Seventh Hike - Dillon Pinnacles

Dillon Pinnacles, Hike #87 under the Plateaulands section, is in the Curecanti National Recreation Area just west of Gunnison.  I did this hike on September 19, 2009 and had perfect weather.  The Dillon Pinnacles are on the Blue Mesa Reservoir which is a huge lake in the middle of the desert.

The Dillon Pinnacles are composed of West Elk Breccia.  They consist of ash and rock that was spewed from fiery volcanoes some 30 million years ago.

Deposited in a layer thousands of feet thick, this volcanic material was eventually cemented together to make a conglomerate rock that has subsequently eroded into the cliff of spires.

It was an easy 4 mile hike though I did meet a lot of school kids on the way going to the Dillon Pinnacles on class trips.

It was a beautiful and easy hike.  A perfect way to start my Gunnison trip.

7 Down and 93 To Go