Moderate, 6.5 mi loop w spurs
1,207 ft elevation gain
Hiked 3/20/24
A highly popular loop taking you along a gravel wash in lower sections before passing under the vertical face of Manly Beacon after taking a slight detour to the Red Cathedral geologic formation. Views of varying colored cliff faces and hillsides will mesmerize and the trek is filled with delights. This is still in that period where a decent amount of photos were lost, so I don’t have better pictures of the Red Cathedral from up close unfortunately.
The Red Cathedral stands above a canyon of tan mounds. Various trails branching out from closer to the Cathedral allow you to access the mounds.
Two large rocky hillsides with layers of diagonal light and dark brown banding may be seen with a ridgeline in the distance on the other side of Death Valley.
Rolling hills of light and dark brown patterned rock may be seen with a sloped ridgeline on the right of frame. A separate ridgeline on the far end of Death Valley may be sen in the distance.
What looked like a fungus growing along a rock, which wouldn’t really make much sense in a desert setting like this. I would assume it is connected to the plant seen on both sides of frame, and would possibly be for seed dispersal, but I am not sure what the plant is. There wasn’t enough exposed plant material for me to get an id on it either, so it’s a mystery to me.
Furry stuff at the bottom are wind dispersal appendages that are modified as the flower is fertilized and dehisces. They are attached to the seeds so they can be carried by the wind.
Edit: as you have already said, sorry.
Both the wind appendages and the plants look like they belong to the sunflower family fwiw.
Thanks, always good to have confirmation! And the sunflower family would make sense since I saw a ton flowering in nearby locations.