340 Adventures in Scenery 



from the main highway to study these features. Carrizo 

 Mountain has become noted because of the occurrence of fos- 

 sils. The most conspicuous fossil localities are on the northern 

 and the southern slopes of this mountain. The shells or their 

 casts have weathered out and strew the slopes in great profu- 

 sion. Corals, sea-urchins, oysters, mollusks (scallops) , and 

 snails or conchs (gasteropods) are everywhere. The fossils 

 occur in coarse-grained sandstone of Miocene (Tertiary) age. 

 A fossil coral reef is near the head of Barrett Canyon, on the 

 south slope of Black or Fish Creek Mountain, lying directly 

 upon the igneous rocks which form the bed-rock on which the 

 Miocene sediments were laid down. These fossil beds can be 

 reached from the old stage road between Plaster City and Car- 

 rizo, about 15 miles. 



Travertine Rock and Ancient Shore-Line 



Travertine Rock, 45 miles from El Centre, is two or three 

 miles from the present shore of Salton Sea. The granitic rocks 

 of the Santa Rosa Range here projected into Lake Cahuilla, and 

 were washed by the waves when the beach, which is marked by 

 the ridge seen at the left of the highway, was being formed. 

 The old beach line is about 40 feet above sea level, or about 315 

 feet above the present surface of Salton Sea. Travertine Rock 

 is named for the deposits of travertine (calcium carbonate) 

 deposited upon the rocks from the waves of the ancient Lake 

 Cahuilla. The rocks extend out half a mile northeast from the 

 eastern end of the Santa Rosa Range. 



Coachella Valley Lies Ahead 



Turning from the main highway at Oasis, about seven miles 

 north of Travertine Rocks, the famed Coachella Valley lies 

 ahead. Mecca (-197 feet), Arabia, and Indio (-22 feet) 

 suggest Oriental Asia. Thermal, six miles north toward 

 Coachella, means "heat." Turn left at Indio for Palm 

 Springs, but do not fail to visit the date gardens. Good tour- 



