Photo by Digital-Images
Please note: Yesterday's Goblin Valley posting was the first of three Utah State Park diaries. And, yes, I have heard from others that the March Madness political stuff tends to push diaries too quickly off the recent posting list, but that's not in my purview to do anything about it. So, for those who missed the diary it can still be found at this URL: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Meanwhile, here's the second State Park setting I want to feature in this series, and like Goblin Valley, a very singular setting in all respects, including the enigma of what these so-called pipes and spires are really all about.
Location/Geography: In south central Utah, Kane County, and south of Cannonville. Closest towns: Tropic and Henrieville; also Bryce NP. Elevation: 5,760 - 5,920 feet. Great Basin Desert landscape. Area: 2,240 acres (3.5 square miles). Surrounded by Grand Staircase-Escalante NM
Spotlight: A strange, though inviting, spectacle of sandstone chimneys (pipes, really). What are these enigmatic shapes and how did they form? A landscape that once resembled Yellowstone (a common claim based on these ancient remnants of solidified sediments thought to be ancient geysers).
Snapshot: Kodachrome Basin State Park is a colorful setting in a quiet, out of the way desert terrain (the Great Basin Desert). The park is famous for its mysterious sandstone pipes––mysterious because scientists can’t decide what, exactly, created these formation. Thus the freestanding pipes accenting this broad basin continue to puzzle geologists who debate their origin and purpose. These eroded, multicolored rock formations come in various shades––red, pink, yellow, white and brown. Because of the variation of color, the National Geographical Society renamed the area after the Kodak Film company (of course, with the company’s consent). After sundown, stargazing throughout this region is popular because the basin is not hampered by light pollution.
(Continues after the fold.)
Geology: The gray rocks scattered on the hillsides are solid layers of the mineral gypsum. There were formed by evaporation of salty seawater in a shallow inland sea about 170 million years ago which covered parts of the region. This is the Mesozoic Era's Carmel Formation, famous for its badlands veneer. Accenting the unusual landscape are nearly six dozen chimneys of rock, which here are classified as sand pipes. Measuring from 6.5 to 170 feet high, these whimsical oddities of nature are thought to be solidified sediment that once filled primal springs or geysers, then later were liquified due to earthquakes.
Photos by Digital-Images
The telltale remnants were left standing after the softer Entrada Sandstone rock eroded. That's one of the older theories. A more recent explanation, however, suggests the pipes resulted from a direct connection with the Carmel Formation. Namely, over-pressuring of a fluid-filled sediment slurry derived from this material, and further claimed as a rather common occurrence throughout the park. Wherever a mixture of water and sand-sediment (slurry) forces its way upward into the overlying foundation, in this case the Entrada Sandstone pavement, the pipes naturally formed because of the buildup of pressure from below. It’s also theorized how fragments of the host rock coalesced with the slurry, that is eventually this process took place. Once created, the newly formed pipe acted as a convenient conduit for fluids moving vertically through the rock. In time, the fluids cemented the pipe-filling sediment more tightly than the surrounding host rock, later bleaching the pipes in the process. If this second hypothesis is correct, the sandstone pipes in the park are presumed to have formed sometime after the deposition of the Entrada Sandstone. Then again, it’s also speculated the pipes may have formed during deposition of the overlying Henrieville Sandstone Formation when rivers buried the Entrada sand dunes about 150 million years ago. Obviously, this debate will continue until (and if) some resolution on the matter is formulated.
Bonus Details: The nature of sand pipes is somewhat similar to pipes composed of breccia. Breccia, like conglomerate, is a sedimentary clastic material found in vertical or near vertical circular-to-elliptical bodies of broken rock. Hence, the origin of this Italian word––broken.
Many geologists consider the pipes to have been formed by solution collapse of an underlying limestone formation. Since breccia pipes often have good porosity and permeability when initially formed it is believed they may serve as conduits for mineralizing solutions, which can also form bodies of ore. Copper is one such valuable ore that is found near breccia pipes; uranium is another.
Trails: This is Great Basin Desert country offering a variety of trails and geologic features to explore. For instance, the Angel Palace trail. A relatively easy and discernible path meanders through the nearby rock formations. Another trail, the Eagles View, climbs 460 feet to the top of the cliffs that encircle the basin. Other trails are less strenuous. Worth seeing is Chimney Rock, the largest sand pipe in the park.
