Sheila Alfsen - Mt. St. Helens May 18,1980 Eruption - Lwr. Columbia Chapter
2025-05-15 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
The 1980 Eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington was the worst volcanic disaster in recorded US history. Geologist Sheila Alfsen, will bring the event back to life; detailing its onset and eruption sequence. She will illustrate its volcanic hazards with examples from other volcanoes and comparing their relative sizes. Sheila will discuss the advances in volcanology made as result of the eruption, and how they are used around the world to gain prediction and offer disaster mitigation.
Thursday, May 15, 2025, In Person 7:00 PM (PDT) at Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR 97062
ALSO Live ZOOM from THC, Click for Zoom meeting, Meeting ID: 869 4651 3479 Passcode: [REDACTED]
Sheila Alfsen
Sheila Alfsen’s Background:
*Current Instructor of Geology: Portland State University, Chemeketa Community College, Linn Benton Community College
*Researcher
*FEMA Earthquake Publication Reviewer
*Paleontology- University of Oregon, Volcanology, Oceanography
*Master of Arts in Teaching, Western Oregon University
*Bachelors of Arts from Western Oregon University, Geology and Spanish
*Oregon resident since 1970 – extensively traveled in US, particularly the Western states, Alaska, Arctic region, Iceland, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico
* Thirty-five years in Education: Experience in interpretation for National Park Service

Cheney-Spokane Chapter Hike – Palisades Park
2025-05-17 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.

Northeastern Waterville Plateau Field Trip
2025-06-14 08:00 - 17:00 | Leahy Junction, Coulee City, WA, United States
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

Interesting Features and Recent Discoveries of the Middle and Lower Cheney-Palouse Tract
2025-06-28 13:00 - 14:30 | The Gathering Place, LaCrosse, WA, 99143, United States
Lloyd Stoess
“An Overview of the Middle and Lower Cheney-Palouse Tract of the Channel Scablands – Interesting Features and Recent Discoveries”.
This lecture will include a speculative look at when and how many floods came through present day Lacrosse.
Saturday June 28 at 1:00 pm at The Gathering Place in downtown Lacrosse, WA as is part of the Lacrosse Farmers Festival.
Presented by Lloyd Stoess, Palouse Falls Chapter President.

Ice Age FloodFest 2025
2025-07-26 09:00 - 15:00 | Dry Falls Visitor Center, 35661 HWY 17 North, Coulee City, WA, United States
Get ready for the Ice Age Floodfest 2025, an unparalleled celebration of the cataclysmic events that carved out the Pacific Northwest’s iconic channeled scablands! Dive deep into the geological story that spans millennia and reshaped the very landscape beneath our feet. From towering coulees to vast dry falls, the evidence of these ancient, colossal floods is everywhere, and this year’s Floodfest promises to raise your awareness and understanding of their incredible power and lasting impact.
Join us in the Lower Grand Coulee for a day of expert-led talks, fascinating field trips, and engaging exhibits that will transport you back to a time when mile-high ice dams burst, unleashing torrents of water that dwarfed any flood in human history. Whether you’re a seasoned geologist or simply curious about the natural wonders around you, the Ice Age Floodfest 2025 is an event you won’t want to miss! Presenters will share their knowledge and their appreciation of Ice Age Floods Geology, the Channeled Scablands, Shrub Steppe Ecosystems, Anthropology, Archeology, and History.
Field Trip Hike: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Where: Lake Lenore Caves Heritage Area
Bruce Bjornstad, a Research Scientist based in Richland, Washington and author of the popular ‘On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods’ guidebooks, will lead an educational hike from the Lake Lenore Caves trailhead. The park is situated above Lake Lenore, and it offers stunning views of the valley. The caves themselves are shallow basalt formations created during the Great Missoula floods.
Outdoor Booths: 10 AM – 3 PM on the campus of Dry Falls Visitor Center. Featuring Federal, State, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Nonprofits, Historians, Authors, & Volunteers
Where: Dry Falls Visitor Center – Sun Lakes Dry Falls State Park 35661 HWY 17 North, Coulee City, WA 99115

