Wednesday, October 10 - Part 1
I had arisen late, at least for me; not until 6:30. I walked outside with my coffee and another clear, but warmer morning greeted me on this, my second day in Lone Pine. The previous morning was cool and frosty, but this morning the air felt nearly balmy - clear, breezy and in the low 50's.
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I walked out of my room and went around behind the motel. The sky was just brightening and the Sierras where becoming visible in early light. A lone walker went briskly by with a softly spoken "Good morning." This pulled me from my early morning reverie and I realized if I was going to see the sunrise on Mt. Whitney, I had better get moving. I refilled my coffee cup, grabbed my camera and tripod and drove up Whitney Portal Road.
The early morning light seemed to make the mountains glow.
Seeing these clouds hugging the peaks I could not help but wonder if it was snowing way up there.
This was a lucky shot I got in 2001. Sure wish I had been shooting with film!
Around 9:00 I loaded up the car and headed south towards Death Valley.
Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid United States National Park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southern Inyo County and northern San Bernardino County in California with a small extension into southwestern Nye County and extreme southern Esmeralda County in Nevada. In addition, there is also an exclave (Devil's Hole) in southern Nye County. The park covers 5,219 mi² (13,518 km²), encompassing Saline Valley, a large part of Panamint Valley, almost all of Death Valley, and parts of several mountain ranges. It is the hottest and driest of the national parks in the United States and contains the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at Badwater, which is 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. It is also home to many species of plants and animals that have adapted to this harsh desert environment. Some examples include Creosote Bush, Bighorn Sheep, Coyote, and the Death Valley Pupfish — a survivor of much wetter times. Approximately 95% of the park is designated as wilderness.
Mining was the primary activity in the area before it was protected. The first known non-Native Americans to enter Death Valley did so in the winter of 1849, thinking they would save some time by taking a shortcut to the gold fields of California. They were stuck for weeks and in the process gave the Valley its name even though only one of their group died there. Several short-lived boom towns sprung up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to exploit minor local bonanzas of gold. The only long-term profitable ore to be mined, however, was borax; a mineral used to make soap and an important industrial compound. 20-Mule Teams were famously used to transport this ore out of the Valley, helping to make it famous and the subject or set of numerous books, radio programs, television series, and movies. Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed in 1933, placing the area under federal protection. In 1994, the monument was redesignated a national park, as well as being substantially expanded to include, for example, Saline and Eureka Valleys.
The natural environment of the area has been profoundly shaped by its geology. The oldest rocks are extensively metamorphosed and at least 1.7 billion years old. Ancient warm, shallow seas deposited marine sediments until rifting opened the Pacific Ocean. Additional sedimentation occurred until a subduction zone formed off the coast. This uplifted the region out of the sea and created a line of volcanoes. Later the crust started to pull apart, creating the Basin and Range landform we see today. Valleys filled with sediment and, during the wet times of ice ages, with lakes, such as Lake Manly.
Source: WikiPedia
I drove south on US 395 to SR 136 which took me by the northern end of Owens Dry Lake and the dusty ghost towns of Dolomite, Swansea and Keeler.
When the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake rendered the pier in nearby Swansea useless by uplifting the shoreline, a new pier was constructed to the south at a community named Hawley. In 1880 a new mill was constructed at Hawley by the Owens Lake Mining and Milling Company for processing ore from the Cerro Gordo Mines in the mountains to the east. A town was laid out by the company agent Julius M. Keeler for whom the town of Hawley was later renamed. The steamship "Bessie Brady" brought ore from Keeler across the lake to the town of Cartago, however in 1882 the Bessie Brady was destroyed by fire. The Carson and Colorado Railroad constructed a narrow gauge railway to Keeler in 1883. The success of the Cerro Gordo mines caused Keeler to boom until silver prices plummeted in the late 1800s. A second boom of zinc mining in the early 1900s brought new life to the town and a tramway was built to bring the ore from Cerro Gordo to Keeler. There were small surges in the mining of silver, lead, zinc, and even limestone, however by the 1950s all mining had ceased. Train service was stopped in 1960 and the tracks were removed in 1961. Water exports from the Owens Valley to the City of Los Angeles in the 1920s led the Owens Lake to eventually dry up, causing alkali dust storms to blow through Keeler, driving many residents away. Dust remediation efforts in the early 21st century reduced this problem, but few residents remain.
Source: WikiPedia
This shows the route of the 300+ mileLA Aqueduct from Mono Lake, through Lone Pine the Owens Valley and south to Los Angeles.
Read about the new water war brewing in Inyo County
About 5 miles southeast of Keeler I intersected SR 190. My first stop was this road cut about 3.5 miles to the north of Father Crowley Point. Another fascinating look at the varied geology of the area. More silicon dioxide intrusions perhaps?
I took no photos from the point or of the Monument. Unfortunately, the area in back of the monument had turned into an open air urinal.
Encompassing views of the Panamint Valley, Rainbow Canyon, the Panamint Mountain Range, and Telescope Peak, Father Crowley Point is a must-stop point on the Byway. The lookout was named after a Catholic Priest who ministered in the area in the 1930s, and who was said to make frequent stops at the overlook.
Be sure to make this lookout a stopping place during your drive through Death Valley. This view, which inspired reverence in an important religious leader, will also demonstrate the beautiful complexity and rugged balance of this impressive desert.
Source: National Scenic Byways Online
Another six miles down the SR 190 and I was at Stovepipe Wells. Near here is the access road to Mosaic Canyon.
More intrusions! This has got to stop!
The entrance to Mosaic Canyon appears deceptively ordinary, but just a 1/4 mile walk up the canyon narrows dramatically to a deep slot cut into the face of Tucki Mountain. Smooth, polished marble walls enclose the trail as it follows the canyon's sinuous curves. Following faults The canyon follows faults that formed when the rocky crust of the Death Valley region began stretching just a few million years ago. Running water scoured away at the fault-weakened rock, gradually carving this remarkable canyon.
Source: USGS
Water and sediment has carved this smooth channel in the marble.
"Walking into Mosaic Canyon is like walking into a museum. It is a showcase of geological features as well as a beautiful example of one of Death Valley's many canyons. Located 1/4 mile west of Stovepipe Wells Village the 2 mile gravel access road climbs 1000 feet to the parking area. From here an easy quarter mile walk leads into the canyon narrows where the surrounding rock walls are composed of smooth water polished marble. If time permits you can continue hiking for another 1.5 - 2 miles before the way is blocked by a dry waterfall. Mosaic Canyon is named for a rock formation known as the Mosaic Breccia. Breccia is an Italian word meaning fragments. The formation is composed of angular fragments of many different kinds of parent rock and it can be seen on the floor of the canyon just south of the parking area. The most common rock formation in the canyon is the Noonday Dolomite. This limestone is rich in magnesium and formed 750-900 million years ago when the area was part of the Pacific Ocean."
Source: NPS
How did this happen - layers of marble laid down like planks of lumber.
More fantastic layer and tilting of the rock beds.
A section of carved marble stream channel.
These rocks are going every which way! What exactly went on here, I wonder?
What caused this layer of marble to be sandwiched between two layers of what look like conglomerate?
