The region on which we will concentrate over the four days of this field excursion encompasses parts of the eastern Sierra Nevada, the Owens Valley, and the White-Inyo Range extending from Convict Lake-Hot Creek on the north to Papoose Flat on the south. This region is one of remarkable geologic diversity, with sedimentary and metasedimentary strata ranging from late Precambrian to early Mesozoic age, volcanics of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age, and granitic rocks ranging from the Triassic to late Cretaceous. Deformational structures in the White-Inyo Range can with questionable confidence be related to the Antler orogeny of late Devonian-early Mississippian age; others can with more confidence be related to orogenic pulses and associated plutonic activity during Mesozoic orogenies (Nevadan, Laramide). Cenozoic Basin-Range faulting is a major feature of the region; Cenozoic volcanism, Pleistocene glaciation, and Holocene earthquake activity, some as late as May, 1980 are important aspects of the region.
In addition, we spend a good part of the first day enroute to Big Pine, and we will examine a great variety of geologic features along the way.
The guidebook we will be following includes geology ranging from the very simple and quite obvious to the more esoteric and complex. This reflects not only the true nature of the geology of the area involved, but also the attempt to satisfy the interests and desires of a wide range of participants. These departmental field trips are designed for persons ranging from the interested lay person and non-geologist family members to enthusiastic undergraduate and jaded graduate students to young professionals, and finally to grizzled veterans. Consequently, each of us will have to be patient when guidebook units and/or field discussions seem to be either too simple or too specific and detailed to suit our interests. Without question, however, we will all find common ground around the feeding trough and the evening campfires. In the road log which follows, mileage is kept separate for each of the four days. The left-hand figure is the distance between stops or points of interest; the right-hand figure represents cumulative mileage.
Frequent reference is made to clock directions to various features, such as prominent mountain peaks, e.g. - Mt. Whitney is at 9:00 o'clock. The clock is oriented with Noon straight ahead. Those of you with modern digital watches are in trouble.