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GLG
230AA |
| Field
Geology of the Southwest |
| Carlsbad
Caverns / White Sands |
Spring
2006 |
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| Thursday
January 12, 2006 (Day 1) |
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| Guadalupe
Mountains National Park |
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Afternoon
in west Texas (Leighty) The Guadalupe Mountains come into view as we travel east on U.S. Highway 180/62 near Salt Flat. |
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Desert
sentinel (Leighty) Keeping watch over Salt Basin, Crow Flats, and Pine Springs. The cliffs are the Permian Capitan Limestone, originally a reef complex. The slopes below are underlain by deeper-water, fore-reef sandstone, mudstone, and limestone of the Delaware Group. |
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Western
cliffs (Leighty) Afternoon sun on the western end of the Guadalupe Mountains and southwestern end of the Capitan escarpment. El Capitan (right) has an elevation of 8078 feet. Shumard Peak (elevation 8615 feet) lies to the northest (left). |
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El
Capitan (Leighty) The prominent landmark at the southwestern end of the Guadalupe Mountains. |
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Lonely
highway (Leighty) View northeast down the road (U.S. 180/62) towards the Delaware Mountains. |
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Doing
the tourist thing (Leighty) Liz, Kurt, and Karen bail out of the lead van to stretch and take pictures. Flattop Mountain looms to the south of the road. |
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Roadside
stop (Leighty) The rest of the caravan pauses for pictures, stretching, and the everpresent smoke-break. |
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Getting
closer (Leighty) View north of the Guadalupe Mountains from a little farther down the road. |
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Getting
closer close-up (Leighty) El Capitan in front of the ridge leading to the higher Guadalupe Peak (elevation 8749 feet; the highest point in Texas) behind. |
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More
El Capitan (Leighty) Impressive cliffs of Permian Capitan Limestone. |
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| Guadalupe
Mountains National Park / Pine Springs Campground |
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Pine
Springs Canyon sunset (Leighty) Northwest of the Pine Springs Campground, the waning afternoon sunlight (5:17 pm) highlights the eastern slopes of Pine Spring Canyon. |
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Sunlit
ridgeline I (Leighty) Close-up of the steep, rocky slopes and cliffs. |
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Sunlit
ridgeline II (Leighty) Steep, rocky slopes and cliffs in the growing darkness. |
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Waning
daylight(Leighty) The remains of the day glow on the upper portion of Pine Spring Canyon. |
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Low
western ridge (Leighty) A low ridge forms our western horizon. |
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Lone
tree (Leighty) A lone tree marks the ridgeline west of camp. |
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Sunset
sentinels (Leighty) The first tree is joined by a second lower on the slope. |
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Lower
camp (Leighty) The upper "dormitory" area and the kitchen. |
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Quiet
vans (Leighty) The vans sit nearly empty now as everyone sets-up camp. |
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Moonrise
(Leighty) Moonrise from the Pine Springs Group camp site (elevation 5800 feet) |
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Nearly
full moon (Leighty) The moon, two days from full, rises over the west Texas desert. |
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