Ice Age Floods Institute – Lower Grand Coulee Chapter and other Ice Age Flood Institute chapters from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington.
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will have historic photographs telling the story and the history of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. They will also share the legends of the beautiful landscape of the Dry Falls area and surrounding landscape.
Dr. Karen Capuder – Anthropologist and Senior Archaeologist Colville Tribes, will share some of the cultural and political history of the Colville Tribes, from time immemorial to the present day.
Grant County Historians/authors: Dan Bolyard & John M. Kemble – Dan Bolyard has been a lifelong Grant County Big Bend area resident and railroad historian. John M. Kemble is a local historian and explorer highlighting Dry Falls, Sun Lakes, Steamboat Rock, The Grand Coulee, and Banks Lake.
North Central Regional Library –April Harward, learn about the NCW Summer Library programs – captivating storytelling to engaging workshops and fun activities, everyone can unleash their unique voice and explore their passions.
National Park Service – Justin Radford, Program Manager for the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail with a Mobile Interpretive Center showcasing the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, and The Grand Coulee a National Natural Landmark.
Foster Creek & Columbia Basin Conservation Districts – programs on Shrub Steppe ecology, water resources, wildlife, and native vegetation.
Washington Department of Wildlife – wildlife found in Eastern Washington as well as the enhancement and preservation work that is done in the Columbia Basin.
Archeologist – Mark Amara, Kim Lancaster, and Kellie Green; representing the Cascadia Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Their booth will highlight the importance of historical artifacts, tools of the trade, and hands-on activity too.
Bureau of Reclamation – will have an overview of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, and the Grand Coulee Dam.

Presentations: 10 am – 3 pm
Where: inside/upstairs in the Dry Falls Visitor Center

NPS Ranger Justin Radford
Ranger David McWalter
10 am – 11 am: Justin Radford, Program Manager, NPS, Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, will present an overview of this unique geologic trail starting in Montana, through Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Interpretive Specialist, David McWalter, will present an overview of Washington’s Ice Age Floods, introduce the rugged terrain of eastern Washington that was shaped by floods of unimaginable power during the last ice age, and share how the scientific views of the landscape have changed over the last century.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: WA DNR, Geologist Joel Gombiner will present an update on recent studies of Washington’s Ice Age Floods and introduce a new lidar-based visualization of Dry Falls.
1 pm – 2 pm: WA State Parks, Interpretive Specialist 1, Sarah Overby will present “Brushstrokes: The Colorful Story of Lichen“. From rocks, trees, soil, and pretty much anything that will sit still long enough, lichen will spring up in robust colonies. Crusty, leafy, or even… fuzzy? They paint beautiful bright oranges and greens across the dark basalt rock and the branches of the sagebrush, but what are they doing there? This 45-minute presentation aims to dive deeper into the complexities of lichen and discuss its impact on ecosystems as well as its impact on us.
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Viewing of Bruce Bjornstad’s – “Ice Age Floodscapes”

Bretz’ Great Cataract Group
Primordial Potholes Coulee
Grand Coulee – NW Exposures
Dry Falls
Deep Lake Potholes

Dry Falls Visitor Center – weather station – up-to-date weather conditions at Dry Falls provided by the National Park Service. Watch a timelapse of the past 24 hours by clicking on the small photo, enlarge, press play, and enjoy!

Rescheduled Cheney-Spokane Chapter Hike – Waikiki Springs
2025-07-26 12:00 - 14:00 | Waikiki Springs Trailhead, Washington, 99218
Join us for a scenic and informative hike north of Spokane, where geologist Michael Hamilton, an IAFICS board member, will guide us through fascinating Ice Age flood features. This newly protected conservation area boasts well-established trails and stunning geological formations.
At Waikiki Springs, the Spokane Aquifer emerges from beneath an ancient, sand-and-gravel-filled valley—evidence of the massive outburst floods that shaped the region during the last Ice Age.
Group size is limited to the first 20 registrants. Once you sign up, we’ll provide full hike details and keep you updated on any changes leading up to the event.

Resources: Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve

9/3-Mega Floods, Ice Ages, Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions, and other Major Earth Events. A look at our dynamic planet of things that could keep you awake at night but shouldn't
2025-09-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Ritzville Public Library, 302 West Main Street, Ritzville, Washington, 99169
This presentation by Lloyd Stoess will delve into ten of the causes of ice ages and climate change including the answer to how many ice ages have occurred. It will also look at big earth hazards here in the Pacific Northwest that have occurred in the past and if they should be of concern today.