The other two landmarks to see are Shakespeare Arch and Ballerina Geyser.
Shakespeare Arch photo by Adam Jewell
Loop trails are always popular, and here the Panorama Trail is the one to take. This 3-mile loop trail passes a number of the sandstone pipes and red rock spires. From the trailhead near the kiosk/information booth, there is a well-worn route that follows a road surface once used for horseback and stagecoach rides. For about the first 0.25 mile, the trail winds through low hills composed of the colorful Carmel Formation. The first group of rock spires are marked by a sign pointing to Fred Flintstone Spire. However, these particular towers of rock are not sandstone pipes; instead, they are spires that retain the original horizontal layering of the Entrada Sandstone. The point is these particular spires are not formed by erosion of softer layers beneath a typical slightly-harder and more resistant cap rock. The spires are also reddish, not just the gray or white tincture of the actual sandstone pipes found farther down the trail.
View from Angel Palace Trail
Where are the real sandstone pipes in this vicinity? There’s one standing on the left of the trail, at the junction with the Old Indian Cave (which is a spur leading off to the right side and one of many spurs on this loop trail). The next rock spire to the right also appears like a sandstone pipe, but it’s an erosional remnant of Entrada Sandstone. Nearing the 1-mile point, the Panorama Trail branches off to the right from the stagecoach road, then continues to the left. Directly ahead is Ballerina Geyser (spire) rising like a hewn totem pole sans clan likenesses. This notable pipe exhibits all the key characteristics that make the sandstone pipes truly unique: this spire formation is composed internally of a mixture of sand and the angular sandstone that surrounds it. The pipe-filling rock is also harder and more resistant to erosion than the surrounding sandstone.
The trail continues and winds around this scenic part of the park. The pink cliffs of Bryce Canyon loom on the western skyline. Time willing, there are many side trails and more spurs to explore, including the Hat Shop and Secret Passage loops, or the longer 2-mile Big Bear Geyser Trail. For a sweeping view of the entire basin, take the short climb to Panorama Point. It's worth the effort. From there, a return loop trail winds across the floor of the basin and joins with the stagecoach road near the Fred Flintstone Spire. Yelling yabba-dabba-doo is a fitting compliment to its creation.
Bonus Details: When visiting this state park, the surrounding terrain is also worth seeing. For example, Grosvenor Arch is one of the largest structures of its kind found in Utah. Located 10 miles southeast of the park in the Grand Staircase-Escalante NM region, its spectacular double arch can be seen along the Cottonwood Canyon Road. This yellow and white tincture sandstone marvel is probably one of the most photographed formations within the monument.
Directions: South of Hwy. 12, about 18 miles southeast of Bryce Canyon and about 9 miles from Cannonville, Utah. Follow the north end of Cottonwood Road (which connects Hwy. 89 with Hwy. 12 just south of Cannonville).
Contact Information: Kodachrome Basin State Park, P. O. Box 238, Cannonville UT. 84718-0238. Phone: 435-679.8562 Fax and Email: non-listed.
And so, DKos community, we come to the end of another trail, another armchair tour. There will be other scenic places to tour and more supplemental topics to read and think about, so stay tuned for a continuation in this series.
Parting shot:
Photo by Jim Knapp
As always, your thoughtful commentaries are welcomed.
Rich
http://www.nmstarg.com/....
http://www.grandcanyon.org/....
FYI: For a list of all diaries posted to date, please see the growing inventory by clicking on my profile or by dialing in this URL: http://www.dailykos.com/....
Also, if commenting on an older diary, please send an email to my profile account. That way I am sure to notice it and respond in a timely manner. Gracias.
Note: Under the "Fair Use" protocol, which is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work, photographs, pictures and illustrations, including maps (that are not my own personal property), posted in my diaries provide for the legal, unlicensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in use of another author's work under a four-factor balancing test. Ergo, the diary posts are strictly for an educational purpose and are transformative (using an image in a broader story or educational presentation with text). In short, my diaries are promoting an educational presentation intended only to help Daily Kos community members learn more about the many topics my diaries feature.