As I haven't gone anywhere in quite a while, I'm spreading out the pics from our trip to Mammoth Lakes over a few Wednesdays. These are all from our early evening jaunt out to see Devils Postpile.
It was a fairly short hike out to get our first view of the 400' basalt columns that were formed by a lava flow ~80,000 years ago.
That swirly bit on the left makes it much easier to imagine lava flowing and curving.
There was a big pile of the hexagonal columns all around the bottom of it, it was really fun to sit on them. They honestly look so man-made and finished along the edges. According to one of the historical signs, this whole thing was nearly dynamited to make room for a hydroelectric dam. Thank goodness John Muir and others prevailed and the place was designated as a national monument in 1911.
We hiked straight up the side of the structure and it was amazing to see how far the columns really go, with the occasional tree growing up out of them.
It's all fitted together like an utterly perfect tile floor. And polished so nicely by the passing glacier way back when.
The Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River was lovely at twilight, almost made it possible to ignore the onslaught of mosquitoes.
I had forgotten how amazing Devil's Postpile was. Thanks for sharing. I didn't remember the hexie floor at all. I can't remember when I was there last. I know went backpacking there in the summer after 7th or 8th grade, but the trip was cut short and we never made it to Devil's Postpile. I was probably there with my parents before that, but I am fairly sure I haven't been there since.
ReplyDeleteThat hexie floor was amazing to see. I bet that was nice backpacking up there.
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