Geo 1095: April 1, Day 821: Struggling Sentinal

Another near-repeat photo , compare this to one from 2+ years ago. That post explains my understanding of this side of the High Cascades Graben.As I mentioned a few days ago, individual trees out on the fresh lava flow, once they get established, can get quite large. The one closest to the middle here is another example, but it looks as if it's struggling to hold on now.

Farther back in the photo, Route 126 turns south through the lava field. The geologist in me loves this scene, but the simple human in me looks at this rough, rubbley landscape and cringes. I would not want to walk directly across this short distance, and likely couldn't do so without some sort of injury, possibly quite serious. The fact that engineers and equipment can build such a structure as that highway across this landscape is, on hand, inspiring, but on the other, sobering and a little scary. If we can shape this landscape to fit our needs and desires, what lands are safe from our hands? Very few, I'm afraid.

Photos unmodified. October 9, 2012. FlashEarth Location.