I Like Dirt!

Well, I have to admit that I have been lazy and haven't put a post up in a while.  So, I thought I'd do a theme, which is the fascinating hikes we have done in the mud formations from ancient lake beds.  

We have done three trips visiting the mud in Poison Canyon, which lies between Ridgecrest and Trona.  This is an area we have driven through for years, but these are our first hiking visits.  I came up with the idea, as it was the only close location without a wind forecast in excess of 30mph, and we could do a short easy hike, as my sprained ankle from back in October was acting up.

The mud formations, tufa, and old lake shores are leftovers from the prehistoric Lake Searles. Most amazing to me are the mud flows, and tufa covered granite boulders.

USGS article on Searle's Lake Geology 

From the  Wiki page on Searles Lake "The stratigraphic record at Searles Lake shows that it once held brackish water as deep as 200 m (660 ft). Fluctuations in lake levels correspond to the advances and retreats of glaciers in the Sierra Nevada Range. Thirty major lake levels occurred during the last 150,000 years, represented by a sequence of salt and mud beds. The precipitation of minerals occurred during long periods of lake evaporation"

Yes, we are hiking in an area that was once 600' below the surface of a huge and ancient lake.

This is tufa clinging to the rocks.

Close up of tufa.

Bob on a huge mud flow.

One of the huge mud deposits.

Fish Rocks

A very fine grained mud, and old granite above it.

Desert Holly and it is in bloom.  Lovely.

Cottontop cactus.

Rollin' rollin' rollin'.  Yep our train is rolling up the hill.

Bob bags a peak.

Trona, the Searles Valley and off in the distance Telescope Peak.

Cottontop cactus with the Sierra in the background.

The earth's bones are showing.

BJ has a pet rock.

BJ does rock yoga.

Monster dinosaur egg rocks, still in the nest.

The original and all natural fish rock.

Another close up of tufa.

A B52 was buzzing us.