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Dave Beedon | profile | all galleries >> Places >> Utah >> Wendover Area >> Floating Island >> Floating Island 's South Summit tree view | thumbnails | slideshow | map

Floating Island's Main Summit ( 2004) | Floating Island's Main Summit (2006) | Floating Island 's South Summit | Floating Island: Gate 74 Re-visited | Floating Island: Miscellaneous Photos

Floating Island 's South Summit

I hiked from near the Floating Island causeway to the south summit of Floating Island to see
if I could see the vehicles on the Bonneville Speedway during the World of Speed event. With
the naked eye I could barely see anything on the salt; binoculars revealed some details. Then
I walked out the southern finger to a dike: the playa was as interesting as the summit area.

Photos are posted in chronological order.
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Moab Uploads
:: Moab Uploads :: 		Getting the floor level (shot just before the Floating Island hike)
Getting the floor level (shot just before the Floating Island hike)		 Looking across the playa at the south summit, which waits for me
Looking across the playa at the south summit, which waits for me		 Getting my pack ready at the start of the trek
Getting my pack ready at the start of the trek
Early part of the route looked like this: nothing exciting
Early part of the route looked like this: nothing exciting		 First view of the south summit after starting the hike
First view of the south summit after starting the hike		 Cracks in the playa
Cracks in the playa		 Walking on the playa toward the south summit
Walking on the playa toward the south summit
Pattern in a dry watercourse
Pattern in a dry watercourse		 Ancient shorelines of Lake Bonneville on Tetzlaff Peak
Ancient shorelines of Lake Bonneville on Tetzlaff Peak		 Cracked mud
Cracked mud		 Cracked mud---close view
Cracked mud---close view
Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus)
Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus)		 Rabbitbrush---close view
Rabbitbrush---close view		 One of many dry washes leading to the playa; bamboo stick is 6 feet (1.8m) long
One of many dry washes leading to the playa; bamboo stick is 6 feet (1.8m) long		 Main summit (at left) and Lake Bonneville terraces
Main summit (at left) and Lake Bonneville terraces
Tracks in the sand; colored bands are one foot (30cm) apart
Tracks in the sand; colored bands are one foot (30cm) apart		 South summit is behind the high point
South summit is behind the high point		 Looking south at the Bonneville Salt Flats from a low saddle below the summit
Looking south at the Bonneville Salt Flats from a low saddle below the summit		 View of the route ahead from the low saddle
View of the route ahead from the low saddle
Geology: a mixture of water and volcanism?
Geology: a mixture of water and volcanism?		 View of main summit from below the south summit
View of main summit from below the south summit		 This shows my hiking route from my car (hidden by the ridger) to here
This shows my hiking route from my car (hidden by the ridger) to here		 South summit about 50 feet (15m) away
South summit about 50 feet (15m) away
On the summit, looking at the vehicles far away on the salt flats
On the summit, looking at the vehicles far away on the salt flats		 Summit vegetation (I think it's shadscale [Atriplex confertifolia] )
Summit vegetation (I think it's shadscale [Atriplex confertifolia] )		 On the south summit of Floating Island (cell phone photo)
On the south summit of Floating Island (cell phone photo)		 The curving finger that called to me to be explored
The curving finger that called to me to be explored
Using the binoculars to see the World Of Speed activity (Floating Island's main summit at right)
Using the binoculars to see the World Of Speed activity (Floating Island's main summit at right)		 Middle of the finger (not the middle finger)
Middle of the finger (not "the middle finger")		 End of the finger (top of finger is about six feet above the playa)
End of the finger (top of finger is about six feet above the playa)		 Eight-image panorama from Floating Island's south summit (WOS = World of Speed)
Eight-image panorama from Floating Island's south summit (WOS = World of Speed)
Looking northeast at Floating Island's main summit in the distance
Looking northeast at Floating Island's main summit in the distance		 Summit feet digging into the desert pavement
Summit feet digging into the desert pavement		 Eastbound Union Pacific stack train, 12.5 miles (20km) away (final shot from summit)
Eastbound Union Pacific stack train, 12.5 miles (20km) away (final shot from summit)		 Rock detail and summit during the descent
Rock detail and summit during the descent
Knob and playa
Knob and playa		 Desert pavement (bamboo stick is six feet [1.8m] long)
Desert pavement (bamboo stick is six feet [1.8m] long)		 The route to the finger: straight ahead, then around the ridge at right
The route to the finger: straight ahead, then around the ridge at right		 Desert pavement boulder provides shelter for animals (note the vegetation debris)
Desert pavement "boulder" provides shelter for animals (note the vegetation debris)
This was by far the most prevalent type of vegetation in the area
This was by far the most prevalent type of vegetation in the area		 Geology of the south summit's southern base
Geology of the south summit's southern base		 More geology of the south summit
More geology of the south summit		 Old road took me around the ridge to the start of the finger
Old road took me around the ridge to the start of the finger
Graceful slope at southwest end of the south summit
Graceful slope at southwest end of the south summit		 First view down the finger
First view down the finger		 Looking back at Floating Island from the finger
Looking back at Floating Island from the finger		 I play around a playa mound
I play around a playa mound
Horned toad amongst the rocks of the desert pavement
Horned toad amongst the rocks of the desert pavement		 End of the finger and start of the playa; the dike is straight ahead
End of the finger and start of the playa; the dike is straight ahead		 Looking back at the ubiquitous flora and Floating Island
Looking back at the ubiquitous flora and Floating Island		 Close-up of the flora of the previous picture
Close-up of the flora of the previous picture
Drainage pattern on the almost-level playa
Drainage pattern on the almost-level playa		 Playa peek-a-boo
Playa peek-a-boo

comment | share
Lee G19-Nov-2007 18:34
I heard there was a dike on the Playa. I saw no dike.
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