9/10-Mega Floods, Ice Ages, Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions, and other Major Earth Events. A look at our dynamic planet of things that could keep you awake at night but shouldn't.
2025-09-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Whitman County Library, 102 South Main St., Colfax, WA, 99111, United States

9/18-Mega Floods, Ice Ages, Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions, and other Major Earth Events. A look at our dynamic planet of things that could keep you awake at night but shouldn't.
2025-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Connell Library, 118 N. Columbia, Connell, Washington

Joseph Pardee - Swiss Army Knife for the USGS! w/ Bill Burgel
2025-09-27 16:00 - 17:00 | Hal Holmes Community Center, 201 Ruby St, Ellensburg, WA, 98926, United States
Joseph T. Pardee
Bill Burgel will be speaking on the career and contributions of Joseph Pardee to our understanding of the Ice Age Floods. Joseph T. Pardee was a USGS Field Geologist who, for 32 years (1910-1941), focused on a variety of geologic issues throughout the country. His geologic acumen was vigorously sought after by nearly every department within the USGS.
Pardee is most widely known for quipping that “he knew where Bretz’ water was.” As retirement approached, Pardee used his intense observational skills and his incredible patience to finally devote himself to his secret love of Glacial Lake Missoula (GLM)when he published his “Unusual Currents.” It made clear that GLM drained catastrophically fast and flowed at incredible speeds. He thus provided a possible source for the catastrophic flood that Bretz had been postulating.
Doors will open at 3:30 pm with the presentations beginning at 4:00pm. This event will offer an opportunity to browse and purchase such Ice Age Floods items as books, maps, posters and baseball caps. All purchases must be with cash or check only please.
Bill Burgel, Professional Geologist Registered in Oregon and Idaho, retired in 2015 after a successful 45-year career in the railroad industry. He worked for several railroads nationwide in both the engineering and operating departments. While working for the railroad, his interest and training in geology was often called upon to resolve landslide issues and rerouting studies, implement early earthquake warning strategies, and conduct numerous long railroad tunnel analyses. Bill has given numerous presentations on rail issues as well as earthquake preparedness and topics pertaining to regional geology to local audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest and on cruise ships.

Cheney-Spokane Chapter Quarry Hike
2025-10-04 13:00 - 15:00 | Spokane Conservation District Office, 4422 E 8th Ave, Spokane Valley, WA, 99212, United States
🪨 Explore 1.3 Billion Years in One Afternoon!
Saturday, October 4 — Join the inimitable Michael Hamilton for a guided geology hike through Spokane Conservation District’s remarkable new headquarters, nestled in an ancient basalt quarry.
This site is both brand new and unimaginably old. The Quarry reveals a stunning cross-section of Earth’s history—1.3 billion years of geologic drama exposed in a short, accessible hike. Along the way, you’ll see and learn about the effects of Ice Age floods, huge lava flows, tectonic shifts, and more, all woven into a developing geologic trail for the community.
Don’t miss this rare chance to walk through deep time with expert insight and plenty of scenic stops. The new Scale House Market at the Quarry will be open with public bathrooms and the access gate will be open.
We will meet up at 1 PM in front of the SCD office. Good walking shoes are recommended for this easy-moderate hike.
Register for the hike using the button below. Each participant will need to have a signed liability waiver-click on the red button to download one for printing and bring it along. We will have more at the trailhead.

Lake Wenatchee Area Field Trip - Cancelled (Again)
2025-10-05 10:00 - 16:00 | Lake Wenatchee State Park, 21588 SR 207, Leavenworth, WA, 98826, United States
Given the ongoing Lower Sugarloaf Fire situation and resulting poor air quality over the region, I am going to cancel the Lower Lake Wenatchee Area Field Trip planned for Sunday 5 October. The indefinite closure of US 97 over Blewett Pass has also entered into my decision as it affects those who would be travelling to the area from the south. I will try to offer this field trip sometime in Spring/Early Summer 2026. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.
Retired CWU Geographer Karl Lillquist will lead a field trip to the lower Chiwawa River Valley near Plain, WA. Plan on gathering in the vicinity of Plain at about 10am. Quick description: Topics will center around alpine glaciation from various sources in the Eastern Cascades near the lower Lake Wenatchee Area. Trip will begin on the beach in the southern portion of Lake Wenatchee State Park (map).
Detailed schedule and the topics to be covered:

