Pinnacles–Our Newest National Park

Hi everyone! We have a lot of catching up to do so let’s get started.  Last December a friend and I visited Pinnacles National Park, California, our newest National Park. Pinnacles is the fifth smallest park encompassing approximately 26,606 acres. It is about 50 miles inland from the coast and 80 miles south of San Jose in the Gabilan Mountain Range. It is also only a few miles west of the San Andreas Fault which we’ll talk of later.

In 2003 Pinnacles joined the California Condor Recovery Program when the bird was close to extinction. The park currently co-manages 86 wild condors in central California. It is also home to a number of threatened species including bats, amphibians, and reptiles. I sure hope we see a condor today on our walk to the pinnacles! Check out the green rock used to make the welcome sign.  We’ll discuss geology as we go and, of course, the famous fault.

Entrance

Let’s go, lots to see . . .

Snowshoeing Upper Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs

The sun’s out! What a change from the gray landscape and snowy conditions we’ve seen day after day in Yellowstone. Let’s head to the Upper Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs for a winter hike around the loop called Upper Terrace Drive. During the summer season (April-early November), this road is cars only. When snow falls, it becomes the domain of folks on skis and snowshoes.

The Mammoth upper and lower terraces form a massive hill of travertine. Travertine is the result of thermal (HOT mineral-laden) water rising through limestone. The water carries large amounts of dissolved limestone (calcium carbonate) as it races to the surface. Upon reaching the surface, carbon dioxide is released depositing the calcium carbonate which forms travertine, the chalky white mineral that forms the rock of the travertine terraces. Travertine formations grow rapidly due to the “soft” nature of limestone. They also change quickly as we will see along the trail. One fascinating fact that continues to amaze me is that all the extremely hot water creating this entire travertine area comes through a fault line in Norris Geyser Basin about 20 miles south. That is some hot-water pipeline. So my friend, strap on those snowshoes and let’s go!

Come on . . .