The Mysterious Tushar Mountain Range

The rugged Tushar Mountains are located in the Fishlake National Forest, Mount Belknap (the peak on the right) is 12,137 feet (3699.35m) high and Mount Baldy (on the left) has a peak of 11,068 ft (3,374m). These peaks were formed between 22 and 32 million years ago by volcanic activity that included a calamitous explosion that blew off the top of a massive peak.

I lensed this image of the Tushar Peaks as I flew to the east of the mountains heading north. It is late evening and the sun has set but there is enough light for this foreboding view of these ancient jagged peaks.

At the cusp of the Great Basin, the range shares characteristics of the Colorado Plateau Province to the east. This area is geologically complex, dominated by ancient volcanic activity and covered with old lava flows, frozen in time. Also prevalent are ash flow tuffs from calderas, volcanic domes, cinder cones, rhyolite, basalt-like rocks, conglomerate, and  peppered throughout the area are precious metals such as gold, molybdenum and uranium.

The area still contains a great deal of geothermal activity, fluorite, and the hydrothermally-altered rocks of Big Rock Candy Mountain.

The Tushars Moutains have at least seven high mountain alpine glaciated canyons, Cottowood Canyon, North Fork of Cottonwood Canyon, South Fork Basin, The Pocket Basin, Bullion Basin, Beaver Basin and City Creek Basin, all created during the last ice age.

Circle Valley, home to the small rural community of Circleville, Utah sits at the eastern base of the Tushar Mountains. 

  From "Where Eagles Fly - The American Wilderness Expedition" my personal project of exploration in the North American Wilderness. Yehaw!