Cheney-Spokane

The Cheney–Spokane Chapter is hosting a one‑day field trip to north Idaho to introduce IAFI members to new research unfolding in one of the most important Ice Age Floods landscapes. This brand‑new trip focuses on the epicenter of the megafloods and the margins of the continental ice sheets—a must‑see area for anyone interested in Floods geology. The trip is free, but online registration is required, and participants should bring their own lunch and drinks. Because several of the roads are too narrow for commercial buses, transportation will be provided in large vans. Historically, J Harlen Bretz believed this region lay beneath the ice sheet and played no role in forming the Scablands. Later, Thomas Pardee’s work on glacial Lake Missoula pointed toward repeated outburst floods as the true source. On this trip, we will examine the proposed flood source area and explore how the outburst waters interacted with the ice sheet to the north. Our chapter now has access to drive through the privately owned Clagstone Conservation Area (Stimson Lumber Company), where exceptional exposures reveal the dramatic collision between Lake Missoula’s outburst floods and the glacial moraines at the ice‑sheet front. This region is only now being studied in detail by your field trip leaders. Drs. Richard Waitt (USGS) and Gene Kiver have expressed interest in joining us. The trip will begin at the north end of the old Sears parking lot at the Spokane Valley Mall. Vans—generously funded by an anonymous donor—will depart at 8:00 AM and return around 4:00 PM. A downloadable field guide will be posted on this website soon. Registration is limited to 30 participants, with priority given to IAFI members. If you’re interested, don’t wait—spots will fill quickly. Everyone on the trip will need to complete an IAFI liability form, and also a Stimson liability form.