Van Sickle Bi-State Park Lake Tahoe South Lake Tahoe, California & Nevada

Luke Hutchison Professor Mark LawlerGeology 103 June 22nd, 2013

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The Location

• Van Sickle Trail is located both is California and Nevada and was created during the Pliocene Epoch just like Lake Tahoe around 2 to three million years ago. The highest peak on the trail is 7,777 feet. Water from the trail runs into Lake Tahoe. Which is also located in both California and Nevada and is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west and the Carson mountain range to the east. It was formed by normal geologic faulting around two to three million years ago. It was also shaped by glaciers during the Ice Ages.

• Before Lake Tahoe was founded by John C. Fremont, it was used by the Washoe Indian Tribe. They used the land for hunting, fishing, and gathering essential food and supplies living in the mountains. Since John Fremont founded the lake in 1844, it has been an ever growing destination for tourist and locals to enjoy.

(Gould, 2012, paragraph 1&2)

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• I found a Western Fence Lizard. (Also known as blue bellies) These are very common in and around California and Nevada. Like many lizards, they hibernate in the winter and come out depending on the climate during the spring and summer months. The first documentation of these lizard was on April 24, 1806, near Roosevelt, Klickitat County, Washington.

• A study done by the evolution and ecology departments at UC Davis concluded that with higher elevation, lizards are larger and more vibrant in colors. They have a vivid blue color that is more defined at higher elevations as well.

• This study was conducted in Yosemite National Park, however Lake Tahoe is in a similar region and the information could be applied to my geographic region. The study conducted by this University of California says that dramatic glacial history change around 20,000 years ago affected regions where these lizards live.

• An interesting fact I found out about these lizards is, It has been discovered that when ticks caring Lyme disease feed on the western fence lizard the bacteria that cause Lyme disease are killed. So these lizards can be beneficial and important to the environment.

Western Fence Lizard

(Wilson, 2012, paragraph 1)(Leach, Helmer, Moritz, 2010, page 2)

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Jeffrey Pine Tree

• The Jeffrey pine was discovered in 1852 in the Shasta Valley by John Jeffrey. However, the first signs of this Pine were over 400 million years ago. This is a very similar pine tree to the ponderosa pine. They are different on the basis of bark, and cone form. These pine trees can live 400-500 years and over 200 feet high.

• The Jeffrey pine bark is deeply furrowed, and reddish-brown compared to orange of the ponderosa pine. Its climate and elevation range plays a large part on its distribution rather than soil. When they live in the Sierra Nevada, these pine trees grow on volcanic soils with hard soil and coarse sand. Typically Jeffrey pines grow at elevations from 1,600 to over 9,000 feet. It grows in Oregon, California, and Nevada. It thrives in harsh environments.

Photo by: James JenkinsonPhoto by: Author Photo by: Author

(Jenkinson, 2013, paragraph 1, 2, &3)

Snowbrush

• I searched extremely hard to find the history and evolution of this plant, but was unable to find it. The information on this plant is quite limited

• However, this plant grows in dry open areas. It forms into evergreen shrubs and is about 3-6 feet high. It can grow with its familiar species, the mountain whitethorn. This plant grows in California, Colorado, Nevada, and other mountain ranges filled with heat and sunshine. It grows in elevations from 3,500 to 10,000 feet. This plant puts off an extreme odor and makes it hard to breath up at 7,000 elevation in the direct sunlight.

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(Higgins, 2009, page 18)

Metamorphic Rock – Quartzite

• The distinction of Quartzite compared to Marble is that it is more durable and quartzite will scratch glass. This rock is extremely durable and scratched glass. This rock did not break, they are two different pieces that I found while on my hike.

• Quartz has been known for thousands of years. It has been discovered all around the world from the United States, to ancient Rome. Many believe that Nicholas Steno, who studied the rock in 1600s made the most important discoveries about it.

• It can form in two different ways. In high elevation along with increased pressure, temperatures from sandstone or recrystallized rock go together to form metamorphic rock.

• “These crystals and stones have been utilized for many purposes for over 100,000 years.” (Phipps & Jackson, 2013) Dating back to ancient civilizations.

(Lemont, 2001, paragraph 2)

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Igneous Rock - Granite

• Granite is one of the most predominate rock around the California & Nevada mountain ranges. Granite make up 70-80% of Earth’s crust and is an igneous rock formed by quartz, feldspar, mica, and other minerals. Granite is a plutonic rock, meaning that it forms deep underground. Granite was first mined in the 1700s.

 • Until recently, geologists thought that plutons of granitic magma would require

millions of years to ascend to the surface. However with recent technology and lab experiments it shows that Granite plutons may have been created in 1000-100,000 years, rather than in millions of years previously thought.

• Granite comes from a slow evolution of molten rock material. The reason these rocks are visible today is from uplifting and overlying sedimentary rocks were eroded. Granite has been used for thousands of years all over the world because of how useful it is for construction, and its beauty.

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(Granite, 2003, page 1)

The Waterfall

• This enjoyable waterfall is home to many different kinds of plants and animals. The falls lead into Lake Tahoe, which is the most important ecosystem for life to survive, thrive, and reproduce.

• Lake Tahoe is the second deepest in the United States at 1,645 feet. It has a surface elevation of 6,225 feet The Basin was formed by vertical motion faulting. Uplifted blocks created the Carson Range on the east and the Sierra Nevada on the west.

• I moved to South Lake Tahoe about 10 months ago I really enjoy the amount of activities to do. I love the outdoors, and I’m an avid mountain biker. The breathtaking views and endless trails are outlined with so much geological representation, making it a wonderful place to research.

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• Gould, M. (2012, December 13). Geography & History Overview of Lake Tahoe. Retrieved from http://tahoe.usgs.gov/geography.html

• Leache, A. Helzmer D. Moritz C. (2010, February 11). Phenotypic evolution in high-elevation populations of western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. http://faculty.washington.edu/leache/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2010BioJLinnSoc.pdf

• Wilson, B. (2012, December 15). Western Fence Lizard. Native plant nurseries for California and the west. Native Plants are the best for the west. Retrieved June 24, 2013, from http://www.laspilitas.com/reptiles_and_Amphibians/Lizards/Western_Fence_Lizard/Western_Fence_Lizards.htm

• Jenkinson, J. (2012, January 1). Facts about Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) - Encyclopedia of Life. Encyclopedia of Life - Animals - Plants - Pictures & Information. Retrieved June 24, 2013, from http://eol.org/pages/999712/details

• Higgins, L. (2009). Backyard Native Plants. Retrieved from http://tahoeconservationservices.com/Native%20Plant%20Booklet-web2.pdf

• Lamont, A. (2001, September 1). Great Creation Scientists: Nicolas Steno (1638–1686) - Answers in Genesis. Answers in Genesis - Creation, Evolution, Christian Apologetics . Retrieved June 24, 2013, from http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v23/n4/steno

• Granite: Igneous Rock - Pictures, Definition & More. (2013). Retrieved from http://geology.com/rocks/granite.shtml

Works Cited