Last Saturday, 15 geology students and their fearless leader, Prof. Bartley, headed south to explore the Permian Basin in west Texas and eastern New Mexico. They’ll be looking at ancient coral reefs and rocks deposited in associated environments about 300 million years ago, when the region was covered by a shallow sea. They plan to camp in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and, in their endless quest for the coolest rocks, they’ll be hiking through places like Last Chance Canyon and Slaughter Canyon. (Anyone bring the machete?) Check back here in a week for photos and reports of their adventures.