10:00 Stop 1—Lake Wenatchee State Park—Topics: Bedrock geology; weather & climate; Wenatchee River alpine glacier.
11:00 Depart
11:30 Stop 2—Northeast of Fish Lake —Topics: Fish Lake lobe of the Wenatchee River glacier; moraines & erratics; moraine-dammed lakes; Glacier Peak & Mt. St. Helens tephras.
12:15 Depart
12:45 Stop 3—Chiwawa River Valley Overlook—Topics: Chiwawa River alpine glacier; Mad River outlet glaciers; declining contemporary glaciers.
1:45 Depart
2:00 Stop 4—Meadow Creek Valley Overlook—Topics: Meadow Creek/Napeequa glaciers; Dirtyface Mountain cirques; Napeequa River capture by White River; moraine-dammed lakes.
2:45 Depart
3:15 Stop 5—Deep Creek at Morrow Meadow—Topics: Glacial meltwater, faulting, lateral valleys, and ice age lakes.
4:00 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 forest roads. A Subaru-type AWD vehicles should do fine on the gravel roads.
I strongly encourage you to consider carpooling; parking will be limited at each of the stops and lengthy strings of automobiles can be unwieldy on narrow forest roads.
We will take short hikes at Stops 2, 3 and 4. By short, I mean 0.25 mi or less at each stop. The hiking terrain at Stops 3 and 4 will be fairly steep. Stops 2 and 4 will involve hiking off trail through recently logged areas.
No restroom or picnic facilities are available along our field trip route after Stop 1. 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 will not be a formal lunch stop.
Dogs and kids are fine to bring as long as they are well-behaved.
Dress for the weather. September weather here can be sunny and hot to rainy, windy & cool.
I will post a pdf of the field guide by 29 August 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 “Lower Lake Wenatchee Area”. 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 ~$13/each).

Quincy Basin Field Trip
2025-10-11 09:00 - 16:00 | Othello Lions Park, 815 East Fir Street, Othello, Washington, 99344
During the Missoula Floods the Quincy Basin was filled with flood waters mostly arriving through Grand Coulee and the Telford-Crab Creek Scabland Tract via Crab Creek. Some spillover from the Cheney-Palouse Scabland Tract also entered the basin through east-west coulees. The flood water drained out of the basin in four places that will be visited on this car Caravan Tour – Crater/Lynch Coulee, Potholes Coulee, Frenchman Coulee, and Drumheller Channels. Stops are also planned for Moses Lake, the Ephrata Fan, Soap Lake, Lower Moses Coulee, West Bar, and Babcock Bench.
FIELD TRIP REGISTRATION FORM
LIABILITY RELEASE FORM

Cheney-Spokane Members Meeting and Public Lecture
2025-10-11 11:00 - 16:00 | Doris Morrison Learning Center (DMLC), 1330 S Henry Road, Greenacres, Washington, 99016
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.

Saltese Uplands Conservation Area hike: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Note: A completed liability form is required for this 3-mile hike. It is of moderate difficulty and consists of a dirt and rock trail with switchbacks, spanning about 700 vertical feet. Bring your own snacks & drinks, good hiking shoes, and dress appropriately for mid October weather conditions. Lunch is not provided. Meet the hike leader at the Saltese Flats Wetland trailhead at 11 AM.)
Member meeting: 2:00-3:00 PM
Speaker: USGS Geologist Jim O’Connor (beginning after the Member meeting)
“A Century of Discovery: 102 Years of Studying the Ice Age Spokane Flood”
Synopsis: For more than a century, geologists have investigated the massive Ice Age floods that swept through Spokane, reshaping the region’s terrain and sparking global scientific interest. USGS Geologist Jim O’Connor will review some of the discoveries made in our understanding of these cataclysmic events—from their origins and pathways to the dramatic landforms they left behind. He will also highlight some of the enduring questions that continue to drive new research, revealing how much there is still to learn about one of North America’s most extraordinary geological phenomena.

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
Please use the button below to sign up for the event and optional hike. Your registration helps us plan more smoothly and ensure a great experience for everyone.

