Use Social Distancing Time to Explore the Floods with Our Interactive Online Map
If you’ve ever tried to explore the Ice-Age Floods with a guidebook you’ll know how difficult and frustrating it can be to find and learn about the features in the area you’re visiting. Well, there’s now a solution to that problem; an interactive map that’s available wherever you have internet access. The map features over 300 points of interest throughout our 4-state area, with a description and images that slide out when you click on one of the markers. More features are being added all the time, and we’re planning to expand the map with features related to the Lake Bonneville Flood event that rampaged through the area during the time of the Ice-Age Floods. Since this is an internet-based map, it’s also easy to get driving directions to the site from wherever you are starting from. You can also easily build an informative field trip, exploring and learning about a number of other nearby features with just a few clicks of your mouse. We feel this may be the most useful field guide ever developed to explore ice-age Floods and glacial features throughout our 4-state region. AND it’s absolutely FREE! The only shortcomings we see are 1) the map requires internet access, which isn’t always available in far-flung areas of our region, and 2) we may not have every point-of-interest on the map (YET!). If we’re missing something you think is important we encourage you to submit your suggestion. We also appreciate any comments and/or corrections by email to Webmaster@IAFI.org. We sincerely hope you enjoy using this guide to poke around these fascinating ice-age features.
Explore the Ice Age Floods with 12 New IAFI Brochures
IAFI has compiled 12 brand-new, full-color brochures into a packaged set to help guide you in visiting spectacular ice-age features across all of our 11 Ice Age Floods chapter areas. With these brochures as your guides you can explore the paths of the Ice Age Floods from Montana through Idaho, central Washington and northern Oregon, and even delve into the many glacial features of northwest Washington. Click on any of the brochure covers below to see a full size printable PDF version (note: you’ll need to scale down to print on 8.5×11 letter size paper). Packets of all 12 full-size brochures are NOW available through the IAFI Store and at participating local outlets. Click a cover to open a PDF of any of the brochures below
Oral/Pictorial Video History of the Palouse Area
This 1/2-hour video begins with the Ice Age Floods impact on the Palouse area, then goes on with a fascinating oral and pictorial history of the area. The video was produced by Mortimore Productions for the Whitman County Library with materials and information provided by a bevy of contributors, including several IAFI members. This is a must view if you’re planning to travel to the Palouse Falls Chapter. In this stunning video you’ll learn about the Floods impact, early settlers, mule trains, sheep herders, and so much more that will make the event ever more personal and relevant. Whitman County Library – Ice Age v06 from Mortimore Productions on Vimeo.
Uncovering a Columbian Mammoth
There’s a Columbian Mammoth hiding out in Coyote Canyon down Kennewick way, and MCBONES Research Center Foundation is working to uncover his/her hiding place. For a small contribution you can tour this hide-and-seek site, or you can volunteer to help uncover the hidden mammoth. Sound interesting? Find out more in this short video produced by Mark Harper of “Smart Shoot“, or visit the MCBONES website. The Mid-Columbia Basin Old Natural Education Sciences (MCBONES) Research Center Foundation provides local K-12 teachers and their students, as well as other volunteers, an opportunity to actively participate in laboratory and field-based research in paleontology, geology, paleoecology, and other natural sciences primarily within the Mid-Columbia Region of southeast Washington State.
Bretz and His Floods Story – National Geographic
National Geographic has published an outstanding article, “Formed by Megafloods, This Place Fooled Scientists for Decades”, about J Harlan Bretz and his outrageous, fantastical theories of a landscape shaped by huge floods. Most Ice Age Floods aficionados are generally aware of the story, but this one is so detailed and well written it’s worth reading for the story-telling value alone. Please see: This National Geographic site:
Lake Lewis High Water Markers Installed
In April, 2017, Lake Lewis members George Last and Bruce Bjornstad worked with Friends of Badger volunteers Jim Langdon (Trail Master) and David Beach to install Markers showing the Lake Lewis high water marks on Badger and Candy Mountains near Richland, Washington. The Lake Lewis Chapter donated $300 to the Friends of Badger Mountain to purchase the two faux erratics engraved with “Lake Lewis Maximum Elevation 1250 Feet”. One of the markers was installed along the Sagebrush Trail on Badger Mountain, and the other along the Candy Mountain Trail. It was a glorious day!
