Field Trip

Margins of the Eastern Cascades:  Western Kittitas Basin—Lower Teanaway—Lower Swauk Loop Topics will include volcanism, tectonics, alpine glaciation, landslides, and stream channel changes in the area between Ellensburg, Cle Elum, and Lauderdale Junction.  Here’s the schedule and the topics to be covered:  9:30     Meet at CWU Parking Lot O-5 9:45     Depart 10:00  Stop 1—WA Highway 10 Along Yakima River—Climate transitions; Yakima River Watershed; Ellensburg Formation origin & age; 10:45  Depart 11:00  Stop 2—Hayward Hill Road—Thorp Gravels origins & age; Alpine glaciation; Outwash terraces 11:45  Depart 12:00  Stop 3—Teanaway River Floodplain—Columbia River Basalts; Teanaway River floodplain, discharge & flooding; Lookout Mountain landslide 12:45  Depart to find restrooms in Cle Elum 1:30     Stop 4—Swauk Prairie—Teanaway Formation flow origin & age; Glaciers & climate; Glacier impacts on Teanaway & Swauk paths 2:15     Depart 2:30     Stop 5—Horse Canyon Overlook—Horse Canyon enigma; Wrap-up 3:15     Depart 3:30     Arrive in Ellensburg  Logistics: This trip is free and open to the public. Plan on carpooling.  We have, at most, about 30 parking spots at Stop 1. There will be very little hiking associated with this field trip.  On all stops, we will be within a couple of hundred feet of our automobiles. There are no restroom or picnic facilities along our field trip route.  Therefore, we will break briefly so you can make a very quick trip to Cle Elum between Stop 3 and Stop 4.  Plan on eating lunch/snacks on the road or at the stops.  There won’t be a formal lunch stop given the lack of facilities and time. Dogs and kids are fine to bring as long as they are well-behaved. Dress for the weather.  Early April here can vary from sunny and warm to windy & chilly, all in a day!  A windbreaker is a really good idea. I will post a pdf of the field guide by 19 March on my CWU website at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/geography/_documents/karl-lillquist.php.  Scroll down the page to “Field Guides”.  You will find it under “Margins of the Eastern Cascades”.  Feel free to download and bring it on the field trip in digital format or print it out. The Ellensburg Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will also provide ~40 hard copies of the field guide for the trip.  There is no cost for the field guides.  However, if you are not a member of the Ellensburg Chapter, please consider making a donation to the chapter to help cover the costs of the field guides (each cost ~$12). I hope you can join us on Saturday April 5th. Karl Lillquist

2025 Ellensburg Ice Age Flood Institute Field Trip - "Northeastern Waterville Plateau". Topics will center around the Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet and Ice Age floods in a now farmed and ranched landscape in a part of Central Washington few of us visit.  Trip will begin at Crown Point Vista north of Grand Coulee. Detailed schedule and the topics to be covered: 10:00  Stop 1—Crown Point Vista—Topics: Bedrock geology; Weather & climate; Biomes; Cordilleran Ice Sheet; Ice Age floods. 10:45  Depart 11:15  Stop 2—Northeast of Leahy Junction—Topics:  Advancing ice landforms (e.g., drumlins and flutes); Soil mounds & patterned ground. 12:00  Depart 12:30  Stop 3—Trefry Canyon headwaters—Topics: Glacial meltwater features (e.g., tunnel valleys and eskers); Farming & ranching patterns. 1:15  Depart 1:30     Stop 4—East of Osborne Corner—Topics: Stagnant ice landforms (e.g., recessional moraines and haystack rocks). 2:15     Depart 2:45     Stop 5—Strahl Canyon—Topics: Glacial meltwater; Glacial Lake Columbia sediments & terraces; Landslides. 3:30     Depart 3:45     Stop 6—Columbia River Overlook—Topics: Changing paths of the Columbia River; Crossing the Columbia River; River transport & rapids. 4:30     Depart for home Logistics: This trip is free and open to the public.  You will need a Discover Pass for Stop 1.  After Stop 1, we will drive on a mix of paved and good quality gravel roads.  A standard sedan should do fine on the gravel roads.  Carpool if you will make the loop back to Crown Point; otherwise, there should be lots of parking available at each of the stops.  We will take short hikes at Stops 2, 3 and 4.  By short, I mean 0.5 mi or less at each stop. The hiking terrain is fairly gentle but we will be traipsing through sagebrush and bunch grass.  There are no restroom or picnic facilities along our field trip route.  Therefore, you will need to use the great outdoors if you need to go.  Plan on eating lunch/snacks on the road or at the stops.  There won’t be a formal lunch stop  Dogs and kids are fine to bring as long as they are well-behaved.  Dress for the weather.  June weather here can be sunny and hot to windy & cool.  I will post a pdf of the field guide by 9 June on my CWU website at https://www.cwu.edu/academics/geography/_documents/karl-lillquist.php.  Scroll down the page to “Field Guides”.  You will find it under “Margins of the Eastern Cascades”.  Feel free to download and bring it on the field trip in digital format or print it out.  The Ellensburg Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will also provide ~40 hard copies of the field guide for the trip.  There is no cost for the field guides.  However, if you are not a member of the Ellensburg Chapter, please consider making a donation to the chapter to help cover the costs of the field guides (each cost ~$12/each). Questions? Email me at lillquis@cwu.edu or leave a phone message at 509 963-1184.  Emails are best as I only check that phone a couple of times each week. I hope you can join us on Saturday June 14th. Karl Lillquist