Northern Kittitas Valley Fault Trace Research - Postponed
2025-10-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Hal Holmes Community Center, 201 Ruby St, Ellensburg, WA, 98926, United States
Stephen Angster, +one
Our speaker, Steven Angster, scheduled for October 11th is going to have to be rescheduled as he is a federal employee with the USGS and is not allowed to do any work related activities during the shutdown.
We are tentatively looking at a new date in late June of 2026. We are still working on the details of that.
Stephen Angster, a research scientist at the Seattle Field Office of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earthquake Science Center, focuses on characterizing and integrating upper-plate fault source parameters for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis in the Pacific Northwest. He employs a multidisciplinary approach—emphasizing paleoseismic trenching as a tool alongside geophysical and geological investigations—to better understand the spatial and temporal patterns of prehistoric large earthquakes.
Doors will open at 3:30 pm with the presentations beginning at 4:00pm. This event will offer an opportunity to browse and purchase such Ice Age Floods items as books, maps, posters and baseball caps. All purchases must be with cash or check only please.
Steve currently leads active research projects on both sides of the Cascades. On the west side, he has identified new fault scarps along the Seattle fault zone and the Canyon River fault. East of the Cascades, his work focuses on constraining the nature and extent of back-arc deformation. Understanding strain accommodation across the Kittitas Valley is a key component to that research. He will present new data from studying several strands of a fault trace that spans many kilometers of the northern Kittitas Valley.
Stephen holds a B.S. from Western Illinois University, an M.S. from the Colorado School of Mines, and a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Expansion of Early Roads in the US West
2025-10-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee, WA, United States
On Tuesday October 14, Dr. E. F. Cater, Director of the Douglas County Historical Museum in Waterville, will present a talk, “Expansion of Early Roads in the US West.” The program starts at 7:00 PM, at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 South Mission, in Wenatchee. Zoom link for those who cannot attend in person: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8185554795 Meeting ID: 818 5554 7958
Western roads developed by push and shove. Business people and shippers built some of the first usable roads. They needed to get wares to market. Others built ways to get to town to buy those goods.
Building new roads, and connecting roads, was difficult and expensive. No entity wanted to do that. Not the Federal government, nor the states, not the counties. They got pushed into road-building. What happened?
Around 1912, the introduction of the automobile, especially the Model T, spurred the United States into building auto-routes adequate for travel. There were no transcontinental highways. Many states didn’t even connect with one another.
Locally, the Yellowstone Trail eventually passed through Waterville, Wenatchee, Monitor, Cashmere, and over Blewett Pass. We will learn about that road.
Click the link below to see the first 3 minutes of the presentation:
https://youtu.be/Htov6YXW6L8?si=ixgoJkN63zfs1mWi
The program is free and open to the public.
Switchbacks on Blewett Pass, 1910

🗺️ Cheney-Spokane Chapter Fall Field Trip
2025-10-18 09:00 - 15:00 | Washington
Saturday, October 18, 9:00 AM – approx. 3:00 PM
No cost • Car caravan format • BYO food & drinks
After a summer of record heat, haze, and delay, cooler weather has finally arrived—and so has our rescheduled fall field trip! Join us on Saturday, October 18, just one week after our annual membership meeting, for a full-day exploration of the northern Cheney-Palouse scabland tract.
This year’s trip will spotlight the landscape that first led J Harlen Bretz to propose a massive outwash flood beneath an ice cap—before he reluctantly considered Thomas Pardee’s theory of glacial Lake Missoula as the water source. We’ll trace their steps and interpretations across key sites, guided by:

Dr. Linda B. McCollum, Professor Emeritus at EWU and current chapter president
Glenn Cruickshank, who has meticulously mapped Bretz’s and Pardee’s field notes using Google Earth

🧭 Trip Overview

We’ll meet at 9:00 AM at the Cheney-Spokane Chapter parking lot (1st Street & Cheney Plaza Road, south end of Cheney) for a quick briefing. From there, we’ll caravan to:

Turnbull Wildlife Refuge HQ – hike and discussion of scabland channels
Williams Lake Cataract – second only to Dry Falls in scale
Amber Lake – loess island and classic scabland topography
Lunch break in Cheney – bring your own food and drinks
Fish Lake (Cheney-Spokane Road) – scour pools and rock blade formations
Marshall – glacial outwash delta and broad flood channel features

We expect to wrap up around 3:00 PM. All stops have ample parking, so there’s no limit on vehicles—everyone’s welcome!
📝 What to Bring

Your own food and drinks
A signed liability form (click on the red button below to download and print one that you can bring to the event)
Curiosity, good shoes, and maybe a camera!

This is a great chance to revisit foundational flood geology with fresh eyes and expert insight. We hope to see you there!

Field Trip East of Coulee City, WA - Updated
2025-11-01 10:00 - 17:00 | Washington
Karl Lillquist will lead “East of Coulee City” field trip on the day after Halloween.
We will meet at the Coulee City Campground at 10am. Stops will include: 1) Coulee monocline; 2) Hartline Basin expansion bar; 3) top of Hartline Hill; 4) mid-slope Hartline Hill; and 5) Hartline Basin scablands.
Quick description: Topics will center around Ice Age flooding associated with Glacial Lake Missoula in the area east of Coulee City. Trip will begin on the peninsula on the north end of Coulee City Community Park.
Detailed schedule and the topics to be covered:

