The South Warners in California

california's surprise valley on the border of nevada, shadowed by the glory of the south warners, mountains, and the south warner wilderness in the modoc national forest of california .

... it's here we see the mountain's crown ...

The area today known as Surprise Valley and the Modoc Plateau on the western side of the Warner Mountains was once an inland sea. I'm an amateur geologist and as appeared to me, the area we know as Surprise Valley was formed by the faulting of the earth's crust and the consequent upthrust of land - what today is the Warner Mountains and the escarpment on the eastern side of the valley. Surprise Valley is the land that dropped. I looked geology of Warner Mountains up online and found very sparse information indeed. However, I did find that in addition to this very clearly marked tectonic activity, the north and south ends of the valley are marked by faults as well. What is of interest to me in this discussion is the white stone pictured above. Is it limestone? I did read that the mountains are characterized by white ash. I suppose that would be a pyroclastic flow, very hot, and from that tuft, a rock, forms. Perhaps all that the white stone in this picture is tuft, not limestone, as it doesn't look sturdy as limestone. I think it an interesting question.

barrel springs surprise valley back country byway in northeastern california, shadowed by the glory of the south warners, mountains, and the south warner wilderness in the modoc national forest of california .

Forward ~ Mountain Building Continues ... white
ash - rhyolite or limestone?

Back ~ Looking across Surprise Valley ... rather than up.

USFS: Modoc National Forest. Want to hike? South Warner Wilderness of the Warner Mountains.

Directions to Emerson Creek Campground and hiking trails into the South Warner Wilderness.

Explore Surprise Valley and the Warner Mountains in California: Directions, Map & Scenery: Mountains, hot springs, wildlife viewing, south Warner Wilderness Area, hiking trails and more.

Travel Oregon and northern California while staying at Gathering Light ... a retreat
located near Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon.

Travel to Gathering Light ... a retreat via the Shasta Trinity area of northern California: Directions, Map & Scenery.

Directions to and Day Trips in either California or Oregon of around 100 miles from the retreat.

Little known Scenic Places near Crater Lake National Park and the retreat: opportunities to explore, photograph: hiking, sightseeing, wildlife viewing, birding, and more: Directions Map and Scenery.

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 cabins on the river at gathering light ... a retreat near crater lake national park in southern oregon: cabins, treehouses on the river in the forest.

Contact Brad at Gathering Light ... a retreat.

Hagelstein Park with Mt McLoughlin in the background (pictured above), one of the many birding trails of Klamath Basin not far from Gathering Light ... a retreat. Rustic simplicity, a place to "Just Be", Gathering Light is nestled on the banks of the river, surrounded by the Fremont Winema National Forest of southern Oregon and not far from Crater Lake National Park.