Monday, June 9, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
After leaving Moab, I made one short stop at Arches to get a photo of the Moab Fault which controls which formations are exposed in the park.
The trip across the plateau and Rockies was mostly uneventful, except for tons of bugs on my windshield near Grand Junction. I did notice in the stretch between Parachute and Rifle at least 12 oil wells operating. There are probably more, these are just the ones visible from the interstate. I wonder if this activity has anything to do with recent trends in oil prices? Hmm...
Rocky Mountain N.P. was spectacular as usual. Of course there were the animal nuts, who couldn’t resist stopping for every critter seen from the road. It wouldn’t be so bad, except they insist on not following the park instructions, getting out of their cars and crossing fields to get close-up photos. Oh well, one of these days a moose will stomp them to death and then they will learn.
It got brutally cold at the crest of the park; the temperature there was 40 degress F, about 30 less than at the park entrance.
Tonight I’m in Boulder and tomorrow I sadly leave the mountains behind and head out across the plains.
The trip across the plateau and Rockies was mostly uneventful, except for tons of bugs on my windshield near Grand Junction. I did notice in the stretch between Parachute and Rifle at least 12 oil wells operating. There are probably more, these are just the ones visible from the interstate. I wonder if this activity has anything to do with recent trends in oil prices? Hmm...
Rocky Mountain N.P. was spectacular as usual. Of course there were the animal nuts, who couldn’t resist stopping for every critter seen from the road. It wouldn’t be so bad, except they insist on not following the park instructions, getting out of their cars and crossing fields to get close-up photos. Oh well, one of these days a moose will stomp them to death and then they will learn.
It got brutally cold at the crest of the park; the temperature there was 40 degress F, about 30 less than at the park entrance.
Tonight I’m in Boulder and tomorrow I sadly leave the mountains behind and head out across the plains.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Three parks in one day!
Arches Nat’l Park was first on today’s to do list. The Navajo and Entrada sandstones are the primary rocks seen in the park. The fins and arches are in the Entrada, formed as evaporite deposits beneath upwelled and caused the overlying rocks to bow upward. This caused the upper layers (Entrada) spread forming the “fins” that weathering and erosion modified into arches and windows.
The next park is Canyonlands which again includes the Navajo along with formations beneath (Kayenta, Wingate, White Rim, Moenkopi…). This park illustrates the weathering and erosion processes that result in the entrenchment of the Green and Colorado Rivers that join inside the park.
The third park is Dead Horse Point State Park, which also gives a very good view of the entrenched Colorado River.
Tomorrow I’m heading for Boulder Colorado and passing through Rocky Mountain N.P.
The next park is Canyonlands which again includes the Navajo along with formations beneath (Kayenta, Wingate, White Rim, Moenkopi…). This park illustrates the weathering and erosion processes that result in the entrenchment of the Green and Colorado Rivers that join inside the park.
The third park is Dead Horse Point State Park, which also gives a very good view of the entrenched Colorado River.
Tomorrow I’m heading for Boulder Colorado and passing through Rocky Mountain N.P.
Friday, June 6, 2008
In Geo-heaven
Today’s trip from Winnemucca to Moab UT, was a quasi-religious experience for an eastern geologist like me.
First was a continuation of the crossing of the desolate Basin and Range of northern Nevada. Since crossing the Sierra Nevadas I have essentially been re-tracing the route of the Donner Party on the way to their rendezvous with the mountains named for snow.
Then came the extremely flat, white expanse of the Bonneville Salt Flats. It’s true that they are so flat and cover such a large area that you can actually see the curvature of the Earth.
Heading across the Wasatch Mountains and onto the Colorado Plateau I was able to see and touch rocks and formations that previously I’ve only taught about before like the Mancos Shale and Mesaverde Group sandstones and coal.
Driving into Moab I crossed the incredibly red Entrada and Wingate Formations and tomorrow I will head out to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
Then came the extremely flat, white expanse of the Bonneville Salt Flats. It’s true that they are so flat and cover such a large area that you can actually see the curvature of the Earth.
Heading across the Wasatch Mountains and onto the Colorado Plateau I was able to see and touch rocks and formations that previously I’ve only taught about before like the Mancos Shale and Mesaverde Group sandstones and coal.
Driving into Moab I crossed the incredibly red Entrada and Wingate Formations and tomorrow I will head out to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Turning for home
The trip today carried me down from Oregon, through the Sacramento Valley, up the Sierras and around Lake Tahoe, and across the Basin and Range.
At the north end of California I passed by Mt. Shasta, which came out from the clouds in a spectacular manner. The flat Sacramento Valley between the Sierras and the Coast Ranges was filled with cattle ranches.
The Sierra range was capped with red soils covering granite on the western slope, but the granite was bare of soil on the crest and eastern slope. The views of Lake Tahoe showing the forested slopes surrounding the lake contrast sharply with the treeless Basin and Range to the east.
The Basin and Range was strangely beautiful in its starkness, with the vast distances giving a sense of incredible loneliness.
At the north end of California I passed by Mt. Shasta, which came out from the clouds in a spectacular manner. The flat Sacramento Valley between the Sierras and the Coast Ranges was filled with cattle ranches.
The Sierra range was capped with red soils covering granite on the western slope, but the granite was bare of soil on the crest and eastern slope. The views of Lake Tahoe showing the forested slopes surrounding the lake contrast sharply with the treeless Basin and Range to the east.
The Basin and Range was strangely beautiful in its starkness, with the vast distances giving a sense of incredible loneliness.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Dismal Day
The weather today was the worst of the trip so far...rain and clouds almost the whole day. Crater Lake was mostly closed due to heavy amounts of snow on some roads, but I did get up to the rim. It was misting, cold and windy, but the clouds did part long enough to get a few photos of the lake. One bright spot was that gas in the park was only $3.56/gal!!!
It may snow tonight here (Medford, OR), but tomorrow promises to be much warmer as I head into California. My goal tomorrow is to cross the Sierras and reach Winnemucca, NV (a real hot spot!)
It may snow tonight here (Medford, OR), but tomorrow promises to be much warmer as I head into California. My goal tomorrow is to cross the Sierras and reach Winnemucca, NV (a real hot spot!)
San Juan Island and Mt. St. Helens
On Saturday and Sunday I was on San Juan Island in Puget Sound. On the rocks around South Beach I noticed glacial striations. I have also posted a shot from the top of the island looking southwest toward the Olympic Mtns.
Today was a very good day. I traveled south to make a pilgrimage to Mt. St Helens. The photo of me shows the crater in the background with the stream-carved pyroclastic flow from the 1980 eruption at the base of the volcano. The material visible in the stream bed under the pyroclastic flow is from the landslide that immediately preceded the eruption in May 1980. The lava dome is visible in the crater.
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