10:00 Stop 1—Coulee City Community Park—Topics: Bedrock & structural geology; weather & climate; General patterns of Glacial Lake Missoula floods and the Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran Icesheet; Banks Lake.
10:45 Depart
11:00 Stop 2—Coulee Monocline —Topics: Monoclines & homoclines; Age of Coulee Monocline and its relationship to Ice Age floods & Hartline Basin; Historical orchards, highways & railroads.
11:45 Depart
12:00 Stop 3—Hartline Basin Expansion Bar—Topics: Bretz in the Hartline Basin; Expansion bars; Soils atop expansion bar.
12:45 Depart
1:00 Stop 4—Top of “Hartline Hill”—Topics: Maximum flood limit; Loess-based soil characteristics, origins & age; Water erosion & loess;
1:45 Depart
2:00 Stop 5—Mid-slope on “Hartline Hill”—Topics: Unnamed canyon & fan; Possible floodwaters over “Hartline Hill”.
2:45 Depart
3:00 Stop 6—Hartline Basin Scablands—Topics: Scablands & Bretz; Floods, erosion & scablands; Giant pendant bars; Other possible floodwater sources in Hartline Basin
4:00 Depart for home

Logistics:

This trip is free and open to the public. There is no need to register.
After Stop 1, we will drive on a mix of paved and good quality gravel roads. Passenger cars should be fine on these roads.
I encourage you to consider carpooling. This will reduce the time it takes to get us all together at each stop plus will reduce our carbon footprint.
We will take short walks at Stops 2, 3 and 6. By short, I mean 0.25 mi or less at each stop. There will be a bit of somewhat steep, uneven terrain at each of the stops. We will also need to cross a barbed wire fence at Stops 2 and 6.
No restroom or picnic facilities are available along our field trip route after Stop 1. 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 will not be a formal lunch stop.
Dogs and kids are fine to bring as long as they are well-behaved.
Dress for the weather. November weather here can be sunny and mild to rainy, windy & chilly. Our first two stops will be especially exposed to a possible north wind.
A field guide is posted 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 “East of Coulee City”. 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 ~$15/each).

Field Trip Liability Form
Please print and fill out the attached field trip liability release form, and give it to one of the Ellensburg Chapter IAFI officers at the field trip. We will also have hardcopies of the liability release form if you need them. Thank you!
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. A heads up: I may be away from phone & email between 29 October to 1 November.
I hope to see you Saturday 1 November!
Karl L.

EVOLUTION OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM
2025-11-04 18:30 - 20:00 | The Reach Museum, 1943 Columbia Park Trl , WA, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
We have always assumed that the Columbia River and its tributaries have been the same for many millions of years. The Earth is constantly fooling us like that. In reality most river systems are dynamic, and the Columbia River is no exception. We will explore how it has changed over the past 16 million years. We’ll see how in earlier times locations such as like Yakima, Prosser and Benton City would have been on the Columbia River, while the Tri-Cities would have been left high and dry.
The Columbia River system is one of the great river systems of North America, draining much of the Pacific Northwest, as well as parts of the western United States and British Columbia. The river system has had a long and complex history, slowly evolving over the past 17MY The Columbia River and its tributaries have been shaped by flood basalt volcanism, Cascade volcanism, regional tectonism, and finally outburst floods from Glacial Lake Missoula. The most complex part of river development has been in the northern part, the Columbia Basin, where the Columbia River and its tributaries were controlled by a subsiding Columbia Basin with subtle anticlinal ridges and synclinal valleys superimposed on a flood basalt landscape. After negotiating this landscape, the course to the Pacific Ocean led through the Cascade Range via the Columbia Trans-Arc Lowland, an ancient crustal weakness zone that separates Washington and Oregon. The peak of flood basalt volcanism obliterated the river paths, but as flood basalt volcanism waned, the rivers were able to establish courses within the growing fold belt. As the folds grew larger, the major pathways of the rivers moved toward the center of the Columbia Basin where subsidence was greatest. The finishing touches to the river system, however, were added during the Pleistocene by the Missoula floods, which caused local repositioning of river channels.

