Pinnacles

The last stop of the day was at the newest National Park in the US (as of this posting). The rhyolite tuff that makes the pinnacles actually fromed when a huge stratovolcano erupted about 22 million years ago near Lancaster, CA. It just happend to erupt on over the San Andreas Fault which has caused the rocks in Pinnacles to shift NW over 190 miles since its eruptions ended.
RJH9074 Geology students looking for the San Andreas. The mighty San Andreas does its work on recently repaved asphalt. Mrs H lend some scale to the fault.
Rock climbers hit the vertical joints within the old volcanic layers. : Pinnacles National Park The Bear Gulch trail cuts through some awesome jointing. : Pinnacles National Park RJH9109 : Pinnacles National Park RJH9120 : Pinnacles National Park
RJH9123 : Pinnacles National Park Note Laura for scale in the center of the photo waving! This is an amazing talus cave. : Pinnacles National Park RJH9139 : Pinnacles National Park RJH9141 : Pinnacles National Park
RJH9142 : Pinnacles National Park RJH9144 : Pinnacles National Park RJH9145 : Pinnacles National Park RJH9158 : Pinnacles National Park
RJH9163 : Pinnacles National Park RJH9166 : Pinnacles National Park