Washington’s Ice Age Floods – ESRI Story Map
The Washington Geological Survey (formerly the Division of Geology and Earth Resources) has just released an ESRI story map about the Ice Age Floods in Washington. The story map: “tells the story of cataclysmic outburst floods that shaped the landscape of the Pacific Northwest during the last ice age. With imagery, maps and video, this story map follows the devastating deluge of the Missoula floods as it tore across the landscape, from its origins in western Montana to its terminus at the Pacific Ocean. Sites along the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail are featured, with an emphasis on flood features in Washington State.” Entitled Washington’s Ice Age Floods, it is best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer. Mobile devices will not show all of the content. It is navigated by scrolling your mouse through the slides. There are a few animated sections that may take a second or two to load. [weaver_iframe src=’https://wadnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=84ea4016ce124bd9a546c5cbc58f9e29′ height=600 percent=100]
Lake Lewis Isles Tour
Lake Lewis Isles, Badger Mt. Centennial Preserve and Skyline Trail Best Observation Points By Auto: 1. Along State Route, SR 240 near mile posts 24-26, and along SR 224 and Interstate, I-82, in Richland and Kennewick, WA. 2. Along I-182 near Road 68 in Pasco, WA. Lake Lewis Isles Trails Off-road trails ascend Badger Mountain, Red Mountain and Goose Hill, located south and west of Richland, Washington. These and two other neighboring hills were mere islands that poked out above Lake Lewis when floodwaters backed up to over 1,200 feet in elevation behind Wallula Gap (Figure 1). Badger Mountain Trails Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve is owned and operated by Benton County of Washington State. It was created as the result of a grassroots campaign led by the Friends of Badger Mountain to preserve the mountain as public open space. The preserve is now home to five trails, accessed via two different trailheads, one at Trailhead Park, and one off Dallas Road (Figure 2). Trailhead Park Location: N 46.238404°; W 119.306286°, parking lot of Trailhead Park located at 525 Queensgate Dr., Richland, Washington. To access this trailhead take Exit 3A (Queensgate Drive South) off Interstate I-182 south of Richland, Washington. Proceed 0.5 miles and turn left (east) onto Keene Road. Proceed 0.6 miles east to Shockley Road (near Bethel Church) and turn right. Follow Shockley Road to the end, where you turn left on Queensgate Drive, and go up the hill to the stop sign, where you turn right on to White Bluffs St. and then turn left into the parking lot. Trail Length / Difficulty: From this trailhead hikers have their choice of three trails – Canyon Trail (1.3 miles / Moderate), Sagebrush Trail (0.6 miles / Easy to Moderate), or Badger Flats Trail (0.4 miles / Easy). Dallas Road Trail Head Location: N 46.242209°; W 119.342810°. To access this trailhead, take Exit 3B (Queensgate Drive North) off Interstate I-182 south of Richland, Washington. Proceed 0.2 miles and turn left (south) on to Duportail Street. Proceed approximately 0.7 miles and turn right (west) on to Keene Road. Proceed another 0.6 miles and turn left on Kennedy Road. Stay on Kennedy Road for 0.6 miles and turn left (south) onto Dallas Road. Follow Dallas Road for 1.2 miles, going under the I-182 overpass and continuing to the top of hill, then turn left onto a gravel road that takes you to the trailhead. Trail Length / Difficulty: From here hikers have their choice of the Skyline Trail (2.9 miles / Moderate), or Southside Trail (2.5 miles / Easy). Skyline Trail offers spectacular views of the Lake Lewis Isles. Warning: Outside of Trailhead Park there is no shade or portable water. Skyline Trail Description (after http://hiketricities.com/badger-mountain-dallas-road/) The trail winds and climbs gradually through virgin sagebrush. As you reach the top of the sagebrush field, you’ll cross over a dirt road that provides vehicles access to the communication towers on top of Badger Mountain. Across the road, you’ll get spectacular views of Candy Mountain and Red Mountain to the west, two of the Lake Lewis Isles. You will also get great views of the lower Yakima Valley, Richland, West Richland and the Hanford Site (a.k.a. Hanford Nuclear Reservation). Following a few switchbacks, you’ll continue climbing up the ridge. You’ll pass a granitic marker where geologists believe temporary Lake Lewis reached its maximum elevation, submerging the Tri-Cities with over 800 feet of water (Figure 1). Here you have a great view of Rattlesnake Mountain, the Hanford Site, and the Hanford Reach National Monument. Continuing up the mountain, you’ll hike through desert grasses, with plentiful wildflowers in early spring. As you reach the spine of the ridge, you’ll again cross the dirt access road. At this point you have a view of the Horse Heaven Hills and Badger Canyon and as well as the lower Yakima Valley. The trail winds around the south or “back” side of Badger Mountain, passing a couple of communication towers, and then splits. Follow the left fork. The right fork will take you back down to Trailhead Park via the Sagebrush Trail. Follow the trail up to the tower and enjoy the view! On a clear day, you can see the Blue Mountains to the east along with the Tri-Cities, Columbia and Yakima Rivers, Hanford and Badger Canyon. On a clear day, you may get a glimpse of Mt. Adams, over 100 miles to the west. You can either retrace your steps or follow the dirt road back to where the upper trail crosses and then take the trail back down. Taken, in part, from On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods by Bruce Bjornstad1 and the hiketricities.com website. Bjornstad, B. N. 2006. On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A geological field guide to the Mid-Columbia Basin. Keokee Books, Sandpoint, Idaho.
George Last – President (Renewed) of Lake Lewis Chapter
George Last was recently elected president of the Lake Lewis Chapter. Many of you who have been in IAFI a long time will remember that George was the chapter president for 10 years. After a break of a few years he is again chapter president. We are pleased to have him as an IAFI Director again. Gary Kleinknecht is especially pleased to have George as chapter president as this will permit Gary to spend more time at the dig and conducting field trips. Gary will continue to be on our board as a Director and our vice president. George was one of the major people who developed the Lake Lewis chapter brochure and thus has detailed knowledge of the process. We will be asking George to provide guidance, as needed, to the other chapters on their brochure work. This should include the easiest way to get this work done as well as how are we going to get the maps done, which is a major hurdle we need to get over. We are confident with George’s guidance we can get this work done in the most efficient manner.
Ice Age Floods Facebook Page
You may want to ‘Like‘ the Ice Age Floods Institute Facebook page to stay abreast of all the News and Shares coming out from the Institute. We’re sharing news and articles well beyond the Floods, including geology, natural history, general articles about the area, videoed talks, events, and any number of articles of general interest. Floods of water, floods of lava, rockin’ rocks, 2-Minute Geology, paleontology, and the mystical birth of the universe all get their 15+ seconds of fame. We’ll keep our eyes open to find and share items of interest to you, and of course you can share with us too.