Barker Canyon Giant Cave Arch Rockshelter Field Trip - Sat. Nov. 15th
2025-11-15 09:30 - 15:00 | Dry Falls Visitor Center, 35661 HWY 17 North, Coulee City, WA, United States
Join Outing Coordinators Mark Amara, Geologist and Gene Wing of the Lower Grand Coulee Chapter on Saturday November 15th for a 3-mile hike to visit the Barker Canyon Giant Cave Arch Rock Shelter Ice Age Floods Feature in the Upper Grand Coulee

Date: Saturday November 15th, 2025
Start time: 9:30 am
Meeting Place: We will meet at the Dry Falls Visitors Center parking lot at 35661 Hwy 17 North, Coulee City, 99115 and plan to leave at 9:30 AM sharp and drive to Barker Canyon

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:

Please see the attached map or coordinates of the Rock Shelter are: 119.193029 degrees Latitude – 47.89900 degrees Longitude

Fees: A Discover Pass is required
What to bring: Lunch, drinks, snacks, appropriate clothing and footwear, camera, etc.

Puget Lobe Lecture: Jeff Tepper on the Initiation of the Cascade Arc
2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Bellevue College Building T Room 117, 3000 Landerholm Cir SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, United States
Dr. Jeff Tepper
The Cascade volcanic chain, the world’s youngest continental arc, was “born” shortly after accretion of the Siletzia oceanic terrane ~50 My ago. That collision, which led to formation of the Olympics, terminated the earlier subduction system and caused a portion of the subducting Farallon slab to break off. When Cascade magmatism began less than 5 My later, there was a new trench located outboard of Siletzia. In this talk I will present a new model, based on petrology, geochronology, plate motion reconstructions, and mantle tomography, that explains how subduction was initiated so quickly and in a setting where the slab was young and hot and in theory too buoyant to subduct.

Mystery of the Channeled Scablands and the Two Detectives who Solved it.
2025-12-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Pomeroy Senior Center, 695 Main St., Pomeroy, WA, United States
The unique landscape of the Channeled Scablands was a mystery that baffled the first geologists who visited them over 100 years ago. Finding clues, they unraveled the mystery that was unbelievable to their colleagues. After more than two decades of discovering more clues, the theory that enormous floods had carved the scabland was finally accepted by most of the scientific community.
Lloyd Stoess, President of the Palouse Falls Chapter, will take you on a journey following these two early detectives and the clues they found as well as what today’s detectives and the modern tools they are using to better understand our incredible landscape.

An Introduction to the Missoula Floods
2026-01-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Zoom Meeting
Dr. Gary Ford, president of the Ice Age Floods Institute, will provide an introductory presentation of the Missoula Floods and reveal ho repeated, cataclysmic floods during the last Ice Age carved a dramatic landscape through much of the Pacific Northwest.
Event: IAFI Lake Lewis January Member Meeting and Guest Lecture “An Introduction to the Missoula Floods” By Gary Ford
Date: January 6, 2026
Time: Members Meeting: 6:30PM-7:00PM, Lecture: 7:00PM – 8:00PM (PST)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87852702318?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 878 5270 2318
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Bill Burgel - Geology in the Growth of the Railroad Industry
2026-02-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee, WA, United States
Bill Burgel will give a presentation on the Synergy between the development of the science of Geology with the growth of the railroad industry with a short description of how it impacted BNSF’s Cascade Tunnel’s ventilation system.
The advent of the Industrial Revolution accelerated the development of the science of geology, and the growth of the railroad industry closely followed. A quick look at both of these disciplines over the past 200 years reveals a fascinating back and forth which resulted in amazing advances for both.
For instance, geologists found the coal and then the railroads transported this coal to locations where people worked and lived. And coal mines virtually dictated where the rail line should be built. Comparisons between the two efforts continue to the present day and Bill will outline some of the current challenges.

In 1995, Bill was heavily involved in the installation of a new ventilation system for BNSF’s Cascade Tunnel. Ventilation of the tunnel has been an issue since the first Cascade Tunnel opened in 1900. Bill will describe how BNSF ensures safe operations in the current (second) Cascade Tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel in the United States.
Bill Burgel is a Professional Geologist Registered in Oregon and Idaho. He retired in 2015 after a successful 45-year career in the railroad industry. He worked for several railroads nationwide in both the engineering and operating departments. While working for the railroad, his interest and training in geology was often called upon to resolve landslide issues and rerouting studies, implement early earthquake warning strategies, and conduct numerous long railroad tunnel analyses. Bill has given numerous presentations on rail issues as well as earthquake preparedness and topics pertaining to regional geology to local audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest and on cruise ships.

