Ice Age Floods Institute

Combined Chapter Hike – Escure Ranch / Towell Falls
2026-03-14 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Escure Ranch, Washington, 99125
The Palouse Falls and Cheney-Spokane Chapters of the IAFI invite you to a hike at Escure Ranch on the BLM Rock Creek Recreation Site on Saturday, March 14. The hike will start at 10:00 a.m. It will be led by Don Chadbourne, geologist and board member of the Cheney-Spokane Chapter, and Lloyd Stoess, president of the Palouse Falls Chapter. You will meet the leaders at the trailhead.
Description of the Escure Ranch Hike
The hike will begin and end at the Escure Ranch parking area, of the Bureau of Land Management, Rock Creek Recreation site. The hike will follow an old ranch road to Towell Falls and return on the same route. The out and back hike will be about 6.5 miles. The trail is mostly double track over dirt and rock, with an elevation gain and loss of about 160 feet. The hike is a pleasant trek through a remote scabland canyon. Features will include rock benches and basins, flood bars, Mima mounds, mesas and waterfalls. This hike is included in the book, On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods – Northern Reaches, by Bjornstad & Kiver.
Directions to the trailhead will be provided to hikers after registration.
Click on the Register button to sign up for the hike. The hike will be limited to 30 hikers.
Items to bring with you: appropriate shoes, day pack, water, snacks, appropriate clothing for changes in the weather, sun protection, emergency items, camera and binoculars. Walking poles will be helpful.
The hike is free; however, donations for support of Chapter activities will be accepted.
For additional questions, contact Don at 509-891-5875, or Lloyd at 509-954-3927.

Map available for download: 11 x 17 LIDAR map of Escure Ranch Area showing our hiking route to Towell Falls (downloadable PDF)

Sandhill Crane Festival
2026-03-20 06:30 - 2026-03-22 21:00 | Othello, WA, WA, 99344, United States
At the Sandhill Crane Festival, March 20-22, 2026 in the beautiful Columbia Basin, Othello, WA, you’ll have the chance to explore the Ice Age Floods story through presentations and field trips, and see thousands of Sandhill Cranes, ducks, and geese as they gather against the stunning backdrop of the Saddle Mountains and sprawling cornfields. There is a fantastic lineup of geology and wildlife viewing opportunities, along with engaging talks, fun tours, hikes, and workshops for everyone to enjoy.

Registration is now open with a registration deadline of March 15 at noon (No refunds after this date).
All Events are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are filled in the order received.
Please note, Lectures, tours and hike participants must purchase a General Admission Ticket for $10.00.

Mega-Floods of the World - The Legacy of Dr. Bretz' Work
2026-03-20 17:00 - 18:00 | Ritzville Public Library, 302 West Main Street, Ritzville, Washington, 99169
Researchers have established, based on the pioneering work of Dr. J Harlen Bretz and JT Pardee, that over 140 Ancient Mega-Flood, including Noah’s Flood are discussed in oral traditions worldwide. Professional geologist Bill Burgel will briefly discuss how the research related to the Missoula Floods and Bonneville Flood has opened up the possibility of mega-floods being the most likely explanation for the formation of the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, The Bosphorus Straits, the English Channel, Chimu in Peru and the floodwaters on Mars. Mega-flood events are also being cited for the draining of Glacial Lake Agassiz, Glacial Lake Iroquois and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Mega Floods, Ice Ages, Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, and other things that could keep you awake at night but probably shouldn't
2026-03-21 10:00 - 11:00 | McFarland Middle School, 790 S. 10th Avenue, Othello, Washington, 99344, United States
This presentation will begin by defining what an Ice Age is and then looking at our dynamic planet and those major events that can lead to dramatic temperature changes. Also included will be a look at hazards here in the Pacific Northwest and why they occur.

Moses Coulee Field Trip
2026-03-22 08:15 - 16:00 | McFarland Middle School, 790 S. 10th Avenue, Othello, Washington, 99344, United States
This field trip will head north from Othello along the eastern edge of the Quincy Basin with stops on the Ephrata Fan and Soap Lake at the mouth of Grand Coulee. Moses Coulee parallels Grand Coulee to the west and has puzzled scientists to this day. Several plausible explanations to its origins have been proposed. This off-the-beat coulee is always a surprise to first time visitors.
On the way back to Othello, there will be stops at Potholes Coulee and Drumheller Channels which were two of the four outlets for the Missoula Floods exiting the Quincy Basin.
Go to www.othellosandhillcranefestival.com to sign up for this trip.

