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Monarch Canyon, 10/25/2019
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Late Afternoon Arrival3 viewsWe arrived at Monarch Canyon after 4 in the afternoon, when shadows were creeping over the parking area.
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Rock Patterns4 viewsLots of interesting striations, dribbles and splotches in these varicolored rocks. Looks like someone spilled white paint over some of them.
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A Geological Potpourri3 viewsThe color bands and splotches seen in the previous picture are reproduced on a grander scale on this mountainside.
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The Way Down4 viewsThe trail into the canyon can be seen at lower right.
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Needle Cactus1 viewsThis cactus looks as if it consists entirely of curved pink needles all rolled up into a ball.
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Descent3 viewsI am on the trail taking me to the canyon floor, where I'll see some interesting stuff.
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Wetland, sort of1 viewsUpon reaching the canyon floor, I found it to be covered with a dense thicket of reeds and long grass, fed by a small spring.
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The Bands Play On1 viewsThe reeds and grass gave way to a drier and more open area, but with the same towering, colorfully banded cliffs.
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Rocks along the Trail1 viewsI like rocks. I think I'd like to be a geologist when I grow up.
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Mine Relics1 viewsAn old stamp mill, designed to crush rock containing gold ore by pounding it, thereby preparing it for further processing. The ore is fed in via buckets carried down on the aerial tramway.
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Pocked Rock1 viewsI saw a lot of rocks with little round plugs or knots like the one in this picture - wonder how this happens?
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The Way Back3 viewsWe turned back at the stamp mill and wended our way back up the trail to the parking area.
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