyoming...

One of the first things that will strike you in the overall region is the clarity of the air, the lack of haze and suspended particles more often than not. Too, I ventured there after tourist season (smart thing to do!) and had many places to myself.

Bighorn Scenic Highway (Highway 14) winds through the canyon between the valley floor and the upper plateau. Over eons the waters have eroded through the sedimentary rock down to the ancient granitic bedrock. Shell Falls is a favored stopping point to look more closely at the falls and surrounding area, falling itself over the "Grandfather" rock formations.

All around the upper Rim you can see the sedimentary beds lining the canyon like ramparts, eventually sloping into carpeted surfaces toward the creek's waterway. Wonderful geologic features like faults and synclines are also readily visible to the trained eye.

Of course, I also really enjoy the up-close textures and patterns rock and lichens play in concert together, not to mention the various types of rocks found side by side...

...as well as the striated staining of groundwater perking through certain minerals that help to paint their own tapestry on the rock surfaces along Shell Creek...

For the adventurous there are several good trails that will take you up the canyon walls, and return you to the cold refreshing waters upon returning...

But don't think this is what the Bighorns are all about...as you will see in future travelogues, the 1.1 million acres in Bighorn National Forest harbors diverse geologic and geographic regions, over 1,500 miles of hiking trails, and more than 30 campgrounds.

Shell Canyon isn't a very long stretch of highway, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in variety. Anytime I see a scene like the one above, I'm led to go walking through it. Don't forget, all of these pics will enlarge for a better look...all you have to do is click on 'em.

And is it just me, or don't we often find ourselves wondering what it would be to have experienced wonderlands like these before they were ever developed?

Enjoy!