Quest for Machado Postpiles by Dale Stocking

I first heard about the Machado Postpiles during an evening lodge slide show given by Roger Blain at the Stockton Silver Lake Family Camp in July, 1999. After listening to Roger describe how he and his wife Katharine had originally seen the formation from the Horse Canyon trail in the 1970s, their attempts to find it in following years and their finally finding the then unnamed formation in 1990, I knew that I wanted to find it. The next day, I cornered Roger and Katherine at breakfast and pumped them for as much information as possible about the Postpiles and how to get there.

There is no official trail into the Machado Postpiles and, since Roger did not know me, he was reluctant to give much information other than cautions on how to get there. Since I was adamant that I was going to try to find it, he did give me the basic "stay out of Squaw Creek and go in on the north side close to where the granite meets the forested area." The Blains also said that the difficulty with finding the formation is that you cannot see it until you have climbed into the area where it is located. You have to get to the right place on Granite Mountain or you miss the postpiles completely. They were absolutely correct.

That afternoon I drove to the trail head at Camp Minkalo and took off in an easterly direction up the left side of the Squaw Creek canyon to find the Machado Postpiles. There was no trail; however, the first part seemed not difficult and fairly level. I hiked up the canyon for awhile and, when I thought a section of Granite Mountain looked like a place the postpiles could be, I crossed Squaw Creek and started climbing the mountain. That turned out not to be the location. Rather than go back down to the creek, I decided to explore the side of Granite Mountain working my way toward the east. I figured that I was still west of the formation and had the best chance of finding it by staying on the mountain. It was fun and sometimes scary; however, as I worked my way around the northeast shoulder of the mountain, I came to a rock slide that allowed me to climb higher and over a ridge. When I got over the ridge and looked to the east, there was the Machado Postpiles. What a thrill! My first approach to the formation was from the west and above, not a recommended route. 

Since that Friday afternoon in July, 1999, I have returned to the Machado Postpiles a number of times. I feel it is a special place and it has spurred my interest in learning about the formation and the significance of the geology that it represents.