Standing on the valley rim, we peer into a rugged coulee of badland formations. Between the eroded slopes, native prairie covers the undulating treeless landscape where wildflower blossoms vie for space among the needle-and-thread grass, sagebrush and junipers.
What really grabs our attention is the sea of scattered curling rock-shaped boulders, most a dazzling reddish-orange. Many are massive, up to 2.5 metres across, and are thought to be some of the largest of their kind anywhere in the world. Remarkably, these strange rocks got so big by growing.
Red Rock Coulee Natural Area lies hidden in southeastern Alberta, about 50 kilometres from Medicine Hat. Covering 800 acres, the crown land is designated as a natural area by Alberta Parks. This is a low key park, with a parking area, some basic signage and little else for facilities. Though a geological wonder and a scenic gem, Red Rock Coulee isn’t widely known and doesn’t get a lot of visitors. Don’t be surprised if you have the whole place to yourself.
How the Boulders were Formed
The round boulders are concretions, formed millions of years ago when sand, calcite and iron oxide formed and hardened around small nuclei such as leaves or bones. Over time, swirling water added more deposits, which stuck to the formations and made them larger, like layers on an onion. The resulting boulders became harder than the surrounding material, so when erosion carved the coulee, the softer material washed away, leaving the red rocks exposed.
Torrents of water from retreating glaciers pushed some of the monsters down to the valley floor, while leaving others along the slope. It’s as if a giant stood on the valley rim and tossed a large handful of marbles over the edge, some remaining intact and rolling to the bottom while others shattered on their way down.
Walking into the valley is like entering another world or stepping onto the surface of the moon or Mars. While rock-strewn coulees are not uncommon, this one is eerily different because of the consistent shape of many boulders, their sizes and brilliant colour. Several are almost perfectly round, but flattened on the top and bottom, like curling rocks or hamburger buns. Concretions have formed in many parts of the world, but the ones here are considered some of the biggest anywhere and among the most flashy.
Many rocks have cracked open, some of the breaks so straight that they seem to have been cut by a precision instrument. Inside, we can sometimes see concentric circles, somewhat like the growth rings on a tree trunk. The colour goes right through the rock, caused by iron oxide that was part of the rock formation. The surface of many boulders is further enhanced by wildly colourful lichens.
Prairie Plants and Wildlife
While the unique rocks are the main feature of the coulee, this is also an oasis of relatively undisturbed natural prairie. It’s a great spot for wildflowers such as crocus in the spring and a variety of blooms through the summer like prickly pear and pincushion cactus. A specialty is gumbo evening primrose, which likes to grow on almost bare patches of clay. Grassland birds such as meadowlark, horned lark and prairie falcon are often around. This is also rattlesnake country so be careful stepping over rocks or walking through tall grass.
To get there, head southwest of Medicine Hat on Highway 3 to Seven Persons, then travel south on Highway 887 for about 26 kilometres to where the highway turns east. A sign near the curve directs you to a short access road to the site.
