Re: Is This a Trail?

My friend noticed in our photos of Half Dome taken from Mt. Watkins and North Dome that there looks like a stepped trail that descends the north side of the sub dome that you climb before Half Dome. There's an overview picture with the "trail" marked and a close-up from North Dome. From Mt. Watkins it appears to intersect the trail to Half Dome. Is this a real trail or are we being faked out by a natural formation? For scale you can see a couple of people in the upper left corner of the second image.

That is what I believe is a called an intrusion layer. You should be able to find similar all over the park.

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Chick-on is correct, it is also called a dike. It's basically when molten rock intrudes into a fracture in already solidified rock.

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Old Dave
...........when molten rock intrudes into a fracture in already solidified rock.

I heard this is why gold is found in veins.

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JasonS

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Old Dave
...........when molten rock intrudes into a fracture in already solidified rock.

I heard this is why gold is found in veins.

Gold in veins like this would be from mineral laden hot water, not molten rock. I can't see it too well, but I believe the crack in the picture is quartz, not gold bearing, that filled in a crack caused by other forces. Since this happens a mile or so underground, the water would be above the atmospheric boiling point.

trail

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ryanmj
trail

for you...

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