Geo 902: Jefferson Looms on the Horizon

A last shot from Ochoco State Park: I turned around to face west, and there was a nice view of Mt Jefferson. I promise, it's right there, kinda behind the middle of the three electric poles in the middle of  the photo. It's not the darker, more visible one in the right middle.

I had forgotten Jefferson is the second tallest mountain in Oregon (after Hood). More basic information on the mountain can be found on its USGS page. It's also the Cascade Volcano that's most reliably visible from Marys Peak, and thus the one I've seen most often. I have climbed most of the icefield visible in this photo, but it got steep enough that, without crampons, I decided to stop and turn around.

Photo unmodified. September 7, 2016. ZoomEarth location.

Geo 901: Prineville, Oregon

Looking northeast from the Ochoco State Park Viewpoint, Prineville sits almost entirely on alluvium of the Crooked River. I don't have a whole lot geological to say about this photo, but I liked it. For more about the geology of the area, I commend yesterday's PDF link, which I found while fact-checking myself, to you. I skimmed over the field trip briefly, and for people who want details of the area, it's a great resource!

Photo unmodified. September 7, 2016. ZoomEarth location.

Geo 900: Ochoco State Park

Looking a bit south of east from Ochoco State Park, we see a variety of rimrock basalts of varying ages. The one on the right has been named the Basalt of Meyers Butte, which has been dated at 5.42 +/- 0.11 Ma, and erupted west of this location. (Glad I looked it up: I had been under the impression these came from Newberry Volcano, which is way to the south.) This PDF (see page 4) has a very similar photo to the one above, with the various basalt units labeled, and a field guide going into great depth about the volcanic stratigraphy of the area.

There are numerous reasons I wouldn't live in eastern Oregon, but the views and excellent, less weathered rock exposures make it a favorite place to visit.

Photo unmodified. September 7, 2016. ZoomEarth location.