Today's hike was to a rock formation I could see in the distance from camp.
On the way I came across the prickly pear cactus. The unusual thing about this particular one is that it is the only one I have seen in all my miles walking and riding through this desert.
How did just this one plant get started here?
Getting close.
You can see the one spire to the right looks like it is balancing.
This is what attracted me to the formation.
Once I got close enough I was surprised to see it was not of volcanic origin. I thought these spires were the remains of an ancient volcano for the entire area where I was finding all the castoffs from the illegal migrants is of volcanic rock. Instead it is conglomerate rock probably from an ancient mud flow perhaps caused by the nearby volcano remains two miles to the east where my camp is.
The "balancing rock" was less impressive up close.
No I didn't do any climbing. Those days are far behind me now.
This lichen was very colorful. More so than the photo shows.
One of the photos from the migrant trail hike a couple days ago. I've never seen vocanic material like this light grey material with a very smooth surface to it. All those holes are from gas bubbles that were within the lava. Makes it look like Swiss cheese.
I keep forgetting to mention every morning the Border Patrol passes by my camp heading out into the desert somewhere. Yesterday one of them was in a big hurry. Just while I was putting together this post one came by towing another on a flatbed trailer. Maybe he broke down out there.
They don't call AAA. They take care of their own.
5 comments:
You are OUT there! I admire you
You have had quite the time of late I see and I never realised you were into Geology, is that pumice in the last photo then
looks like you're in a very interesting area for geology. Did you pick up any of the holey rock? True pumices are light enough to float in water and are usually that very light grey colour. They are formed by explosive volcanic eruptions; the sudden release of pressure causes the gas within the rock to expand, but the rock solidifies before the gas can escape.
Glad you didn't climb up there!
I wonder if a migrant planted the prickly pear in the hope of others being able to harvest nopalitos one day.
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