Hike to Large Erratics in Gingko Petrified Forest State Park
In the approximate center of the state of Washington is the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park. And within the park is a trail, unnamed, which offers opportunities to view evidence of the terrific capabilities of the Ice Age Floods to transport huge boulders and leave huge deposits of rock material. The trail is off I-90 at exit 136 to the town of Vantage. After exiting the freeway travel north through Vantage for almost a quarter mile and turn right onto Recreation Dr. There is a sign to “Rocky Coulee Recreation Area.” It’s the old Highway 10 leading down to Lake Wanapum. This 0.3 mile section of road from the turn is bisecting the western margin of an eddy flood bar. The bar is about 0.75 mi in length and 0.25 mi in width. It extends down to the recreation area. At the end of this 0.3 mile section of road is the trailhead on your left. Parking is available here. A Discover Pass is required. The road continues another quarter mile to the Rocky Coulee Recreation Area at which restroom facilities are available. You could also park there. The trail starts along a slope above the Rocky Coulee. The bedrock here is all dark colored basalt. But deposited intermittently on the ground are light colored granitic rocks. Because they are not from this bedrock and are of a different composition than the basalt they are termed erratic. Where did they come from and how did they get here? That is the story of this hike. The last outburst floods from Glacial Lake Missoula are thought to have happened about 15,000 years ago. Huge chunks of ice, icebergs, broke away and carried whatever rocky material they had impounded during years of emplacement. The icebergs likely came from the Cordilleran Icesheet as it failed. This material was often granitic boulders and cobbles. Erratics here might have come from Rocky Mountain “Belt” bedrock or from glacial ice transporting Columbia-Okanogan valley bedrock and alluvium. When the flood waters made their way to this location, some 200 miles from their origin near Pend Oreille, they encountered some constrictions in the terrain which slowed their progress. The most significant constriction affecting this area was Wallula Gap, 70 miles south. It was less than 2 miles in width. That sounds like a wide gap but it was enough to prevent free flowing of these huge floods. Another, but less significant one, was Sentinel Gap, 10 miles to the south. Upon the waters slowing, eddies formed and the icebergs got caught up in those. The temporarily impounded water backed up onto these slopes. This resultant body of water has been named Glacial Lake Lewis. Inevitably some of the bergs became grounded on the slopes in the area. The highest erratic here is at 1,263 ft. The maximum water depth was about 800 ft. That’s about 700 ft above the existing water surface of Lake Wanapum reservoir. In the adjacent Schnebly Coulee erratics go up 3.5 miles. It’s estimated Lake Lewis existed and then drained within a few days, probably no more than a week. Upon the water finally receding through the gaps, with much less energy than upon arriving, the icebergs were left behind. Over time the bergs melted leaving behind their loads. These slopes are littered with hundreds of erratics. As you walk you can spot them along the trail. Most of them are small to moderate in size: less than 3ft². About a quarter of a mile into the hike the road starts taking a 90° right turn. As you round that turn you can see that Rocky Coulee below you takes a sharp turn to the south before again traversing to the east. It is quite possible the slope on which we are standing, a landslide, blocked the coulee and constricted that tributary’s water flow. As the water rose high enough to overcome the barrier it found a newer path to the south of its original course. We’ll see more evidence of the landslide up the trail. In another quarter mile, about half way to our destination there is a group of erratics on the right of the trail. There is more than one within a 3 foot radius so that makes it a cluster. But with fewer than 10 rocks in a 30 foot transect and the ground surface not greater than 3 feet higher than the surrounding terrain this is defined as a Low Density Erratic Cluster. This is a