UPPER PHOTO: Indian Grinding Stones ( granite manos) LOWER PHOTO: Me Climbing Granite Knob
Since the fire, hundreds of spectacular stone outcrops can be seen. A short hike tough the the forrest, even in the unburned areas of the forest these formations can be be seen. Olancha Peak, Jackass Peak, and of course Granite Knob are just a few of the hundreds in the Monache area. The photo above is your's truly "foolishly" climbing "Granite Knob" near Powell Meadow - just above Monache.
"Granite is the name used for a variety of light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rocks. Orthoclase (potassium) feldspar is typically the most abundant mineral in a granite and significant amounts of quartz and plagioclase feldspar are generally present. Minor minerals include muscovite mica, biotite mica, hornblende and others. Light-colored, igneous rocks such as granite are frequently referred to as "felsic" rocks.
The coarse grain size of granite indicates a slow rate of cooling that occured below earth's surface. The insulating effect of the surrounding rock caused the magma to crystallize very slowly. The slow cooling allowed the mineral grains adequate time to grow to a large size. Granite is thought to be the most abundant rock type of the continental crust. However, because it crystallizes at depth it is exposed at the surface at those locations where deep erosion has taken place." (Geology.com)
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