Sharing the Fascinating Ice Age Floods Story Since 1995
Join our Lower Grand Coulee Chapter Outings Coordinator, Gene Wing, and others on 11/18 at 10AM for a hike to the "Crystal Cave" just south of Soap Lake. We will meet in the parking area at the end of Road 23 NW at 10AM. Directions: Follow Hwy 17 North from the city of Soap Lake to Road 23 NW, turn left and continue to the parking area at the end of Road 23. Map coordinates: 47.424369, -119.505622
Join the Palouse Falls Chapter for a leisurely, free 2-3 mile hike to visit Sacajawea Bar on the Snake River! Start time: 10:00a Meeting Place: Snake River Junction Trailhead (see Google Maps for further location information). Fees: This is a state park, so a Discovery Pass or a day pass is required for parking. What to bring: Lunch, drinks, snacks, appropriate clothing and footwear, camera, etc. Optional add-on: Juniper Dunes For those who want to carpool from Washtucna, meet at Java Bloom. We will leave at 9:00 am.
Join Outing Coordinators Curt and Gene of the Lower Grand Coulee Chapter on March 9th for a leisurely, free 2-1/2-mile hike to visit Ice Age Floods Features in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge at Upper Goose Lake! Date: Saturday March 9, 2024 Start time: 10:00 am Meeting Place: The GPS coordinates to the parking area at Upper Goose Lake are: 46.941040, -119.272415. DRIVING DIRECTIONS Traveling from the north, west or northwest, the entrance to the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is off of Highway 262 East, at the far East end of the Potholes Reservoir Dam (GPS coordinates are: 46.981656, -119.254667). From the east or northeast, that same entrance to the wildlife refuge is also from Highway 262, but coming from the West on 262 W, which connects with Highway 17. From that entrance to the wildlife refuge, travel 2.1 miles to a fork in the road and keep right, from the fork travel another 0.7 miles to the turnoff to Upper Goose Lake Road. Turn right and then drive 0.9 miles to the parking area (GPS coordinates: 46.941040, -119.272415). Traveling from the South or southeast, go through Othello traveling north on N Broadway Ave. Go past all the potato processing plants and then turn left on McManamon Road. Drive 4.6 miles to turn off to Morgan Lake Road (GPS coordinates: 46.889449, -119.230164). Turn right onto Morgan Lake Road, and drive 4.5 miles to turn off for Upper Goose Lake Road. Turn left, and then drive 0.9 miles to the parking area (GPS coordinates: 46.941040, -119.272415). Fees: This Wildlife Refuge does not require a Pass or a day pass is required for parking. What to bring: Lunch, drinks, snacks, appropriate clothing and footwear, camera, etc.
The 3-mile hike will be led by IAFICS board member geologist Michael Hamilton. It will take place along Rimrock Drive, which has spectacular views of Spokane and the Spokane Valley. The Glacial Outburst Flood Story will include a lot of "arm-waving," pointing out flood features both along the trail and with views to the east. The geology discussion will include details of another kind of flood that hit the Spokane area 14 million years ago. The hike will then cut to the west along one of the park's trails to find mysterious Mima mounds, and then loop back to the parking area.
Due to inclement weather and illnesses some missed out on the hike on the 2nd, so this is your second chance! Those who wish to carpool from northerly points can meet in the parking lot of Java Bloom for a 9AM departure time. Hike starts at the Snake River Junction Trailhead at 10AM. This is a state park, so a Discovery Pass is required (or you can pay for a day pass at the park site - $10 cash or check at their dropbox). Bring your own water, snacks, and lunch. Please have a waiver form filled out for each participant. If you have any questions or want to give Lloyd a heads up that you're coming, he can be reached at (509) 954-3927
Come join us for a moderate 6-mile hike to explore the Ice Age floods features in the Escure Ranch area south of Sprague, WA. The round trip hike follows a gravel road along the Rock Creek drainage and climbs about 100 feet over a small divide and back down to Towell Falls. On the way there you will drive past sculpted Palouse 'islands' downstream of Rock Lake, and on the hike near Towell Falls is an Ice Age Floods gravel bar that has been incised by a stream to show its interior structure. The hike will be led by IAFICS board members, geologists Donald Chadbourne and Chris Sheeran. After confirming your registration we will send you the hike details and keep you up-to-date on any changes that happen before the hike.
Come join us for an easy hike just north of Spokane to explore Ice Age floods features, led by IAFICS board member geologist Michael Hamilton. This is one of the newest conservation areas in Spokane, and has well established trails. Waikiki Springs is an out-pouring of the Spokane Aquifer through the bottom of an ancient valley buried by sands and gravels of the great outburst floods of the last Ice Age. Hiking group size is limited to the first 20 people to sign up. After confirming your registration we will send you the hike details and keep you up-to-date on any changes that happen before the day of the hike. Resources: Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve
Save the date for a June Jamboree and membership meeting in Spokane! We will have a member appreciation barbecue and a variety of local hikes guided by geologists to view many Ice Age Floods related features in the area.
Presenters and Booths will share their knowledge and their appreciation of Ice Age Floods Geology, the Channeled Scablands, Shrub Steppe Ecosystems, Wildlife, Anthropology, Archeology, History, and Photography.
Where: Dry Falls Visitor Center – Sun Lakes Dry Falls State Park, 35661 HWY 17 North, Coulee City, WA
When: Saturday July 20th 10 AM – 3 PM on the campus of Dry Falls Visitor Center.
This event is open to the public, but only IAFI Cheney-Spokane members can vote during the member meeting. It will be held at the beautiful new Doris Morrison Learning Center at 1330 S. Henry Road. Exit the freeway south on Barker Road, turn left at the roundabout at Sprague Road, then right at the three-way junction on Henry Road. Member meeting: 2:00-3:00 PM Dr. Kiver's lecture will begin around 3 PM, after the member meeting. It is open to the public (see title and blurb below). Note: At present, we have three openings on our chapter board. Our board meets the third Tuesday of each month from 3-5 PM at the Wren-Pierson Building in Cheney. Interested? Members with expertise in accounting or K-12 education or medical experience or any other expertise that would aid our chapter's mission should send a very brief vita to Dr. Linda McCollum, President, IAFI Cheney-Spokane Chapter, lmccollum@ewu.edu Dr. Eugene Kiver Lecture: GLACIERS AND MISSOULA FLOODS IN NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON Immense quantities of Glacial Lake Missoula floodwater roared through not only the Rathdrum/Spokane floodway but also through the rugged mountain topography of the Northern Rockies in northeastern Washington. Here floods ripped across non-basaltic glaciated rocks and through the Little Spokane River drainage into the Channeled Scabland south of the present course of the Spokane River. This alternate route is often overlooked. The Pend Oreille River course north of Newport has been reversed and now flows north into Canada. Glacial suppression of the crust is the suspected culprit. Over a mile of ice buried the Pend Oreille River valley near Canada during the late Wisconsin ice advance allowing water to flow north and cut deep canyons along the river course.