Golden Canyon
This was our main event for the trip. We wanted to hike to the top of Zabrinski Point, but that trail was closed due to flood damage. We stopped at Golden Canyon instead. It was stunning. The hike through Golden Canyon was very easy too, perfect for any member of the family (we even saw a woman with a wheel chair up there).
When you start the hike, there is a bunch of conglomerate around you, this is typical of alluvial fans. Rocks get left in the fan along with sand and get buried by new sediment. The pressure of the material above cements the rocks with the sand, creating this new sedimentary rock.
The conglomerate rock gives way to smooth sandstone and red rock, much of it coated in a soft green clay. This is common of lakebeds. Here, we can see ripples of ancient waves against the long gone shore. These ripples have been frozen in time from the clay that coated the rock.
Why is it so vertical, though? Faulting took the once smooth lake bottom/shore and thrust the rocks up at an angle. Now it is hard to believe this used to be a tepid lake.
As you get near the end of the hike, the red mountains loom off in the distance. I was unable to find much information on these rocks.
They are probably volcanic
At this point you can continue another quarter mile to the Red Cathedral, or if you want a challenging (and even more beautiful) hike, opt for the Golver's Gulch/Zabrinski Point hike that goes off to the right.
Our now narrow trail winding up the face of Manly Beacon (?)
The view from the side of Manly Beacon, and other high points of the trail were the high lights of our trip, at least for me.
The view to the right (when turned around on the trail)
looking straight back (note the people in the second picture)
Further down the trail, past Manly Beacon, looking to the left.
And then we descended into Golver's Gulch. the Gulch is subject to many flash floods, especially since 1941 when they diverted Furnace Creek for its water, preventing the Creek from sharing in the load of water after heavy rains. Now, this once calm flow turns into something comparable to the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon after a heavy rain. After heavy rains, the river flows right over 190, causing quite a mess for Park Personnel. They should probably fix that.
Into the gulch
The rocks here were stunning, sometimes the sides were so steep
looking back behind us about 1/2 a mile from leaving the gulch.
I stopped taking pictures soon after, missed where the gulch lead into the valley, and the 15 foot dry water fall that brings it there (that we almost walked over because the trail wasn't clear). But all and all, not a bad day. We hiked for two hours, then hastily went to the Furnace Creek Ranch for lunch.
When you start the hike, there is a bunch of conglomerate around you, this is typical of alluvial fans. Rocks get left in the fan along with sand and get buried by new sediment. The pressure of the material above cements the rocks with the sand, creating this new sedimentary rock.
The conglomerate rock gives way to smooth sandstone and red rock, much of it coated in a soft green clay. This is common of lakebeds. Here, we can see ripples of ancient waves against the long gone shore. These ripples have been frozen in time from the clay that coated the rock.
Why is it so vertical, though? Faulting took the once smooth lake bottom/shore and thrust the rocks up at an angle. Now it is hard to believe this used to be a tepid lake.
As you get near the end of the hike, the red mountains loom off in the distance. I was unable to find much information on these rocks.
They are probably volcanic
At this point you can continue another quarter mile to the Red Cathedral, or if you want a challenging (and even more beautiful) hike, opt for the Golver's Gulch/Zabrinski Point hike that goes off to the right.
Our now narrow trail winding up the face of Manly Beacon (?)
The view from the side of Manly Beacon, and other high points of the trail were the high lights of our trip, at least for me.
The view to the right (when turned around on the trail)
looking straight back (note the people in the second picture)
Further down the trail, past Manly Beacon, looking to the left.
And then we descended into Golver's Gulch. the Gulch is subject to many flash floods, especially since 1941 when they diverted Furnace Creek for its water, preventing the Creek from sharing in the load of water after heavy rains. Now, this once calm flow turns into something comparable to the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon after a heavy rain. After heavy rains, the river flows right over 190, causing quite a mess for Park Personnel. They should probably fix that.
Into the gulch
The rocks here were stunning, sometimes the sides were so steep
looking back behind us about 1/2 a mile from leaving the gulch.
I stopped taking pictures soon after, missed where the gulch lead into the valley, and the 15 foot dry water fall that brings it there (that we almost walked over because the trail wasn't clear). But all and all, not a bad day. We hiked for two hours, then hastily went to the Furnace Creek Ranch for lunch.
posted by Life Saver at 11:28 AM
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