First-day road log, from Tucumcari to the edge of the Llano Estacado at Gruhlkey, Texas, Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, and San Jon Hill, New Mexico
— Spencer G. Lucas, Adrian P. Hunt, Barry S. Kues, Andrew B. Heckert, and Virginia T. McLemore

Today's trip takes us across part of the nmthem Llano Estacado to examine Pemian, Triassic, Jurnssic, Cretaceous and Neogene sedimentary rocks exposed at its margins. In so doing, we review the entire section exposed around the staked plains, focusing on problems of stratigraphy, sedimentation, biostratigraphy and rnagnetostratigraphy.

At STOP 1, just as we ascend the Llano Estacado, we examine the Neogene Ogallala Group and discuss its stratigraphy, sedimentology and geohydrology. We then "scoot" over to Palo Duro Canyon, south of Amarillo, the "Grand Canyon of Texas,'' on the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado. STOPS 2 and 3 feature the canyon's spectacular scenery due to Neogene erosion into Permian and Triassic red beds. These red beds, and problems regarding their age and correlation, are the focus of the stops.

Palo Duro Canyon is the high point and the endpoint of the Texas portion of this field conference. The trip continues back to New Mexico to STOP 4 at "San Jon Hill," where the eroded northem face of the Llano Estacado exposes a classic Jurassic-Cretaceous section. Here, we collect fossils and discuss regional Jurassic and Cretaceous sedimentation.