SummitPost - <i>La Madre watches the tank -- Photos, Diagrams & Topos

Seen rising in the distance,
8,154' La Madre (The Mother) Mountain
watches over an unnamed tinaja or tank in
the Calico Hills area of Red Rocks Canyon
NCA in southern Nevada.

It had snowed in Red Rocks earlier in the
day, as a slight breeze ripples the water.

About 65 million years ago, the colliding
Pacific and North American continental
plates pushed the older limestone of what
is now La Madre up and over the younger
Aztec sandstone of the Calico Hills.

In the sometimes harsh climate of the Mojave
Desert, these water pools mean survival to
wildlife and plants. Although they might
look inviting, please resist swimming in the
pools. If only a few people jump in to cool
off on a hot day, the natural oils, insect
repellent and sunscreen can quickly accumulate
in the water and render it poisonous to the
animals that need to survive.

March 16, 2008