Geology & Cultural History of Cottonwood Spring

My sister, brother-in-law and I signed up for this class offered by the Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park.  It was taught by D. D. Trent, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus in geology.  Here's the course description:

"Stretch you legs and enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Cottonwood Mountains with D.D. Trent in this all-day field class.  Trent will discuss the rocks and minerals of Cottonwood Mountains and tell stories of the people who eked out a living in the area during the late 1800s.  Along the trail, Trent will share the history of the cowboys, miners, and teamsters who depended on Cottonwood Spring for their livelihood."

It was a great class, very interesting and informative.  I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are interested in the geology of the area.  Dr. Trent took us to mines and other interesting areas that we would never have found on our own!

The weather was cold this weekend, so you can see everyone was bundled up.  There was extensive cloud cover with no shadows, so the light was "flat" for photography, but that didn't stop us from taking a ton of pictures! 

Starting our day -ore crushing site at Cottonwood Spring

Morton mill site with cyanide vats in foreground.

Hard to believe horse-drawn carts were pulled up and down this old mining road!

 

Mastodon Mine

My sister in the "rock gardens"!

Cottonwood Spring wash... & wide, open spaces!

Chocolate Chip Cookie rock!!

Window Rock

The Mastodon peak loop train and mine area are really interesting, and a great hike.  I really enjoyed hiking around and exploring this area.  If you get a chance, really worth checking out.

Out for a drive in Cottonwood Spring wash!!