After the
antelope, we made it to Glass Butte. Part of the volcanic eruptions under the once inland sea that spanned the Great Basin of the US.
All these arid regions of the American West were once under water. The seabed was littered with volcanoes in the Oregon region. I'm not sure about the rest of it. Some day, I'll find out and report back on that. The once-was body of water is how some of the spectacular scenery of the West was formed.
Onto Glass Butte.
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| You can see the crater shape. |
That was one viscious dirt road. 4 wheel drive and a rugged vehicle are a must. The once-was sea is now a sea of sage and brush.
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| It's not gold, but this road glitters. |
The sheen is obsidian. Thus the moniker, Glass Butte. It is famous for many different kinds of obsidian. The most elusive being rainbow obsidian, which is only found in one other place in the world. We were not lucky enough to find any of that.
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| Some beautiful scenery |
It was a beautiful day in October. Visibility was over 50 miles.
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In the distance, Pine Mountain. We were about 50 miles
east of it. |
Maybe it's an Oregon thing, but digging in the dirt for rocks is actually rather fun. You can smash them with a hammer, seeking treasure inside. It's also therapeutic. It's a good idea to use safety goggles when breaking obsidian. Glass cuts. Being outside in such wild nature is therapeutic, too. Even when with Husband. Old joke, see:
Night Sky Guides
Mountains made of glass. It goes crunch, crunch, crunch like breaking glass under your feet. Nature is awesome and can lead us to fantastic settings which folks will think we made up.
What awesome works of nature have inspired you?