Geology of the Tri-Cities Field Trip
2026-03-28 09:00 - 16:00 | Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
The Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute is sponsoring an informal (carpool) field trip focus on the geology in and around Richland, Washington.
We will leave from the southwest portion of the Richland Community Center (500 Amon Park Dr., Richland, WA 99352) parking lot (nearest to Wake-Up Coffee House). Please try to arrive by 8:45 AM so that we can get organized into as few vehicles as possible and be ready to leave by 9:00 am. We will try to get back around 3:30 or 4:00 pm.
This field trip will examine the geologic materials, processes, and history of the Tri-City area, including exposures of the massive Columbia River basalts, ancestral Columbia River and Yakima River deposits (including the Ringold Formation), old sequences of Ice Age flood deposits (some greater than 780,000 years old), as well as young Ice Age flood deposits and loess exposed at the Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site. There will be 5 or 6 main stops, with some cross-country hiking (up to 1.3 miles) on unimproved game trails. Some areas are pretty steep, with uneven terrain and loose gravel, presenting slip, trip and fall hazards. Other physical hazards can also be present in places, including rusty nails, glass, sharp metal, wood, and masonry debris. There is also the potential for biological hazards such as ticks, yellowjackets, black widows, scorpions, rattlesnakes, and the ever-present cheat grass.
Please bring a lunch, snacks, water, etc. and be sure to dress appropriately for the weather conditions and for walking in uneven terrain. Wear sturdy shoes (no open toes, sandals, or flip-flops!), bring an extra layer of clothing, and be prepared for wind, rain, or sun. If it’s sunny and hot, you’ll need a hat and sunscreen. Oh, and be sure to bring a camera!
The field trip is free. However, carpooling and ride cost sharing are encouraged. You can also join and/or donate to IAFI through https://iafi.org/join-iafi/ or donate to the IAFI K-12 Education Grant Program through https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-iafi-k-12-education-grant-program.
Please contact George Last (gvlast@charter.net) if you would like to attend or if you have any questions.

Cheney-Spokane Chapter Hike – Palisades Park 2026
2026-04-04 13:00 - 15:00 | Palisades Park, 2-198 S Rimrock Dr, Spokane, WA, 99224, United States
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.

Lower Crab Creek Field Trip
2026-04-11 10:00 - 15:00 | CMSP&P Bridge, Beverly, WA, 46.83539588686751, -119.93816967222578, Beverly, WA, United States
Saturday April 11—Lower Crab Creek. We will meet on the east end of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific bridge in Beverly at 10:00am. Over the day, we will explore:
1) the tectonic origins of Crab Creek “Coulee” and the Saddle Mountains;
2) impacts of Ice Age flooding on the area;
3) formation of prominent rockfall and landslides from the Saddle Mountains; and
4) how geology, weather and climate, and human activity have shaped sand dunes and salt flats in the area.
The trip will conclude around 3pm giving participants plenty of time to get back to Ellensburg for Nick Zentner’s lecture.
More details will be forthcoming.
Field trip leader Karl Lillquist.

Bretz Was Right: A Pre‑Birthday Floods‑Fest
2026-08-29 10:00 - 14:00 | WA
Save the date!
Our chapter is planning a special late‑summer gathering on Saturday, August 29, in honor of J Harlen Bretz, whose birthday falls just a few days later (September 2). Bretz’s groundbreaking work on the Ice Age floods reshaped the scientific understanding of the Northwest—and we think that deserves a celebration.
We’re still shaping the details, but expect a relaxed, community‑friendly event that highlights Bretz’s legacy and the remarkable landscapes he helped the world understand. More information will be posted as plans develop.

He mapped the scablands bold and bright,
Said “Floods did this!” with all his might.
For thirty years they told him “No”…
’Til evidence began to flow.
So join us as we celebrate
The man who made the floods make sense —
A pre‑birthday bash for J Harlen Bretz,
Who proved the skeptics wrong (immense!).
