Geo 365: Sept. 5, Day 248: Red Cone

Looking roughly northwest, across scraggly trees struggling to hang on in this harsh environment, Red Cone occupies the right horizon. This source describes Red Cone as "the best preserved, the largest, and probably the youngest of the three northern cones." Of particular interest to me, though, at this stop, was the youthful "soil." Consisting mostly of rocks and tephra at the surface, I expect there's more sand and clay a few inches down. This area has only a few snow-free months each year, so residents need to be able to gather a years' sustenance- or complete their life cycles- very quickly.

Photo unmodified. August 18, 2011. FlashEarth location.