definition derived by a Central Washington University Masters student, Ryan Karlson in 2006. It incorporates a definition given by Bruce Bjornstad. At this same location you can look to the north and see a head scarp from a translational landslide. This whole hike is on a landslide. Looking to the east you can see hummocky terrain. So, there are 3 signs of landslide on this hike: head scarp, hummocky terrain, and the irregular tributary channel seen earlier. The soil here is very thin and nutrient poor: lithosol. It forms from weathered basalt, windblown loess, and volcanic ash. (You can still find ash from the 1980 Mt St. Helens eruption). It mainly supports a few species of sagebrush and bunchgrass along with seasonal wild flowers. Among the fauna found here are deer mice and ground squirrels. There are abundant Elk droppings you will see when leaving the trail to reach the destination erratic. I have seen a video of an Elk herd I would estimate was well over a hundred, perhaps two or three hundred running across nearby terrain. It was incredible! Traveling up the trail another quarter of a mile you can see the destination erratic off to the left on the trail. It will take about a quarter of a mile walk off the trail to get to it. This erratic is the single largest one in the park area at 85 ft². It’s 10 feet long and 8.5 feet high. It lies in a High Density Erratic Cluster, so
Unearthing the Secrets of Spokane Valley: A Recap of the IAFI June Jamboree
This year’s IAFI June Jamboree delved into the fascinating geological history of Spokane Valley, contrasting it with the iconic Grand Coulee and Dry Falls, explored during last year’s Jubilee. Challenging the Landscape: Unlike the open spaces of Dry Falls, Spokane Valley presented a unique challenge – showcasing evidence of Ice Age Floods within an urban environment. Our chapter tackled this brilliantly, organizing hikes and car caravans departing from convenient public parks and commercial areas. Evening Explorations: The program’s highlights included captivating lectures. Professor Emeritus Dean Kiefer shed light on J Harlen Bretz’s Spokane associates, while renowned naturalist Jack Nesbit brought the story of the first Columbian Mammoth discovered near Latah Creek in the 1800s to life. Celebrating Success: The Jamboree culminated in a relaxed gathering at Mirabeau Meadows. Registrants, leaders, and participants exchanged insights and experiences, with a resounding appreciation for the chapter’s efforts. Comparisons were drawn, highlighting how our Spokane Valley exploration continued the excellence of the Puget Lobe’s outing at Dry Falls last year. A Delicious Finale: The grand finale was a catered Longhorn Barbecue overflowing with delicious food. Everyone left satisfied, with many even taking home doggie bags to savor the flavors afterward. Check out more images from the event in this Google Photo Album. Meet the Masterminds: Linda & Mike McCollum: This dynamic professor emerita and a research geologist duo co-led tours and car caravans, sharing their latest research on the Spokane area’s Ice Age Floods, and shaping the Jamboree’s theme. Michael Hamilton: A gifted geologist, Michael led hikes and the bus trip, encouraging questions and offering honest answers. Don Chadbourne & Chris Sheeran: Don, the chapter treasurer, managed logistics with expertise, while Chris, our media and registration guru, ensured a smooth experience. Melanie Bell Gibbs: A past president and national board member, Melanie oversaw participant check-in and badge distribution. Dick Jensen: Dick handled bus transportation and provided crucial support throughout the Jamboree. Jim Fox: The chapter vice president secured speakers and offered his assistance wherever needed. We also owe a great deal to the participant volunteers who proved invaluable in assisting us in all our efforts. Through the combined efforts of many the IAFI June Jamboree was a resounding success, fostering exploration, education, and a deeper appreciation for the Spokane Valley’s unique geological heritage. Being present with so much information and conversation among such extensive expertise was to witness the scientific process in action. Meeting people from other chapters was particularly nice, putting faces with names we know. We all learned a lot.
