Lake Wenatchee Area Field Trip - Cancelled (Again)
2025-10-05 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 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:

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 | WA
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 | WA
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.

Foster Creek and Foster Coulee: Insights on Ice Age Floods, Glaciers, and Lakes on the Waterville Plateau, WA
2025-12-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee, WA, United States
The Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will meet Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 PM, at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee. Or via Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81855547958 Meeting ID: 818 5554 7958
Karl Lillquist will give our final live, and Zoom, presentation for 2025. Karl is a physical geographer, who taught at Central Washington University until his retirement in summer of 2024. He will talk about “Foster Creek and Foster Coulee: Insights on Ice Age Floods, Glaciers, and Lakes on the Waterville Plateau, WA.”
Please note! The Wenatchee Valley Erratics now has its own website: https://wverratics.org/ !

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.

Free STEAM Workshops for K–12 Educators - The Dalles, OR
2026-03-14 09:00 - 16:00 | Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, 5000 Discovery Dr., The Dalles, OR, 97058, United States
Every student in the Northwest should experience the incredible science story of the megafloods that shaped our landscape and history. To help bring this story to life, the Ice Age Floods Institute, Engaging Every Student, and our partners are excited to invite K–12 educators to free special training events. Thanks to support from the Avista Foundation, we are offering free hybrid workshops where you will gain access to valuable resources designed to inspire students to investigate their local environment.
New Curriculum Resources
Participants will explore a new Ice Age Floods Detectives phenomena-based curriculum with supporting presentations targeted to 4th grade, as well as hands-on investigations from the National Park Service’s Investigating Ice Age Floods curriculum. Both explore the megafloods that shaped the Northwest and are adaptable for grades K–12
Free STEAM Workshops for K–12 Educators Details (In-person with options to join us via Zoom):

Location:

The Dalles, OR: Sat., Mar. 14, 2026 (register here: tinyurl.com/yxw9haet)

Featuring:

Engaging classroom and field-based activities, including exciting ways to model Floods phenomena
Stories of the megafloods that transformed the Northwest 18,000–12,000 years ago at the end of the Last Glacial Period
Up to 7 Washington STEM Clock Hours and/or PDUs for license renewal in Oregon and other states

Schedule: All workshops 9:00 am–4:00 pm (or half day)

9:00–12:00 | Interactive workshop featuring new Ice Age Floods Discovery curriculum: targeted to grade 4 and adaptable for K–12
12–12:30 | Working lunch (provided)
12:30–3:30 | Interactive workshop featuring Investigating Ice Age Floods curriculum adaptable for grades K–12
3:00 or 3:30–4:00 | Nearby interpretive field studies with experts

Cost:

Free
Ice Age Floods Institute mini-Grants available

To cover materials, transportation, STEM clock hour fee, etc.
Learn more: iafi.org/k-12grants.

Help Spread the Word: We encourage you to share this informative Ice Age Floods Workshops flyer with other educators to let them know about this opportunity!
For questions, comments, or ideas on where we might offer additional training, please contact Rick Reynolds, M.S.Ed., at rick@engagingeverystudent.com. Thanks for your interest and all you do to inspire our students to investigate our environment!

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)

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.

Dating Erratic Boulders: How Long Ago Were the Floods?
2026-03-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Deer Park Library, 208 S Forest Ave, Deer Park, WA, 99006
How do geologists know when the ice age floods actually occurred in the Spokane area? One method is to date the large flood-rafted erratic boulders. We explore the ages of the floods and the methods used to determine their dates and present newly gathered dates from the Spokane region revealing when the floods happened.
Presented by Glenn Cruickshank, vice president of the Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI), Cheney-Spokane Chapter
Registration is required.

