I just finished Powell's book on descending the Colorado. A great read. The old boy was pretty insightful, not to mention resourceful and courageous.Foy said:
Pony Express Nevada
- Thread starter ski3pin
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Lighthawk
Weekend warrior
x2Wandering Sagebrush said:
One of my favorite epics! Pretty amazing and bold, especially for a one-armed guy.
Smokecreek1
Smokecreek1
Ya had to be tough in those days. just think going down those rapids, no idea what's around the next bend---all with one arm! Those early explorers, trappers, the military, the railroad surveys, boy would I have loved to have been around back then! Well, I'll guess I'll settle for reading Ski's and others TR's, and WTWing on my own and enjoying my frig and stove 
!
Smoke
!Smoke
clikrf8
Senior Member
to ski and the Lady: I really enjoy your outings to my favorite state Nevada. We plan on traveling through that area again this Spring on the way to San Rafael Swell and GSENM. We have driven by Fort Curchill State Park before several times but usuall stay at Lake Walker. We will have to stop next time.
Foy: I read with interest your comments about the geology of the area. Fascinating. I wish you were along on our trips throughout the West. We always wonder why and how the geology of an area came to be. Once, I was standing on the shores of an island in the Sea of Cortez and notice a hole where a rock was at one time. Then I looked down into the water but couldn't see any similar sized rock. What came to me is that the earth continues to change and we may be witnesses to the results but not the event. It was an awakening for me and I stood still to contemplate.
Foy: I read with interest your comments about the geology of the area. Fascinating. I wish you were along on our trips throughout the West. We always wonder why and how the geology of an area came to be. Once, I was standing on the shores of an island in the Sea of Cortez and notice a hole where a rock was at one time. Then I looked down into the water but couldn't see any similar sized rock. What came to me is that the earth continues to change and we may be witnesses to the results but not the event. It was an awakening for me and I stood still to contemplate.
Foy
Resident Geologist
You may rest assured I'd like to be along on your trips throughout the West, too! Beats the pants off of working in an office all day. And to think I used to collect a paycheck + expenses for bombing around in a pickup truck all day looking at rocks and old mines. What was I thinking?clikrf8 said:
In addition to the DeLormes, now the Benchmarks where available, and an assortment of National Forest maps, my truck always has a Roadside Geology book (or several) on board. According to their website (www.mountain-press.com), the Roadside Geology series now includes 24 states and Provinces. To the best of my recollection, it all started with Roadside Geology of Montana, by David Alt and Donald Hyndman, who I believe were professors of geology at the University of Montana, and they started back in 1972, the year before I started studying geology at Appalachian State University here in NC. Be that as it may, the Roadside Geology series is a terrific resource for professionals and lay people alike. Each book starts off with a primer on geology and plate tectonics and a chapter about the state's overall geology. Then the major features viewed from principal Interstate, US, and state highways are described in detail as a logbook between cities and/or road junctions. Put it this way, as much as I love driving my old truck, and I do, I often persuade my wife to drive while out west just so I can ride shotgun with the Benchmark, the Roadside Geology book, a pair of binoculars, and a camera all in my lap. There is a notable, and excellent, Roadside Geology book for Yellowstone National Park, and my first Alt and Hyndman guidebook was "Rocks, Ice, and Water" (a roadside-type guidebook for Glacier NP), purchased as a supplemental text for an 8-week field trip we took to Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Idaho back in 1975.
More recently, I've really enjoyed the "Geology Underfoot" series. I was first exposed to it when my younger son was based at Port Hueneme, CA and I co-drove his truck cross-country to California once his first overseas deployment was over. I snagged my first Benchmark and a Geology Underfoot in Southern California and had a ball chasing the San Andreas Fault across the Carrizo Plain NM, the Temblor Range and up through Hollister while enroute to visit my sister up near Watsonville during my week in CA. Great resource, and I see from their website that Mountain Press sells Geology Underfoot titles for Death Valley and Owens Valley (boy, is that probably a ton of great stuff!), for Yellowstone and Yosemite, for Northern Arizona, and for Southern Utah.
Foy
Lighthawk
Weekend warrior
Thanks for the tips, Foy. I just ordered the DV Underfoot guide!
clikrf8
Senior Member
Foy, I have the state geology series of book in my saved for later list on Amazon. Do you recommend them? We don't travel the interstates much but do travel the old US and state highways some to get us where we need to to go to jump off on the back roads and county roads. We have the Benchmark maps, also, for every western state and a few deLormes. There is an app for the iPad for each state's geology with layers showing the various types of geology in an area. I need to get more familiar with it. Thanks for your expertise. If you ever get out this way, let us know and maybe we can have a field trip.
Foy
Resident Geologist
If by state geology series you mean the "Roadside Geology of (your state here)" series, I most certainly recommend them. They'll cover loads and loads of US and state highways in addition to Interstate routes. Roadside Geology and Geology Underfoot are the only two series I'm familiar with. Surely there are more.
I also need to become more familiar with smartphone and tablet apps for geologic and topographic maps. My paper maps will always have a place in the truck given my personal mantra: There is no complete substitute for a map, a compass, and the ability to use them, but there are too many fine resources available in digital form to avoid embracing them.
Foy
I also need to become more familiar with smartphone and tablet apps for geologic and topographic maps. My paper maps will always have a place in the truck given my personal mantra: There is no complete substitute for a map, a compass, and the ability to use them, but there are too many fine resources available in digital form to avoid embracing them.
Foy
OP
OP
I was acquainted with the "Geology Underfoot" series by a woman staffing the temporary Schulman Grove Visitors Center in the White Mountains. She broke off from our conversation, took the Owens Valley book off the display and said, "This is our last copy. Buy it." I should look her up and thank her for the prod. I flew through it in a couple of evenings. It held a small world big surprise. In the Alabama Hills section, research by two individuals was often cited. One name I recognized, an acquaintance and not currently working in the geology field. I immediately contacted him and asked. "What's up with this?" His answer. "I remember a lot, a lot of very cold mornings!" He had no idea his past published research was quoted. Great stuff folks!
craig333
Riley's Human
Disappointing they are aren't offered in a Kindle version but I guess I can live with paper