There are 4 Pieces in Our “Big One” Puzzle
The ground beneath our feet could be more complex than we thought! The Cascadia subduction zone, a giant underwater fault line stretching from California to Vancouver Island, has the potential to unleash massive earthquakes along the Pacific Northwest. New research reveals this megafault isn’t one smooth piece, but rather several sections that could rupture independently. This means a future earthquake might impact different areas in very different ways. “For places like Seattle and Tacoma,” says study co-author Harold Tobin, a UW geophysicist, “it could be the difference between a scary jolt and a total disaster.” Unlike some subduction zones with frequent smaller quakes, Cascadia stays quiet, making it tough to study. But scientists recently gathered new seismic data along a 560-mile stretch of the fault. This data shows the incoming ocean floor isn’t just diving under our continent, it’s also subdivided into four main zones. One zone, stretching from southern Washington to Vancouver Island, is particularly interesting. Here, the plates meet at a shallow angle, creating a large area of contact. Bigger area of contact means bigger potential earthquake, according to the study’s lead author, Suzanne Carbotte. The last major Cascadia quake hit in 1700, a monster estimated at magnitude 8.7 to 9.2. We don’t know if that quake ruptured the entire fault or just one section. This new understanding of the fault’s structure will help scientists predict future hazards, including ground shaking in places like Seattle and Vancouver, as well as tsunami risks along the coast. The bottom line? This segmentation means scientists can make better predictions about how strong shaking might be in different areas during a future earthquake. Read more in this Live Science article. Or you might want to watch this PBS YouTube video about ‘The Big One’.
Explore Historical Ice Age Floods Field Research with Google Maps and Google Earth
Explore Historical Field Research with Google Maps Did J harlan Bretz (and Others) Do Field Work near You? Ice Age Floods Institute is now a repository for interactive Google Maps that show the travels and field locations/notes of J Harlan Bretz and other field researchers that led to, and continue to refine, Bretz’s of theories of massive floods having created the unique Ice Age Floods landscapes of the Pacific NW. These detailed Google MyMaps (geospatial database files), created by Glenn Cruickshank, are valuable contributions to the Ice Age Floods story in the PacNW. They enable users to locate individual field sites and associated field notes, and to intimately delve into the research, observations and speculations of adherents and detractors of the Ice Age Floods. These interactive maps can be used to zoom in and explore hundreds of Bretz’s and others field locations and notes throughout the area. Links below to a number of other similar maps can help you open a dizzying realm of opportunities to more deeply explore the elements and thoughts behind the discoveries and historic research into the Ice Age Floods. Use your scroll wheel to zoom the map, click a marker for detailed information about a field site. These maps are part of a Google Earth project created by Glenn Cruickshank, supported by Nick Zentner and by the Ice Age Floods Institute through the efforts of webmasters Lloyd DeKay and Chris Sheeran. Glenn Cruickshank has approved the hosting of his MyMaps and Google Earth KML/KMZ files on the IAFI.org website. Glenn is a member of the “IAF Historical Locations on Google Earth” Working Group. The Google Earth KML/KMZ data files and copies of Bretz’s field notes can also be downloaded free of charge and without restriction at NickZentner.com. More Maps Even More Maps J Harlan Bretz – His Personal Memories Glenn Cruickshank recently met with Dean Kiefer. who shared a copy of J Harlan Bretz’s 4-volume memoirs in scanned .pdf format. Glenn converted them to text that also made them searchable. They are a very interesting read, though a bit stream-of-Bretz-consciousness in some sections. Still historically interesting, and a good add to our repository. Click the links below and enjoy! J Harlan Bretz Memories – Part 1 – 1972J Harlan Bretz Memories – Part 2J Harlan Bretz Memories – Part 3J Harlan Bretz Memories – Part 4 – 1975 create a personal tour Map in google earth How to load the Google Earth Geospatial Database Files into Google Earth You can create your own personal Google Earth map to view and use to explore selected field sites