That's because you are standing in the middle of a volcano. It's a rather odd feeling to do so, provided you know the history of the area.
It seems that once upon a time, that meadow was the middle of a super-volcano - more than 13 miles wide in spots. More than a million years ago, it blew in gigantic fashion, changing the topography of the area for many miles. Everyone seemed to have a different idea of the amount of material that was discharged by the boom, but they all agree that it was much, much bigger than the 1980 explosion at Mount St. Helens.
Thankfully for us, the volcano is now dormant. It is a giant meadow that has been the home to wildlife for centuries. The area used to be in private hands, but now it is part of the National Park Service. There are said to be 5,000 elk in the park boundaries, as well as other animals. Valles hosts some hunting and fishing during the season. It also has plenty of dirt roads for those who want to explore the area, as well as a marathon race (!), cross country skiing and some lodging.
Since the photo doesn't do the place justice, let's go to the video tape:
It takes a little work to get to a place like this, but the chance to walk on a volcano doesn't come very often. Just watch out for the elk droppings that are on the ground as you hike.
Be notified of new posts on this site via Twitter @WDX2BB.
No comments:
Post a Comment