Kaweah Gap, Sequoia National Park, California

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Initial view down theBig Arroyo from Kaweah Gap, July 29, 2009, on the crest of the Great Western Divide. Peaks around the Little Five Lakes and Big Five Lakes areas in the distance. Big Arroyo is a classic U-shaped glacial gorge. Panning to the right, the view east is dominated by the Kaweah Group of peaks, with Black Kaweah at the right, Kaweah Queen over the waterfall more to the left. Lowest lake of Nine Lakes Basin in view looking upstream (NNE). Mt. Stewart's flanks are to the north of the gap (a bronze plack memorialized Stewart), then farther to the left, Eagle Scout Peak lies to the south of the gap. Kaweah Gap itself is the product of ice overtopping the divide; ice from the Nine Lakes Basin flowed down the west side of the range into Valhalla, helping to carve that canyon and create this low spot on the Great Western Divide. The darker rocks of the Kaweah Group are metamorphosed volcanic rocks from older Mesozoic volcanoes that were later intruded by the deeper granitic rocks in this area.

Panorama created with PTGui.

 


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C. H. Jones | CIRES | Dept. of Geological Sciences | Univ. of Colorado at Boulder

Last modified at November 11, 2010 3:35 PM