Inferno Cone

Cinder cones form when gas-rich volcanic froth erupts high in the air and then piles into a mound.  This one, called Inferno Cone, does not have an apparent crater or vent.  The cinders on its top were blown by the wind – and possibly squirted in this direction – from a vent or vents far below.

See the hikers on the trail to the top in the image above?

I don’t know why some of the images of this series turned out with such dark blue sky.  It may be because of the dark color of the ground and way that my camera’s processor interpreted the image.  I think the above images may also have been a bit underexposed.

From the parking lot for the trail, we could see a group of people already quite a ways up – nearing the top.

The same group of people appear in this photo, also taken from the parking lot:

Don’t see them?

Here’s a close-up cropped from the above image—————————->       

We’ve probably been to the top of this cinder cone at least 4 or 5 times over the years.  It is close to the beginning of the park and, by the time that you’re done with it, you might be too pooped for any of the longer walks.

There’s a couple more I’d like to do, but that’ll have to wait until another trip.

Views from the top:

Craters of the Moon to be continued…

Craters of the Moon National Monument, July 24, 2010