Geo 1095: March 21, Day 810: Dana for Scale

Getting a close look at interesting exposures are often difficult or impossible, contrary to expectations at first glance. I'd have loved to get a closer look at the tentative contacts in the upper unit, but it wasn't to happen. The talus cones above the ditch (Dana is standing at the left base of one of them) are at the angle of repose, which basically means they're as steep as they can be without collapsing under their own weight. Put another way, if you add weight to them, they collapse easily, and often immediately. This means they're difficult at best to scramble up. Furthermore, both the bedrock units are steeper than the talus piles. And as you can see from Dana's stature, the contacts I'm curious about are maybe 35 feet up. A slip from there could be unpleasant.

Oh, and that bright red line along the side of the pavement? Those are cinders, used for winter traction, and probably quarried at Little Nash Crater.

Photo unmodified. October 9, 2012. FlashEarth Location.