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—Saturday 11 April—10am to ~3p
2026-04-11 10:00 - 15:00 | CMSP&P Bridge, Beverly, WA, 46.83539588686751, -119.93816967222578, Beverly, WA, United States
Field Trip Leader: Karl Lillquist, Emeritus Professor, Geography Department, CWU
What’s so cool about lower Crab Creek? Crab Creek is a perennial stream with headwaters not far from Spokane! It flows over 160 miles through semiarid eastern and central Washington to join the Columbia River just south of Beverly. Lower Crab Creek lies in a broad coulee adjacent to the towering faulted and folded Saddle Mountains. Ice Age floods from two directions scoured the coulee walls. More recent rockfall and landslide deposits veneer the coulee walls, and sand dunes and salt flats blanket the coulee floor. Native Americans have long frequented the river and shrub steppe environments of the area. In the past 150 years, the landscape has been altered by the coming of the railroad and by large scale irrigation. Currently, the area is a mecca for outdoor-minded folks included hunters, fishers, nature lovers, cyclists, and off road vehicle enthusiasts.
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.
What’s the plan for the day?
10:00am Stop 1—Beverly—geology and geography overview; Ice Age floods
11:00 Depart
11:15 Stop 2—Beverly Sand Dunes—weather, dunes, ORV’s, salt flats & Crab Creek
12:00 pm Depart
12:15 Stop 3—Smyrna Ice Cave—faulting, talus, cold air drainage & human uses of talus
1:00 Depart
1:15 Stop 4—West of Smyrna—landslides
2:00 Depart
2:15 Stop 5—Red Rock Coulee—Ice Age floods
3:00 Depart
Where to meet and park? We will meet on the east end of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific railroad bridge in Beverly at 10:00am. The bridge and the old railroad right of way are now part of the Palouse to Cascades Trail. This trail forms the northern boundary of the town of Beverly and is our first stop. Beverly is located about 10 miles south of Vantage along the Columbia River. To get there from WA 243, take a left and head east on Lower Crab Creek Road for just under 0.2 mi. Turn left onto Seattle Street and drive north for ~0.2 mi to a trailhead just south of the Palouse to Cascade Trail. Park here or along Seattle Street, 1st Avenue SW, or Main Street. Make sure to pull off the streets as far as possible and don’t block resident’s driveways.
What are the trip logistics and costs? All Ellensburg IAFI field trips are free of charge and involve participants driving their own vehicles to the various stops. Most trips involve several short walks or hikes. We may cross barbed wire fences, and walk over uneven terrain and through dryland vegetation. There are limited restrooms scattered along our route. There’s no need to reserve a place on the field trip—just show up! We provide a free digital copy of the field guide for you to download or print out (see “Field Guides” near the bottom of my CWU website => https://www.cwu.edu/academics/geography/_documents/karl-lillquist.php). I will post the Lower Crab Creek field guide on my website on about Monday 6 April. Due to budget constraints, hardcopies of the field guide will now only be available by prior request and subsequent donation (suggested $15). If you want a full color, hardcopy of the ~40 page field guide, email me at lillquis@cwu.edu to let me know how many copies you would like. I will place my order for hardcopies by 8:00am Monday 6 April so if you want a hardcopy, please get your request in before that day. Pick up your copy and make your donation to IAFI at Stop 1 on the field trip.
Hope you can join us!

29th Lakeside Gem & Mineral Show - April 18-19
2026-04-18 09:00 - 2026-04-19 16:00 | Benton County Fairgounds, 1500 S. Oak, Kennewick, WA, United States
It’s less than a month away! The members of the Lakeside Gem & Mineral Club invite all to our 29th Annual Gem and Mineral show April 18-19. Join us at the Benton County Fairgrounds Building #2 in Kennewick.
The enlarged show features 19 dealers, 36 member displays, demonstrations, kid activities, door prizes, silent auctions, geode cracking, and much more. Come see precious gemstones, minerals, jewelry, fossils, meteorites, special exhibits, local collections, and of course, ROCKS!
Adults $5.00; children under 14 are free. It’s a fun family event. We hope to see you there!
