Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology and Cal Poly Geology Club ...

After enduring a hailstorm in the campground, we awoke on the
second day to learn that the road to Yosemite National Park was
closed due to heavy snow! Following much soul searching and
coffee at the local Burger King in Mariposa, a decision was made
to push on to the park and try to make a few stops before the
area of road closure. We followed the slow moving traffic along
the Merced River and stopped at outcrops of the Calaveras Complex
and Shoo Fly Complex to view Paleozoic rocks that acted as
hosts for the intrusion of the Jurassic-Cretaceous Sierra Nevada
batholith. The image to the right shows the folded and contorted
chert beds of the Calaveras Complex along the Merced River.
Much to our surprise and delight, by the time we reached the
park entrance the road had been reopened into the valley. We
were among the first vehicles into Yosemite Valley that morning.
Below is the view that awaited us from the Wawona Tunnel.
The remainder of the day was spent in Yosemite National Park where we got drenched at Bridalveil Falls, visited the USGS stream
gauge at the Pohono Bridge, wandered around in the crowds at the Visitor Center and hiked up to Yosemite Falls. We talked about
the geology of the Tuolumne intrusive series, glacial features and the natural history of the park along the way. Unfortunately, we
DID NOT collect any rock samples, much to the chagrin of some students. After our final stop at Yosemite Falls, the group split up
with some electing to stop in the Mariposa Sequoia grove at the southern park entrance while others returned via Mariposa and
Merced, driving through exposures of the Great Valley Group. All in all. it was an exciting experience that provided screen saver