For details and suggestions of other attraction in southeast Alberta, see the Canadian Badlands website www.canadianbadlands.com
Tukiwa tumesimama kwenye ukingo wa bonde hilo, tunaangalia ndani ya eneo lenye miamba mingi. Kati ya mteremko wa mteremko, nyanda za asili hufunika mandhari isiyo na miti ambapo maua ya mwituni hushindana kwa nafasi kati ya nyasi ya sindano na nyuzi, sagebrush na junipers. Jambo linalovutia sana ni bahari ya miamba iliyotawanyika, ambayo mara nyingi huwa na rangi nyekundu-rangi. Mimea hiyo ina urefu wa mita 2.5 na inaonekana kuwa kubwa zaidi duniani. Jambo la kushangaza ni kwamba miamba hiyo isiyo ya kawaida ilikua sana. Red Rock Coulee Nature Reserve iko katika eneo la kusini mashariki mwa Alberta, karibu kilomita 50 kutoka Medicine Hat. Kwa kuwa eneo hilo lina ukubwa wa ekari 800, limetambuliwa kuwa eneo la asili na Alberta Parks. Hii ni bustani ya chini muhimu, na eneo la maegesho, baadhi ya ishara ya msingi na kidogo zaidi kwa ajili ya vifaa. Ingawa ni ajabu ya kijiolojia na gem scenic, Red Rock Coulee si inajulikana sana na haina kupata wageni wengi. Usishangae ikiwa utakuwa na mahali pote peke yako. Matofali ya mviringo ni mawe ya mviringo, yaliyoundwa mamilioni ya miaka iliyopita wakati mchanga, calcite na oksidi ya chuma zilipoundwa na kuimarika karibu na nyuklia ndogo kama majani au mifupa. Baada ya muda, maji yaliongezeka na kuunganisha mchanga kwenye miamba hiyo na kuifanya iwe kubwa zaidi, kama vile tabaka kwenye vitunguu. Mawe hayo yalikuwa magumu kuliko yale yaliyokuwa karibu nayo, kwa hiyo wakati maji yalipoanguka, mawe hayo laini yalipuuzwa na maji, na hivyo mawe hayo mekundu yakaonekana waziwazi. Mtiririko wa maji kutoka kwenye barafu zilizokuwa zikirudi nyuma uliwafukuza baadhi ya wanyama hao kwenye bonde, huku wengine wakiachwa kwenye mteremko. Ni kana kwamba jitu alisimama juu ya ukingo wa bonde na kutupwa kubwa wachache wa marumaru juu ya ukingo, baadhi ya kubaki intact na rolling chini wakati wengine shattered katika njia yao chini. Kutembea katika bonde hilo ni kama kuingia katika ulimwengu mwingine au kutembea juu ya uso wa mwezi au sayari ya Mars. Ingawa mawe yaliyojaa mawe si ya kawaida, hii ni tofauti sana kwa sababu ya umbo la mawe mengi, ukubwa wao na rangi yao yenye kung'aa. Nyingi ni karibu kamili pande zote, lakini flattened juu na chini, kama curling miamba au hamburger buns. Mawe hayo yametokea katika sehemu nyingi za dunia, lakini yale ya hapa yanaonwa kuwa makubwa zaidi na ya kuvutia zaidi. Miamba mingi imefunikwa, baadhi ya mapengo ni ya moja kwa moja sana hivi kwamba yaonekana yamekatwa na kifaa cha usahihi. Ndani, nyakati nyingine twaweza kuona duara zenye umbo la mzunguko, kama vile pete za ukuzi kwenye shina la mti. Rangi hiyo hupita ndani ya mwamba, ikisababishwa na oksidi ya chuma iliyokuwa sehemu ya muundo wa mwamba. Sehemu nyingi za uso wa miamba hiyo huimarishwa zaidi na vichaka vyenye rangi nyingi. Mimea ya Prairie na Wanyama wa Pori Ingawa miamba ya kipekee ndiyo sifa kuu ya coulee, hii pia ni oasis ya nyasi za asili zisizo na usumbufu. Ni mahali pazuri kwa maua ya mwituni kama vile crocus katika spring na aina mbalimbali ya maua katika majira ya joto kama pear prickly na pincushion cactus. Aina ya pekee ni gumbo evening primrose, ambayo hupenda kukua kwenye sehemu za udongo zisizo na udongo. Mara nyingi ndege wa nyanda kama vile meadowlark, horned lark na prairie falcon huwa karibu. Hii pia ni nchi ya nyoka wa kengele kwa hiyo uwe mwangalifu ukitembea juu ya miamba au kutembea kupitia nyasi ndefu. Ili kufika huko, nenda kusini magharibi mwa Medicine Hat kwenye Barabara kuu 3 hadi Watu Saba, kisha kusafiri kusini kwenye Barabara kuu 887 kwa karibu kilomita 26 hadi ambapo barabara kuu inageuka mashariki. Ishara iliyo karibu na kona hiyo inakuongoza kwenye barabara fupi inayoelekea mahali hapo. Kwa maelezo zaidi na mapendekezo ya vivutio vingine katika kusini mashariki mwa Alberta, angalia tovuti ya Canadian Badlands www.canadianbadlands.com