Juniper in Lost Horse Valley

Juniper thrives in areas above 4,500 feet. The peak in the distance is near the Lost Horse Mine. The dark cap consists of a blocky slope of weathered schist and gneiss. Exposure to solar radiation and weathering over a long period of time gives the rock a thin, dark patina of iron and manganese oxides, and insoluble clay minerals called desert varnish (Trent, 1997).