Landscape Evolution at an Active Plate Margin - Biological Science ...

Table 3-1. Mineral assemblages at Reward and Brown Monster
Reward Mine Brown Monster Mine
Anglesite Conichalcite Linarite
Arsentsumebite Copper Malachite Calcite
Azurite Corkite Mimetite Galena
Beudantite Cuprite Perite Linarite
Brochantite Duftite Pyrargyrite Mimetite
Calcite Fornacite Pyrite Quartz
Caledonite Galena Pyromorphite
Cerussite Goethite Quartz
‘Chalcedony’ Gold Schmiederite
Chalcopyrite Hedyphane Tsumebite
Chlorargyrite Hemimorphite Vanadinite
Chrysocolla Leadhillite Wulfenite
(Mindat.org, 2009; Pemberton, 1983)
52.6 (2.7) Prepare for a left turn. Watch for oncoming
traffic. The Manzanar Relocation Center can be seen
to the south.
52.8 (0.2) TURN LEFT (east) onto Manzanar/Reward
Road. This road leads to the Union Mining District
near the base of the Inyo Mountains where gold was
discovered in the 1860s (Knopf, 1918). Chief producers
were the Brown Monster and Reward mines (Fig.
3-4) with gold production estimated between 10,000
and 50,000 ounces. The country rock consists of
Paleozoic shale, limestone, and conglomerate, as well
as Jurassic-Triassic shale, tuff, and volcanic breccia.
These rocks were intruded by Mesozoic granitoids
generating lode vein deposits near the contact with
the intrusions. Near-surface ore is highly oxidized
consisting mainly of quartz and minor amounts of
limonite, smithsonite, brochantite, linarite, chrysocolla,
and wulfenite. Unoxidized ore consists of quartz
with small amounts of pyrite, galena, sphalerite, and
chalcopyrite.
53.1 (0.3) Cross Manzanar landing strip.
D. R. Jessey and R. E. Reynolds
Figure 3-5. Stop 3-4: Deformed sediments of the Union Wash Formation. [S.
Baltzer photo]
53.5 (0.4) Cross the LADWP aqueduct.
54.9 (1.4) Cross the Owens River.
56.5 (1.6) Continue past a power line road.
56.8 (0.3) TURN RIGHT (south) on the Lone Pine/
Owenyo Road (former 1883 C&C/N&C railroad bed;
Myrick, 1992). The site of Reward is two miles eastnortheast.
Pass the railroad siding of Manzanar on
the west.
58.5 (1.7) The Eclipse irrigation ditch (dry) is on the
west side of the road.
59.3 (0.8) Continue past a reverse turn to a mine.
60.2 (0.9) PULL RIGHT and PARK at Union Canyon
Road.
STOP 3-4. The thick Jurassic marine section at Union
Canyon (Fig. 3-5) contains ammonites (Berry, this
volume; and see Batlzer, this volume: p. 68, fig. 5). The
Eclipse ditch crosses the rail bed and joins the McIver
Canal, and may have provided water for extensive
agricultural fields east of Owenyo. Both flow south
toward the mill at Swansea. PROCEED SOUTH on
the Lone Pine/Owenyo Road.
61.4 (1.2) Pass the Owenyo townsite on the right
(west); note abandoned fields to east. By 1883, the
narrow gauge C&C/N&C Railroad reached Owenyo
and ran south to Keeler. In 1907, the standard gauge
Southern Pacific railroad extended the rail line from
Mojave north along the west side of Owens Lake
to Owenyo, and expanded service south of Keeler
to soda plants on the southeast side of Owens Lake
(Myrick, 1992).
63.3 (1.9) Caution: bend in road. Continue
past the road leading east to French
Spring.
64.6 (1.3) BEAR RIGHT (west) on Narrow
Gauge Road toward Lone Pine. Long
John Canyon and mines are to the east.
66.1 (1.5) Cross the Owens River.
66.5 (0.4) Slow as the road bends at
ranch.
67.9 (1.4) Stop at Hwy 395. Watch for
cross traffic and TURN LEFT (south).
Enter Lone Pine.
68.6 (0.7) Stoplight. Continue past Whitney
Portal Road.
48 2009 Desert Symposium