Geo 365: Jan. 23, Day 23: McKenzie Junction and Three Fingered Jack

"Upstream" from Clear Lake, a series of relatively fresh lava flows dominate the landscape. These flows are broken, jumbled, and highly permeable, so there is no surface flow- all of the precipitation in this area just drains into the ground, moves southward, then issues as springs in and around Clear Lake. There are some seasonal lakes and year-round streams at the margins of the flow- notably Fish Lake and Lava Lake, but those too simply percolate into the rubble to re-emerge at Clear Lake.

The lava flow in this area, which I'll show in more detail tomorrow, erupted from Nash Crater; the flow in the Clear Lake area issued from the Sand Mountain chain of cones. While I've driven through this intersection, called McKenzie Junction, more times than I can count, I'd never stopped here before. The combination of the fiery fall foliage with the crisp greens of the Douglas firs, and the view to Three Fingered Jack was superb.

Photo unmodified. October 9, 2012. FlashEarth Location.