Latest news with #SmithRiver
Daily Mail
01-08-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
The California mountain road hiding a 'portal in time' to Jurassic era
A remote stretch of Northern California highway is hiding something truly extraordinary - not just a scenic drive, but a rare window into Earth's deep past. Highway 199, which branches off from Highway 101 near Crescent City and winds inland along the crystal-clear Smith River, cuts through one of the only places on Earth where you can drive through exposed mantle rock - the layer that normally lies 22 miles beneath our feet. This surreal stretch, known as the Josephine Ophiolite, is a 350-square-mile patch of upper mantle and oceanic crust that was somehow forced to the surface millions of years ago. It now sprawls across the Klamath Mountains, creating an eerie, jagged landscape that scientists say looks more like the ocean floor than California backcountry. Geology professor Brandon Brown of Cal Poly Humboldt has spent years studying the area - and bringing students to see it firsthand. 'You're sort of basically driving from the mantle to the ocean floor of the Jurassic as you drive from Hiouchi to the Oregon border,' he told SF Gate. For his students, the experience is mind-blowing. 'It's just so many light bulbs' going off, Brown said. Instead of just reading about tectonic plates in a textbook, students are 'now standing in the mantle,' or standing on what was the ocean floor from 200 million years ago. Scientists flock to the area for the same reason. Researchers come from 'literally around the world' to study the Josephine, said Brown - not just for its age, but for how visibly it confirms plate tectonics in action. Before the theory gained widespread acceptance in the mid-20th century, scientists struggled to explain how continents moved, why mountains formed, or how fossils ended up on distant shores. The Josephine Ophiolite, with oceanic rock clearly thrust onto land, became a smoking gun. And it's not just what's underground that's remarkable - it's how it transforms everything you see. 'We see so many landslides and rock falls,' Brown said. That's because the exposed rock - mainly greenish serpentine and dense ultramafic material - is fragile and unstable. It doesn't behave like typical mountain rock. The same material also affects the water. '[The] river is so clear and clean because these rocks don't pulverize into tiny pieces of clay,' Brown explained. And the surrounding peaks? '[The] mountains are so jagged and sharp.' He calls it a rare opportunity 'to appreciate what the ocean lithosphere is made of.' The landscape changes in more subtle - but no less striking - ways as well. Because the mantle rock is high in magnesium and low in calcium, the soil is nutrient-poor and difficult for plants to grow in. 'When I'm taking students out there to look at this, we're almost for certain going to run into a botany class,' Brown said, '…because the types of plants that grow on them is very unique due to their obscure and strange magnesium and calcium ratios.' In some areas, you can see the transition happen right underfoot. 'You pass from redwood to giant redwood trees, and you cross the fault... Now you're looking at 100-year-old trees that are like the diameter of my arm,' he said. 'They're just sort of struggling, persisting along, using whatever nutrients they can find.' The site even holds economic interest. The rocks are rich in metals like nickel and chromium, which are key components in stainless steel and battery production. But for Brown, it's less about industry and more about awe - a place where the forces that shaped our planet are not just hidden below the surface, but written into the very land beneath your tires.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Miss Montana's 2025 Smith River floating lotto? Here's what to look for in 2026
If you've missed out on the opportunity to float in Montana's Smith River State Park this year, you're not the only one. The Smith River offers a unique floating experience as it stretches 59 miles of beautiful scenery through the Little Belt Mountains and is renowned for its fishing. Floaters can spend up to four nights on and along the river at designated camp sites from the launch point at Camp Baker north of White Sulphur Springs to the takeout point at Eden Bridge near Ulm. The float is in such high demand that a lottery system has been in place since 1990, and roughly 10 percent of applicants receive a permit. While you still may need a bit of luck, here's what you can do to maximize your chances for getting river-ready in central Montana next summer. To enter the Smith River floating lottery, you need to go online to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website at starting on Jan. 2. A non-refundable fee of $10 puts each applicant in the lottery and applications are available through Feb. 15. The lottery will be held shortly after the closing of applications, and winners will be notified by email. Results will also be posted at Those who draw permits are assigned a floating date and will be contacted by phone two days before the launch date. On top of the regular lotto, FWP offers a Super Permit Lottery for the Smith River in which applicants can purchase as many entries as they wish for $5. The Super Permit allows one party per year to choose which date they wish to float during the season. The typical floating season for the Smith River runs from mid-April through mid-July, depending on conditions. River access does not get closed down due to low flow, according to FWP, although recommendations will be given as conditions change. Floating parties can be up to 15 people per permit. The cost per person is $25 for Montana residents 13 and older and $15 for children ages 6-12. The cost per non-Montana resident is $60. All children under the age of 6 are able to float at no cost. Those who don't draw permits in the lottery are able to hire designated outfitters for a float on the Smith River. Those who wish to hire a commercial outfitter are asked not to apply for a permit as the businesses are allocated a designated number of permits each year. Commercial outfitters allowed to provide services on the Smith River are designated by Montana State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service. The list of authorized outfitters is listed on FWP's website. It is illegal for outfitters or individuals not authorized by MSP and the forest service to provide commercial services on the Smith River. This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Miss out on Montana's Smith River lottery? What to look for in 2026
