Re: Bedford Canyon Formation
Posted by Island Chris on July 25, 2012 at 05:52:29:

Brian, Guess you are back to California from Colorado. I'd heard of Bedford Fm but did not know what it was. There are similar rocks, maybe Cretaceous, but could be Jurassic, that are deep water (?) shales with some sandstone layers, in the National Forest north of Santa Barbara. A nice hiking or mountain biking trail is Little Pine Mountain: the vertical is >3000 feet (1000 m), and you can ride up on relatively smooth dirt roads, and then down the steep, technical trail. I prefer to hike. You start at (Upper?) Oso Canyon at the bottom. To get there you take San Marco Pass Road (154??) over the Santa Ynez Mts and turn right (east) on Paradise Road, may have to get use permit for $5(?)/car, cross the Santa Ynez River at a ford (can be closed in winter or spring if a west season or week), just after ford turn left (north) on narrow paved road, go to parking lot at barrier where road goes to dirt.

Let me know if you go: there is come good geology: Little Pine fault, Franciscan Complex, major unconformity with Miocene Monterey Formation above the old deep water (?) shales.

I suppose you have plenty of equally good places close to where you are, so may not be worth the drive.

Chris