from the KMZ files for various researchers. First, download the KMZ files (listed on the right) into your local computer. Or download files from Nick Zentner’s website where they are named “GOOGLE EARTH Bretz Field Sites (yyyy)”. There will be one (or two) field notes for each corresponding KMZ, named FIELD NOTES or FIELD BOOK. Glenn suggests also downloading the field notes as .PDF’s for easier reading. The most complete directions for downloading KML/KMZ files are on the Google Help website Older version of Google Earth on Android:1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Earth app2. Tap Menu Projects3. At the top, tap Open …4. Tap the file you want to add.5. To return to the map and open the file, tap Back New version of Google Earth for Chrome:On chrome go to https://www.google.com/earth/1. Click Launch Earth in Chrome2. Click the Menu button on the left side navigation bar3. Click Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the settings and where it says Enable KML File Import turn it on then click save4. Click New Google Earth Pro on the desktop:1. Launch the Google Earth Pro application2. Select File Open3. GE will place each file in the “Temporary Places” area on the left hand side of the frame. Makesure to move them ABOVE the Temporary Folder into the My Places folder (click and drag) before you exit GE, or else you will have to reload them every time.4. Repeat the process for each Bretz KML file you want to load. Click Here to download a printable PDF of these instructions download KMZ files
National Park Service Volunteer Gigs
National Volunteer Week is an annual celebration established in the U.S. in 1974. The National Park Service marked the occasion by recognizing those who already choose to spend their time volunteering in parks and urging others to consider doing so. Join Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) to support the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect our national parks. You can volunteer for a day or year-round; on your own or with friends and family; close to home or at a dream destination. Volunteer opportunities are available nationwide including in U.S. Territories. What Can Volunteers Do? The possibilities are as diverse as the national parks themselves. Here are some example volunteer activities: Lead or support education and public-facing programs Maintain or rebuild trails or historic buildings Conduct research or monitor wildlife to preserve our natural resources Help families make memories happen as a campground host Teach others about the park and swear in new Junior Rangers in the visitor center Support libraries, archives, and museums in parks to preserve our cultural resources Produce art while staying in a park as an Artist-In-Residence Educate train travelers on the natural and cultural heritage of a region through the Trails & Rails program You can check out some of the National Park Service’s volunteering opportunities here. Alternatively, if the prospect of making the country a greener and cleaner place sounds like an intriguing full-time gig for you, learn how you can apply to be one of the inaugural members of the newly formed American Climate Corps.
Scabland – The Movie, A Google Earth Odyssey
“Scabland” – the Movie, A Google Earth Odyssey “Scabland” is a media complement to CWU Professor Nick Zentner’s 2023-2024 A-Z YouTube geology series that re-treads the ice age floods and the work of Professor J Harlen Bretz and others. In this short animation, viewers virtually fly to a selection of locations visited by geologist Dr J Harlen Bretz, with quotes from his original field notes, geolocated in Google Earth and animated with Google Earth Studio. To see more of these locations, visit https://www.geology.cwu.edu/facstaff/nick/gBRETZ/ This video was done as an experiment/prototype by the authors, Glenn Cruickshank and Eric Larson, to showcase Google Earth, virtual special effects techniques, some of the spectacular landforms caused by the floods, the impacts of ice and water during the Last Glacial Maximum and the field locations of J Harlen Bretz. Eric Larson in Billings MT runs Shashin Studio, a VFX video production company (contact@shashin.studio). Google Earth Glenn is a retired photojournalist and consultant in Liberty Lake WA. Credits: Glenn Cruickshank Eric Larson Two Steps From Hell Made with Google Earth and Google Earth Studio. Thanks to The Families of J Harlen Bretz and Thomas Large, Nick Zentner, Glenn Cruickshank, Bruce Bjornstad, The Ice Age Floods Institute, and many others.
