I got an early start in hopes of hiking three trails in this area today. After about a mile’s drive down a gravel road with miles of sagebrush on either side, I reached the empty trailhead parking lot at the base of this volcanic cone. The trail leads around the outer rim of the external cone. By comparison, this volcano is a midget, but the unmistakable features remind one of the chaotic geological phenomena, which created this place. The trail starts out easy enough but soon takes a dip and then rises steeply uphill through a sort of ash and sand soil. It is hard to walk on.
After circling the outer rim, I climbed down to the moat area between the outer and inner cones. Black volcanic glass is visible everywhere. A zigzagged trail leads up the inner cone and into the obsidian plug.
This area is the most interesting, as there are volcanic glass boulders here, which are the size of cars. There are also great flows of obsidian, which presumable flowed out of the earth, cooled, and then cracked, as there almost appears to be a grain to the stone similar to that found in a cedar log. There is a magnificent view of Mono Lake from up here. Overall, this was a moderately easy hike with fascinating scenery.
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