An annual stop during our family camping vacation at Pinecrest. The Columns of the Giants site marked via sign post as a “Geologic Point of Interest” – located on highway 108 about 10 miles up the hill from the town of Strawberry.
This shot was taken at the base of the column wall looking up towards the clouds. These columns were formed when a 100′ thick layer of basaltic lava spewed out of a nearby volcano – and then cooled fairly rapidly. As the lava cooled, hexagonal cracks formed – vertically – from the top to the bottom. These cracks are much like the cracks you might see walking on clayey soil that was wet and the dried.
In the shot below there are multiple lava flows represented – one on top of the other. It must have been quite a scene when this stuff was molten.
This shot of the Stanislaus River was taken from a footbridge on the paved path to the viewing area. This spot is quite near the parking lot and there are often people swimming or fishing down below.