Dan Foster and the Ice Age Floods story
In my “Tales from the Trail” I usually highlight a place important to our story. This time, I would like to highlight someone important to our story. On December 31st of 2023, Dan Foster, long-time Superintendent of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, and Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail retired after over four decades of public service. While he worked on many efforts over the years with multiple state and federal natural resources programs, Dan’s time supporting Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail is something we should all be grateful for. Since 1992, Dan has worked for the National Park Service in various resource management positions, including Superintendent at Niobrara National Scenic River. In 2013, he became the Superintendent of both Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. In 2014, Dan’s leadership led to the development of the Trail’s Foundation Statement, which is still instrumental today in directing the focus and daily activities of the Trail. It solidified the notion of this public-private partnership we all call Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail today. Working in collaboration with partners across four states, Dan also led the development of the 2016 Long Range Interpretive Plan and, the following year, the Trail’s first Junior Ranger book. Dan was instrumental in influencing the City of Tualatin to develop an Ice Age Floods theme for many city attractions, including city parks, hiking trails, the library, and local businesses. Dan’s commitment to securing additional resources for the Trail led directly to the National Park Service creating the Program Manager position which I am grateful to occupy today. For over a decade of his career, Dan led the Nation’s only National Geologic Trail. It’s not easy being the first, and Dan’s years of experience and leadership have given our Nation Trail a solid foundation to build upon. Dan still lives in Grand Coulee, Washington, right on the Trail in the middle of Grand Coulee, and you just might see him paddling away out there on Banks Lake. Dan, we are truly grateful for everything you have done for the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail! Article by Justin Radford, Program Manager – Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, Acting Park Manager – Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
Moses Coulee: Unveiling the Mystery of a Colossal Ice Age Scar
Moses Coulee, a Washington state wonder, has puzzled geologists for over a century. This massive canyon, carved into solid basalt, stands as a testament to some powerful force. The culprit? The Ice Age Floods, a series of catastrophic deluges that reshaped the landscape. If you’ve ever visited, or even just passed through Moses Coulee, you may not have been aware that this awe-inspiring coulee has been an Ice Age Floods conundrum since the time geologist J Harlen Bretz first noted it in 1922. The problem? Moses Coulee doesn’t quite fit the picture. As Bretz described it, “The head of Moses Coulee is just north of Grimes Lake. It is an abrupt termination, walled by 100 foot cliffs, identical with the features of channeled scabland which are called abandoned cataracts.” The head of the coulee ends abruptly, lacking any clear connection to the known flood paths. Theorists proposed a missing link, a path obliterated by the Okanagan Ice Lobe, but no evidence of such a grand passage has ever been found. The mystery has persisted and become more enigmatic as Ice Age Floods research has flourished over the years: what colossal force carved this immense coulee? A new study by Gombiner and Lesemann (Geology, 2024) offers a radical new hypothesis. They propose a surprising source for flood waters: meltwater trapped beneath the massive Okanagan Ice Lobe glacier. Imagine the giant Okanagan ice sheet pressing down on the Waterville Plateau. Meltwater pooled in valleys beneath the ice, trapped and pressurized. This water, according to the theory, found a surprising escape route. Flowing through a network of hidden channels, it carved its way across intervening ridges and valleys, eventually funneling into Moses Coulee. This “tunnel channel network,” as the researchers describe it, explains the unusual path of the water. The channels themselves, carved in basalt, climb slopes and defy normal drainage patterns. These features, along with glacial landforms like eskers, suggest a watery escape route beneath the ice sheet. The study doesn’t rule out the role of traditional Ice Age Floods. Water from massive glacial lakes might have also contributed to Moses Coulee’s formation by flowing along the eastern edge of the glacier. This new hypothesis could be a game-changer. It suggests a hidden world of pressurized meltwater sculpting the landscape beneath the ice. While the debate continues, one thing is certain: Moses Coulee remains a captivating enigma, a place where the power of water and ice continues to unfold its secrets.
First Grader Fascinated By Floods Story
Max Vuletich, a first grader at Jefferson Elementary in Spokane, Washington, exhibited at a STEM Event in March 2024. He prepared a display and shared the Floods story to the many attendees that stopped by his table. He became interested in the Great Missoula Floods when he saw a Public Television video in Kindergarten. He went to a Library and began reading about The Floods and googling topics. His mother, Mariah, reported that he loves the Floods story and continues to be passionate about learning all he can. Perhaps he is destined to be a geologist!
