U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
 
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News.bytesNews.bytes Extra, issue 449

Twin Peaks scenery

The Bureau of Land Management's Twin Peaks Herd Management Area, the focus of much public interest over the past five weeks, is a rugged, remote and starkly beautiful place.  This high desert landscape along the California-Nevada is volcanic in origin.  Extinct stratovolcanos and lava flows dominate the landscape which is dotted with sage, juniper and grasses typical of the high desert Great Basin and Modoc Plateau region.

yellow and orange foliage among bare foliage, with mountains in the background
Rabbit brush and leafy plants

hikers overlook sagebrush-covered valleys and snow-covered mountains in the distrance
A group of hikers is dwarfed by the vastness of the landscape.  This view is from Dry Valley Rim looking northeast toward the Smoke Creek Desert.

green grass and trees line a stream through rocky landscape
Water is scarce in the high desert and a welcome sight for wildlife, wild horses and burros, livestock and human visitors.  This is the headwaters of Smoke Creek.

a purple bush stands amid light green plants, dried vegetation and rocks
Purple sage adds vibrant  color to a rugged cliff in Dry Valley.

A horse and mare trot through low sage brush, a windmill is in the background
A mare and her colt trot past a windmill on private land within the HMA.

yellow blooms on light green plants cover a patch, with mountains in the background
Rabbit brush, sage and cottonwoods offer splashes of color.  Three cones of an extinct volcano and associated lava flows are in the background.

a rusting windowless truck cab lies on the high desert ground
Abandoned and rusting, the cab of a truck is a reminder of the harsh conditions that have faced people as they attempted to work this land.

- Photos by BLM California personnel, August/September 2010

BLM-California News.bytes, issue 449

 
Last updated: 09-24-2010