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Falls Trail Hike, Mount Diablo, California

Posted by: budgettravel in California, Hikes, Interesting Natural Feature, United States of America 9 months ago

We started our hike on a cold, wet January morning. It had been raining for the last few days, and we had a few hours break from the rain before the clouds rolled in again. Our hike started at Regency Gate,with a step-over creek crossing. We followed Donner Canyon Road, down to Cardinet Oaks Road, and took a right on Falls Trail. Downhill from where Falls Trail started, at the beginning of Cardinet Oaks Trail, was a large stream which threatened the continuation of our hike. But with some determination we made it across. Alternatively, we could have turned right at the junction of Meridian Ridge Road and gone left at Middle Trail to connect to Falls Trail, to avoid the large stream at the base of Cardinet Oaks Trail.

Badlands Loop, Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California

Posted by: budgettravel in California, Hikes, Interesting Natural Feature, United States of America 9 months, 1 week ago

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California

We started our hike in Death Valley on a cold December morning. Death Valley is the lowest and driest place in the United States. In the summer months, it is also the hottest place in United States. Sitting below sea level, Death Valley is most popular in the winter months.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada

Posted by: budgettravel in Hikes, Interesting Natural Feature, United States of America 9 months, 2 weeks ago

Calico Tanks, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada

If you're looking for a moderately challenging hike that takes you through multicolored layers of rock with some effort, this hike is for you. Rated a moderate hike despite its short distance (2.5 miles), Calico Tanks will require you to sometimes scramble, climb and boulder over a rock or five.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area, near Las Vegas, Nevada

Posted by: budgettravel in Hikes, History, Interesting Natural Feature, United States of America 9 months, 2 weeks ago

Historic Railroad Tunnels (Lake Mead NRA) to Hoover Dam, Nevada

Hoover Dam is an attraction to many visiting Las Vegas. Built in the 1930s, it was the tallest dam in the world at the time. The Dam produced the largest reservoir in the world, known as Lake Mead. The railroad that carried supplies 24 hours a day for the building of Hoover Dam was recently converted to a trail. It's trailhead starts near Lake Mead NRA’s (National Recreation Area) Alan Bible Visitor Center. Designated a National Historic Trail, the Historic Railroad Trail goes through five tunnels and leads to the top of Hoover Dam.

Devil's Postpile National Monument, California

Posted by: budgettravel in California, Hikes, Interesting Natural Feature, United States of America 9 months, 2 weeks ago

Our day started early for a hike in Devil's Postpile National Monument. We had breakfast in the park and began our hike. The hike to the postpiles was short about 1 mile roundtrip. The postpiles look like tall tree trunks stacked high and upright against each other, measuring 40-60 feet (12 to 18 meters) high.  These Postpiles were formed as a product of the slow cooling of a hot basalt lava lake. The lava lake was 400 feet deep and existed between 80,000 to 100,000 years ago. As the lava lake cooled, cracks (called joints by geologists) formed to release the tension that lay within. Cracks extended from the outside in, forming these hexagonal columns. These hexagonal columns were later exposed by many forces, one of them being glacial excavation. You can see the glacial striations on the rock at the top of the columns on the hexagonal “tiles”. Though very much man-made in appearance, these hexagonal shapes are common in nature - example bee hive honeycomb, packed bubbles, eyes of flies.  For more information on the geology of these postpiles, see Geology of Devil's Postpile

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