#inyo mountains

[thorsenmark]

Fog Across the Owens Valley While Taking in Views in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the east while taking in views across desert landscape present at this roadside pullout along Olivas Ranch Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. My thinking in composing this image was to have a layered approach with the nearby desert landscape leading to the fog covered Owens Valley before coming to the ridges and peaks of the Inyo Mountains. I decided to crop a portion of the road to my front as I felt it really didn't add to the image, but also because I wanted to bring out more of a panoramic look to this vast, open space in western California. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 5 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

[thegikitiki]

Road Trip, 1950s

[inprnt]

"Inyo Mountains at Sunset" by Armand Cabrera on INPRNT

[thebestinphotography]

Alabama Hills Moonrise

[bettergeology]

The Estelle Tunnel is the lowest major working of the Cerro Gordo area mines in the Inyo Mountains of California. It is an arrow-straight tunnel heading at N70˚E 8,100 feet (2.5 Kilometers) into the heart of the Inyo mountains, and was dug to explore the lower reaches of several veins of minerals that spawned the Cerro Gordo Mines, one of the most profitable and largest mining areas in the Death Valley Region, having active mining for over a hundred years between the early 1850s and late 1960s. 

One of the larger mines in the Cerro Gordo Group was the Morning Star Mine, a shaft that plunged nearly 300 feet (90 meters) underground. It tapped the Morning Star Vein, a vein rich in silver, lead, zinc, and sulfides and had several thousand feet of workings developing its mineral potential. The lowest point of the Morning Star Mine is 1,400 feet above the Estelle Tunnel, so the Tunnel was a very deep prospect relative to the rest of the mines. It examined the very heart of the Inyo Mountains at 6,080 feet above sea level (1854 meters) including the axial fold of the Cerro Gordo Anticline, and the change in the bedding angles can be seen as one progresses through the tunnel. Near the portal they are fairly vertical, but at the point where the tunnel is blocked by a collapse, the beds are almost horizontal.

So there it is, a fantastic feat of mining that exposed fascinating geology. There’s way more to it, found in this geologic report, than I could explain.

REMEMBER, MINES ARE VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN MINES AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO NAVIGATE THEIR RISKS SAFELY. STAY OUT, STAY ALIVE.

[thorsenmark]

October Experiences in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While taking in views at the Mobius Arch Loop Trailhead and looking to the east across eroded rock formation present in this part of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. Of the most prominent arch and formation is that of the Heart Arch in the upper middle center of the image. My thinking in composing this image was to capture a view looking across the eroded rock formations leading up to this one particular arch. The peaks and ridgelines of the Inyo Mountains would then be that distant backdrop along with blue skies to contrast the earth-tones present in the lower portion of the image.

[thorsenmark]

Exploring the Trails of the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While walking the Mobius Arch Loop Trail with a view looking to the northeast across a desert landscape and then hillside of eroded rock formations. This is in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. The backdrop of mountains is part of the Inyo Mountains on the eastern side of Owens Valley. My thinking in composing this image was to take advantage of the dirt road as a leading line into the image and possible destination with the more distant mountains.

[thorsenmark]

One Day at a Time in the Alabama Hills by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While walking the Mobius Arch Loop Trail with a view looking to the east across a desert landscape and then hillside of eroded rock formations. This is in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. The backdrop of mountains is part of the Inyo Mountains on the eastern side of Owens Valley. The Heart Arch is probably the most recognizable one in the image middle, left of center.