Polychrome Cliffs

The new photo gallery on California's subduction-related rocks might seem forbidding, with more than 100 images. So here's one of my favorite moments from it, near stop 24 (out of 33). Just beyond the edge of the High Sierra granite zone is a belt of Jurassic volcanic rocks that were metamorphosed as the granite was emplaced. They're standing in vertical beds, stained in orange, green and metallic blue from the minerals that were etched by rain and weather. Framing a small tree, stone and sapling make an exquisite contrast in this shot I named "polychrome niche." A few feet away is the tumbling Yuba River, a perfect spot to cool your feet and admire the stones.

_{Polychrome niche — Geology Guide photo}