About 27,000 years ago a deep cave collapsed in this area and formed a large sink hole. The hot spring that was beneath it filled the sink hole with warm water. It was so warm that it never froze in the winter and grass grew around the edge of the water several feet from the top of the hole. Th sides were very steep and both Colombian Mammoths and Woolly Mammoths went into the sink hole only to find that they were unable to get out. They died here from exhaustion or drowning. This went on for 300 to 700 years when it filled with silt, covering the remains of the animals in the hole. It became a hill and was covered with grass.
In 1974 a developer was going to build a subdivision at this site. A heavy equipment operator uncovered some bones and the site was determined to be an important archaeological and paleontology site.
They site has been an active dig for 35 yrs. They actually dig only 6 weeks a year, and find enough to study for the rest of the year.
There have been 58 Mammoths uncovered here and the dig continues.
There is a building over the site with a laboratory gift shop and museum enclosing the site.
This has been a very busy week for us and today is a day of rest, laundry and house cleaning.
Tomorrow we leave for one of our longest driving days, about 300 miles. It will take us 4 days to get to Island Park.
Ta ta for now
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