Cabin Fever Lecture! Glacial Ice History in Mission Valley and Vicinity
2026-02-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Montana Natural History Center, 120 Hickory Street, Missoula, MT
Skye Cooley
It’s that time of the year! Time to contemplate ice-ages and glacial lakes. Time for the Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute’s Cabin Fever Lecture! Warm up your curiosity about glacial ice history in the Mission Valley with geologist Skye Cooley.
About the Instructor: Skye Cooley is a Montana-based field geologist and geomorphologist specializing in quaternary geology, paleosols (ancient soils), and GIS mapping, currently focused on the Mission Valley. Based in Ronan, MT, he has a diverse background including contract mapping for the Idaho Geological Survey, teaching at Boise State, and serving as a soil scientist.
Date: Friday, February 20
Time: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: Free, but please register. Donations accepted to cover the time of the MNHC personnel and meeting room.
REGISTER HERE!

Nick Zentner Pop-up Geology
2026-03-01 13:00 - 14:30 | Dry Falls Visitor Center, 35661 HWY 17 North, Coulee City, WA, United States
XLentCOOL happenings…, a Rockstar , geologist, Nick Zentner, Nick on the Rocks | PBS, Science Outreach and Education Coordinator, Central Washington University, has announced a Pop-Up Geology program at 1pm on Sunday March 1st at Dry Falls Visitor Center. Folks are encouraged to bring a folding chair to enjoy a short lecture about Ice Age Flood Geology and learn about the unique features found at Dry Falls Heritage Area!
Or watch it on YouTube – Pop-Up Geology this Sunday, March 1, 2026 at 1:00 pm! – YouTube
The last time Nick Zentner did a Pop-Up Geology event was on Sunday December 31st, 2023 (New Year’s Eve). With only 48 hours’ notice, we spontaneously had over 80 people arrive and enjoy the afternoon! Some folks traveled as far as Portland, OR for a chance to see Nick in person. Nick on the Rocks | Dry Falls | Season 1 | Episode 6 | PBS
The Dry Falls Visitor Center will be OPEN for the day. Interpretive Staff will be available for questions and information. We have been busy packing to move for the BIG renovation/rehabilitation project, starting this Spring 2026.

Puget Lobe Lecture: Getting a Feel for Ice Sheet Hydrology and Channeled Scabland Geomorphology
2026-03-02 19:00 - 20:30 | Bellevue College Building T Room 117, 3000 Landerholm Cir SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, United States
Dr. Joel Gombiner
Joel Gombiner, Washington Geological Survey, “Getting a feel for ice sheet hydrology + Channeled Scabland geomorphology”
This presentation connects modern observations of ice sheet hydrology, the geomorphology of the Channeled Scabland, and recent publications on Washington’s Ice Age floods. The presentation consists of three parts: (1) an explanation of a new lidar-based, semi-realistic oblique visualization and interpretive poster of Dry Falls (released 2025 by WGS); (2) an intuitive overview of ice sheet hydrology with visits to Greenland, Iceland, and Antarctica; (3) an update on recent Channeled Scabland science including evidence for subglacial tunnel channel floods from the Okanogan lobe and refined estimates of Missoula flood magnitudes.
The in-person meeting will be held at Bellevue College T building Room 118 on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
The live presentation will also be available on Zoom. Click this link shortly before the meeting begins: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82985244730

The Missoula Floods and the SVRP Aquifer
2026-03-03 18:45 - 20:00 | Zoom Meeting
The Lake Lewis chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will host a free Zoom lecture exploring the dramatic creation of the Spokane Valley – Rathdrum Prairie (SVRP) Aquifer! As part of our 2026 public lecture series exploring key features along the path of the Missoula Floods, we’ll investigate the vast and vital groundwater system that continues to supply water to hundreds of thousands of people. We’ll explore the impact of the ancient floods on the creation of the SVRP and some of the unique qualities of this important resource.
This event is free to attend. 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.
The Zoom meeting details are below:
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86098163242?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 860 9816 3242
Passcode: [REDACTED]

The Ice Age Floods History of the Cheney Area
2026-03-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Cheney Community Library, 610 1st St, Cheney, WA, 99004
The landscape upon which the town of Cheney has been built bears silent witness to one of the greatest series of catastrophic floods that has ever been documented on our planet. In this talk, we delve into how the leading scientists, both past and present, have interpreted this landscape as a consequence of one immense glacial lake pouring into another glacial lake, which then overflowed and breached the southern shoreline to create the vast channeled scablands.
Presented by Dr. Linda McCollum, professor emeritus of geosciences at EWU and president of the Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI), Cheney-Spokane Chapter
Registration is required.

Combined Chapter Hike – Escure Ranch / Towell Falls
2026-03-14 10:00 - 15:00 | 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)
