Trees, Grasses and Adobe

14 Nov 2006 - Still in Madera Canyon we found this Alligator Juniper (note the bark), walked up one of the trails along the grass and wooded canyons and then along an old trail leading along a stream. We were at about 6000 feet and the grasses and trees were not 'desert like' at all. We even got to see some fall colors! Up the stream there was the wall shown in the last photo which was all that remained of an old trading post dating from the late 1800's. What interested me was the fact of the builders making 'bricks' out of the adobe before stacking them. I guess in my mind's eye I had envisioned the walls being made by just making a wall as we would put up a concrete wall (using a form or whatever). As you can see the bricks must have been made in a form of some type just as though they were making 'normal' bricks - just using adobe mud.