West Shore of Lake Tahoe

By: Christian SimentalGeology 10307/23/2011

Location

Taylor Creek & Tallac Historic Site

Both located off oh Hwy 89 USDA Forest Service Land

Tons of Resources & History Found in Both Locations

TrailsRainbow Trail & Tallac Site Trail

- Half a mile walk - 1 mile of both on paved ground. paved and flat

dirt roads.-Underground water chamber. - 3 historic estates

built in 1800’s - 1900’s

ObservationsVolcanic Peak

Mt. Pluto Elevation: 8,617 ft.

Changes/Facts:

• Mt. Pluto is an extinct volcano and was active back 2 million years ago

• Was one of the volcanoes that helped form the Lake Tahoe Basin

ObservationsPlants

Bull Thistle Non-Native

• Known as the Bull Thistle

• Not native to the basin

• Very similar to the Anderson Thistle which is native to basin

• Stem can be as long as 2 to 5 ft. long

ObservationsGranite Rock

• These rocks are found almost everywhere you look around the sites

• Common occuring type of intrusive and igneous rock

• Are formed by slowly cooling pockets of magma that were trapped beneath earths surface.

ObservationsMetamorphic Rocks

• Metamorphic Rocks begin to form at 12-16 kilometers under the surface

• Deformed & Chemically changed due to different temperatures and pressures.

ObservationsHorse Tail

-Horse tail has been here since the dinosaurs

- Can measure up to 30 meters tall

- Site is covered with them

ObservationJeffrey Pines

• Trees around site are about 400 years old

• Dangerous for the basin when fire is occurring

• Were not clear cut when the comstock lode.

Resources

“Facts about Lake Tahoe”. Lake Tahoe Data Clearing House. Web.

Forest Service. “US Forest Service”. Web. 24 July 2011.

Sierra Nevada Virtual Museum. Web. 24 July 2011.