bennettville_fantail_lake

  • The start of our hike near Tioga Lake.
  • The trail to Bennetteville is a very easy saunter, barely over a mile with a few mild elevation gains.
  • One of the snow-melt waaterfalls that cascades over the metamorphic rocks.
  • Laura was happy in the breezy 60 degree early June weather.
  • This photo makes me realize how superior my D700 is over a small point and shoot that I used to get these photos.
  • Laura nears the adit and tailings of the Bennettville silver mine.
  • Our first view of Bennettville from the tailings.
  • My dad checks out part of an old steam engine. It was brough to the site in the WINTER or 1882 from Lundy Canyon. The miners figured sledding the equipment was easier than dragging it over roadless wilderness.
  • Abandoned "widowmaker" drill lying in the adit.
  • Laura shows of the tight folds of the 400-500myo metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. 500 million years ago these were muddy sediments at the bottom of an ocean. They weren't metamophosed until 100my ago or so when granitic plutons (blobs of mamgma) intruded the area.
  • My mom and Laura on the trail.
  • The assay office at Bennettville.
  • My mom checks out the large bunk house.
  • Some atrifacts from Bennettville.
  • The sign says it all.
  • An inner view of the bunkhouse.
  • Laura looks for a way into the assay office.
  • Laura found a way to open the door and we took a peak inside.
  • Rust stains from nails onto the wood.
  • Not a bad view from the front door.
  • Hmmm... would I trust this assayer?
  • Or this assayer?
  • This photo shows an okay example of "boudin" - the french word for sausage. The lens-like shapes are created from intense tensional forces pulling apart the slaty gray layers and alowing the weaker grey rocks to flow around them during the deformation process.
  • After Bennettville we followed Mine Creek up to Shell and Fantail Lakes.
  • Mine Creek is full of tiny brook trout.
  • I absolutely love small cascades.
  • My mom and dad make their way along Mine Creek. The Sierra Crest is in the background.
  • Laura loved walking over the colorful metamorphic and glacially polished rocks.
  • Shell Lake.
  • Give this lake a month or two and wildflowers will be everywhere, along with all the aquatic plants.
  • The inlet of Shell Lake.
  • The entrance to Hoover Wilderness and Harvey Monroe Hall Research Area. No camping is allowed beyond this sign.
  • Fantail Lake. Note the granitic rocks in the background.
  • Average 6" brookie from Fantail. I caught about 20 in 20 minutes.
  • Cool budding willows I think.
  • Mine Creek with Mt Dana in the background.
  • My dad couldn't get enough fishing. Here he is sneaking up on Mine Creek.
  • A cool granitic glacial erratic deposited on top of the metamorphic rocks. It has since undergone awesome weathering, like frost wedging.
  • Laura was very happy.
  • My mom with Mt Dana in tha background.
  • Back at Shell Lake, still trying to catch even more 6" brookies.
  • Mine Creek.
  • Dad comes home.
  • My mom had second thoughts about crossing the creek here.
  • On the drive home we came over Sonora Pass to avoid Yosemite crowds. Here's the gorgeous Leavitt Meadows in the heart of the Little Walker Caldera.