Visit Wenatchee, Washington – Explore Ice Age Flood Features
Wenatchee, Washington is often called the “Apple Capital of the World” or the “Buckle of the Power Belt of the Pacific Northwest”. Today the Wenatchee vicinity is known for the fruit industry, wineries, power generation, tourism and outdoor recreation. When you visit and look around the Wenatchee Valley, even today, much of the landscape was formed by Ice Age Flooding. Visit the Wenatchee Valley area to explore some of the interesting Ice Age Flood features found there. Toward the end of the Pleistocene Ice Ages (17,000-12,000 years ago) much of the landscape in the Wenatchee area was changed substantially by catastrophic ice-age flooding. These flood(s), almost 1,000 feet deep, initiated out of glacial Lake Missoula in Montana, and some of the largest came through the Wenatchee area along the Columbia River drainage. Prior to the Okanogan Ice Lobe blocking the Columbia River valley north of Wenatchee, the early Missoula flood(s) could follow the present day path of the Columbia River around the “Big Bend” area of north-central Washington into the Wenatchee area and further south. Take a drive north of Wenatchee on highways US 97 or US 97A to see evidence of this flooding. As the Okanogan Ice Lobe advanced south it eventually blocked the Columbia River drainage north of Wenatchee. The water backed up by that Okanogan Lobe ice dam formed glacial Lake Columbia and forced subsequent ice-age floods to be funneled southward along the east edge of the ice lobe into Moses and Grand Coulees, and farther east through the Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington. When the Okanagan ice eventually retreated, one last flood from glacial Lake Columbia again followed the Columbia drainage through Wenatchee. Massive boulders (some 40 feet in diameter) and erratics (rocks foreign to the area) were transported at the base of the flood waters and embedded in huge icebergs floating on the floodwaters. They were deposited along the hillsides throughout the Wenatchee area as the floods waned and the icebergs became stuck and melted. Those erratics prompted our Ice Age Floods Institute chapter name “The Wenatchee Valley Erratics”. The two main erratic rock types in this area, granite and gneiss, are much different from the Eocene Chumstick Sandstone bedrock. The gneiss erratics transported a relatively short distance from outcrops just north of Wenatchee are often 10 feet in diameter. The nearest granite outcrops occur some 15 miles upstream in the Entiat area, so the granite erratics tend to be smaller, less than 3 feet in diameter. Some of the best locations to see these erratics are just south of the Old Wenatchee Bridge (first bridge over the Columbia River finished in 1908) along the Apple Capital Loop Trail near Patriot Plumbing & Heating, the Department of Social & Health Services and near the old train at Mission Street Park in south Wenatchee. An enormous crescent-pendant Pangborn Bar topped with huge current ripples was deposited in east Wenatchee where the Columbia River drainage takes a right (easterly) turn. The bar elevation is 500 feet above the Columbia River today. On the surface of Pangborn Bar are giant current ripples with crests up to twenty feet tall and ripples spaced some 300 feet apart. Travel up Grant Road, 4th Street in East Wenatchee and then out onto Batterman Road northwest of Rock Island to travel across the entire Pangborn Bar from west to east. The giant current ripples are best observed on 2nd or 4th Streets, where these roads go up and over the current ripples east of Nile Avenue in East Wenatchee, Washington. Just about a mile northeast of Pangborn Memorial Airport is a very significant archaeological site, the East Wenatchee Clovis Site (Richey Clovis Cache), discovered in 1987 and excavated until the site was closed and covered in 2004. This site lies on top of one of these current ripples. Pristine Clovis spear points as well as other archaeological specimens (about 11,000 years old) were discovered and some are now on display at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center in Wenatchee. Article from Brent Cunderla, April 2024