Boulders!

I was checking LIDAR imagery, looking for old mines, and came across some weird indications. Five "protuberances" in a row, following the contour of a steep slope. Years ago, we'd found a Native American soapstone bowl quarry nearby; we'd searched the area closely for more bowls, but hadn't climbed up this high. Protruding indications aren't uncommon in LIDAR, usually just ledges or boulders, but five evenly spaced in a row was just odd. I wondered if it might be something related to the Native American quarry, being so close. But that was not to be - it was just huge boulders that happened to be evenly spaced along the slope.

LIDAR image with the odd indications in the center.

I climbed up and came in from the east. This was Boulder 1; Boulder 2 is just visible to the left.

Boulder 2. These rocks ranged from about 15-24 feet in length, and 9-13 feet in height.

Boulder 3

From in front of Boulder 3, looking back at Boulders 2 & 3. This photo doesn't show it well but there appeared to have been some old prospecting done just below the first two boulders.

Boulder 4 was the smallest of the aligned rocks

Immediately west was a branch that drops into a steep gorge. Boulder 5 was directly across the creek.

This boulder, immediately downslope between Boulders 4 & 5, seemed to be composed of a different rock than the others.

A cliff face approx. 15 feet high led down to the gorge.

Water flowing down the gorge tumbles over the cliff.

Steep gorge with the previously pictured cliff face near the top.

Another boulder below the aligned-boulder cliff.

One more boulder further down as I was heading back.

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