POST #56

(Click the links for more interesting info...)

Today, Feb 25, we moved from Usery Mountain Regional Park over to Lost Dutchman State Park, near Apache Junction, AZ.  A short hop of about 14 miles.  It had rained the morning before we left...but became mostly sunny by Noon when we left...Temp in the low 60s...

Lost Dutchman State Park is at the base of the Superstition Mountains and has been named as the home of the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Stories are told of people going into  the mountains looking for the gold...never to return!

We got a great campsite facing the Mountains...

Great spot to relax and study the mountains... 

Here is some info from my Roadside Geology book... 

A geologic map from the same book....Click to enlarge

As the text states, these are volcanic features...it is estimated that about 2500 cubic miles of lava and volcanic ash were ejected during the series of eruptions.  For comparison, the 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens in Washington State ejected 1/4 cubic mile of material!  The deposits of the Superstions can be found for miles around...This mountain, in Usery Park (where we just left...14 miles), is composed of material from the eruptions.  First a huge lava flow, then a thick layer of welded volcanic ash (the lighter colored layer), then another lava flow on top.  The volcanic ash was so hot that when it landed it welded itself back into solid rock....  

Here's another deposit of the welded volcanic ash.....They call it TUFF....Near Canyon Lake, about 15 miles NE...

And another deposit at Saguaro Lake...about 20 miles North....

Here is a piece of it we picked up...

It must have been a hellish place around here during those times...hard to imagine!

Until next time!