The once pine-covered mountains are still recovering from a fire that tore through the wilderness in 1996. The wilderness houses a diverse set of habitats thanks to the rapid change in elevation from the desert foothills to the mountain peaks. From the formation of the underlying metamorphic rock to the volcanic material of the Painted Cliffs is a difference of two to three billion years. Layered ash flows and volcanic tufts left behind during the Cenozoic Age comprise the cliffs. South of main peaks, above Apache Reservoir, are the Painted Cliffs. These exposed rocks are especially visible in Cottonwood and Boulder Canyons, as well as on Buckhorn Ridge.
The sheer faces near the peaks contain mainly Precambrian quartzite and shale. The bulk of the massif that rises from the surrounding desert is composed of Precambrian granite and schists. The geology of the Four Peaks Wilderness tells a story that dates as far back as several billion years. It will take decades for the previously forested mountain sides to regrow. While portions of the wilderness retain their tree cover, a man-made fire tore through the wilderness in 1996 and some areas are still in the early stages of recovery. The Four Peaks Wilderness lies to the south of the Mazatzal Wilderness and Coconino National Forest. From surrounding desert foothills where saguaro, cholla, and ocotillo thrive, the four peaks rise from the center and can be seen from miles away on a clear day. The four peaks are a well-known landmark in the region. Located in northeastern Arizona, the peaks in this range are part of the Mazatzal Mountains and elevations range from around 1,900 ft (580 m) near Apache Lake to 7,657 ft (2,334 m) on Brown’s Peak. The Four Peaks Wilderness was established in 1984 and currently covers about 60,740 acres (24,581 ha) within Tonto National Forest.
0 kommentar(er)
