Sunday, May 1, 2016

Sandstone Sampling

Christy cruising slickrock to Echo Pinnacle
Much of the sandstone here North of Moab is Entrada;
it was water-deposited 180-140MYA as mudflats around a shallow sea

Christy sampling Entrada Sandstone on Echo Pinnacle
Soft and sandy but sometimes sweet...

Christy enjoying nice Wingate Sandstone, Lighthouse Tower
Rich climbing below on Lonely Vigil.
Wingate was wind-deposited, 200MYA as vast sand dunes.

Nat topping Lighthouse
Something went just right with this sand,
Wingate is the strongest and most reliable stone around Moab!
(precarious summit blocks notwithstanding)

The Colorado River slowly cut through the resilient Wingate layer here;
it created a convenient path to build River Road to Moab!

Looking over at Big Bend Butte, dotted with friendlies!

 Sunset over Castle Valley
The Wingate towers here are some of the most iconic of the desert.
Castleton Tower stands out on the left.

 Cutler Sandstone forms this wild Corkscrew Summit 
Ancient Arts, Fisher Towers

Christy on top!

Ancient Arts on the left, 
spot the tiny Corkscrew Summit!

Mud plastered over Cutler Sandstone gives the Fishers a Gothic aura
Hauntingly, this rock/mud is some of the softest around!

Rich sizing up The Hindu
Cutler can be surprising solid!??

Capitol Wash, Capitol Reef NP
More Entrada here,
 beautifully reminiscent of colorations in Zion NP.