Mammoth Village

Photographer's Note

I first saw the Devil's Postpile on my honeymoon, many many moons ago. It was a camping honeymoon and the marriage would end in disaster but my love of California's Eastern Sierra Nevada would stay faithfull.

Geologically, the basalt columns formed sometime between 700,000 and 100,000 years ago. The columns average 0.6 meters in diameter, and many 18 meters long. Their cross sections are geometric marvels, many are 6-sided (45%), 5-sided (38%), 7-sided (8%) etc.

Noel_Byrne, delpeoples has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

goutero (832) 2013-01-13 9:13

Very interestin basalt rock formation. Good light and collors.

Noel_Byrne (8095) 2013-01-13 9:34

Hi Ray,
Fascinating rock formation, and even more so that the foreground is littered with little pieces of it. Your POV here is perfect to show it off in all its glory, and the light is managed perfectly. I am really pleased to learn of this, as the only formation I know like this is at the Giants Causeway in Co Antrim, and is known as the organ. Incredible the beauty that the earth can spit out at its angriest moments.

Fantastic blue sky too!
All the best
Noel

GiovanniG (1619) 2013-01-13 22:02

Hi Ray,
What a splendid capture is such difficult light, most impressive. Your perspective is ideal and leads the eye to the delights of this impressive landscape. Well done Ray!
Warm regards,
GiovanniG

delpeoples (45735) 2013-01-18 16:37

Dear BasaltRay

Your note had me in stitches, what a crack-up! Good to see your experience has not scarred your love for camping :). These rock formations are amazing, so unusual, in fact the closest thing I have seen to them are the striations of rock on Kilt Rock, isle of Skye in Scotland and the Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland. Just marvellous, thanks so much for sharing this treasure with us.

Cheers
Lisa