2.
Here you can stop and catch your breath before beginning the steep climb. Look at the top of the mesa, to your right, just below the railing. You can see very clearly two different formations of rock. The lower is the sandstone called Zuñi formation and the higher is the Dakota formation. The line between these two formations represents a time interval of between 25 and 30 million years. More about this later.
Behind the numbered stake near the base of the rock, you will see a Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii). It is commonly associated with ponderosa pine and is the most abundant oak of the low mountains and plateaus of the Southwest. It is characterized by its deeply-lobed leaves, and its habit of growth. It ranges from a shrub to a tree in size, and is often seen in dense stands, which give it the name of “scrub” oak in certain localities. Deer and livestock browse this tree, and small animals use its acorns for food.