Following my Mount Shasta adventure, I drove up to Lassen Volcano National Park. Now that's a piece of work... in May of 1915 Lassen volcano blew its top raining tour bus sized hot boulders into the valley below and creating a 'devastation zone' of hot lava and ash all down the mountain side. Having the opportunity to get up close to the volcano and see all the different ways lava can express itself was fascinating.
My BIL Joe suggested I go to Craters of the Moon National Monument for even better up-close inspection. So, into Idaho I went, through the Snake River area (made famous by Evil Knievel) and visiting the Shoshone Falls and Balancing Rock. Craters of the Moon is (not surprisingly) like another planet.... huge lava fields still bare of vegetation 1,200 years after the eruption.
Being able to stand back and see the results of the movement of the continental plate across the magma hotspot over eons has created a 'smile' shaped volcanic area. It started in Oregon, moved through Idaho and now is in Montana as Yellowstone. To think how long that’s been going on, moving only as fast as your fingernails grow, is mind blowing. Shout out to Joe for the suggestion and the explanation of the continental movement. Now I’m reading a geology book about Utah to better understand all that crazy stuff over there.
Next up I’m going from Idaho on to Salt Lake City for a 20k mile service for RosieVan. Next stop Cosby, TN to spend a few days with friends in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
There *will* be a quiz....