CALIFORNIA

Salt Deposits @ Badwater Basin, Death Valley

In my previous posts about Death Valley National Park, I covered The Northern Death Valley, The Mosaic Canyon, and the exciting Mesquite Sand Dunes. However, Death Valley is such a huge park, that I still have not shared its other amazing features. As what I mentioned in my previous posts, Death Valley is a geological wonderland of exposed multicolored rocks and layers of earth. The Badwater, however, does not showcase the exposed Earth, but rather what happens to all the surface water that sinks into the lowest point of North America and the second lowest in Northern Hemisphere.

Salt and Reflections

Because of the rapid moisture evaporation that occurs at the valley, the Badwater Basin brings a great salt pan comprised of the residue from the evaporation of water trapped in this lowest point. The sparkling white flat is due to sodium chloride, the table salt most people associate salt with. However, the salt deposits in Badwater are nearly 9000 ft deep, and not all are table salt, or sodium chloride. However, sodium chloride is the most soluble among the other salts that are dissolved in water, therefore it is evaporated last and formed the upper layer of the salt pan.

Below the sodium chloride layer are sulfate salts and carbonate salts.

A point in Badwater Basin lies 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America and in the Western Hemisphere ( http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-1086757/Badwater-Basin). Less than 20 miles west of Badwater Basin is the Telescope Peak, at 11,049 ft, the highest point within Death Valley National Park.

An interesting twist of nature, the lowest point in the western hemisphere (Badwater Basin) and the highest peak in contiguous US (Mt. Whitney) are less than 100 miles apart in Inyo County, California. This contrasting geography is brought about by the same stretching forces of the earth’s crust.

Again, Death Valley is an amazing place, it really is something to see at least even once in your life. Contrary to its name, the desert actually host a very fragile ecosystem, it is filled with living wonders, but to make your stay pleasant, only do come from late fall to early spring, since summer’s temperature is only for those who are prepared to brave the heat. And do not under-estimate the temperature of Death Valley in winter, you may think it is the hottest place in America, but it is only true in the summer. The winter temperature can drop to the tens during winter.

Pile of Rocks @ Devil’s Postpile National Monument

Presently, Devil’s Postpile National Monument is closed for the season and may open on June 7, 2009 depending on road conditions. Since this National Monument is located 7560 ft above sea level west of the “Sierra Nevada” (spanish for Snowy Range) Crest, it experiences typical Sierra Nevada winter. Too dangerous to drive on icy mountainslopes, and very expensive to maintain snow plowing, this park closes November to early June for vehicles. However, it is open to backcountry skiers and snowshoers. However, with 400 inches of mountain snow, travel into the valley in the winter can be hazardous, thus, it is advised to have proper avalanche skills and physical conditioning before doing backcountry skiing into the area. Otherwise, people just skii around Mammoth Mountain Skiing Resorts, a popular skiing resort for Southern Californians.

Mammoth Mountain in the early summer of 2008

During summer and fall, access to this park is through Red Meadows Shuttle Bus from Mammoth Mountain. The shuttle bus is mandatory and is $7.00 per person which can be bought at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Gondola Building, adjacent to Mammoth Mountain Inn. The shuttle bus allows more visitors to the area without traffic congestion which could result in safety hazards for visitors. The road to the valley is a steep single lane road that winds its way on the side of the mountain and can be quite stressful with very heavy traffic if everyone is allowed to drive in the park. To decrease environmental impacts on the Valley and also for the safety of everyone, the US Forest Service established the mandatory shuttle system.

There are many places to stop and explore at the Red Meadows, however, most of us were tired already from 7 days of day hiking in Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite that we just decided to take the short hike to Devil’s Postpile. From Bus Stop 6, Devil’s Postpile is an easy 0.4 mile hike to the base and another 15 minute uphill hike to the top.

Top of Devil’s Postpile

The top of Devil’s Postpile has hexagonal polished tiles neatly arranged together. Have you ever wondered why nature most oftentimes show a hexagonal formation? If you look at the back of a tortoise shell, you will notice the hexagons. The honeycombs also are a neat arrangements of hexagon. The salt pan or mud cracks in the desert also form hexagon. Hexagon is pretty common pattern in nature’s landscape, and it is very evident here at Devil’s Postpile National Monument.

Here are some basic information about the wonders of Devil’s Postpile:

I. Devil’s Postpile is one of the world’s finest example of columnar basalt.

These columnar rocks resulted from the basalt lava which erupted less than 100,000 years ago. As the lava cooled, it contracted and cracked, forming vertical columns. The symmetrical vertical and hexagonal columns formed because the cooling of the lava was slow and its mineral composition was consistent.

II. Nature’s Hexagon

Hexagon is nature’s way of using the least length of line to enclose the most area! As the lava that flowed Devils Postpile cooled, it shrank. Then, cracks were formed to relieve the stress, meeting in three way conjunctions to form a pattern of hexagons with 120 degree angle.” Nature surely taught man about the concept of optimization and geometry.

III. Polished Hexagonal Tile Floor

The polished floor was caused by the glacier that flowed down this area some 20,000 to 12,000 years ago. The moving ice carved away one side of the postpile, exposing a sheer wall of columns 60 feet high. Erosions and earthquakes later felled many columns that lie at the base of the monument.

Felled Columns at the Base due to Erosions and Earthquakes

Devil’s Postpile sits on a volcanic land where glacier once existed, thus its unique beauty is brought by the interplay between Fire and Ice. And it is not all rocks at Devil’s Postpile, there are a lot of wildflowers in the crevices of the rocks

Wildflower @ Devil’s Postpile

you hear the strong current of the water that flows through the river

and there are several waterfalls nearby. For more information (and more beautiful pictures), please visit the park site at http://www.nps.gov/depo/planyourvisit/nearbyattractions.htm