Geotripping! It Could Be You! Geology of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, September 26-30

The east side of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent Owen's Valley is one of the most dramatic landscapes on planet Earth. The valley that forms the eastern boundary of the range is two miles deep, twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The valley contains active faults (responsible for one of California's most powerful earthquakes ever, the 1872 Lone Pine quake), and active volcanoes, ranging from small cinder cones to gigantic calderas that rival those of Yellowstone.

The region is full of fascinating geological features, including Bodie, one of the most well-preserved ghost towns in the American west. There is also the nation's "Dead Sea" which is not really dead at all, preserving the lives of millions of migratory birds. Mono Lake is the epicenter of the LA water wars, an issue that can only become more important as California enters a new and unprecedented climate regime.

Scenery abounds, and tourists and explorers love this region like few others. But how often have people traveled through this region without the awareness of the incredible geology exposed at their feet? Are you one of them? Have you never had the privilege of exploring this incredible landscape? Well, I've got a great opportunity for you...

On September 26-30, the Geology Department at Modesto Junior College will be offering Geology 186, a 2-unit field course on the geology of the eastern Sierra Nevada and the Owen's Valley. We'll leave the college early Thursday afternoon and drive to our expected first night stop at Baker Station, the High Sierra Institute, located in the high country of the Sierra near Sonora Pass. The facility is run by our district for a variety of multidisciplinary classes.

From there we'll cross the Sierra Nevada at Sonora Pass and explore the lands to the east, including Bodie and Mono Lake before arriving at our base camp at Millpond Recreation Area just outside of Bishop in the Owens Valley. We'll spend three days there. We'll check out the Long Valley Caldera, the Volcanic Tableland, Devil's Postpile, Inyo Craters, and Minaret Summit the next day.

The following day we'll head up into the White Mountains across the Owens Valley from the Sierra Nevada, where we'll have a bird's-eye view of some of California's remaining glaciers, and have a look at the oldest trees on the planet. We'll then head south to Lone Pine and Owens Lake.

Our final day we'll head back up through the caldera with a stop at Convict Lake (below) and then make our way home via Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park.

We'll be camping out, and you'll be your own cook on this trip. We'll travel in school vans. The trip will cost $80 plus the cost of tuition at MJC (about $100 or so). Information can be found at http://hayesg.faculty.mjc.edu/Eastern%20Sierra%20Nevada.html, and the MJC website (to enroll in the class) can be found at https://mjc.edu/. If you live in the Modesto area, we'll have an organizational meeting on Thursday, September 12 at 5:30 PM in the Geology Lab at MJC, Science Community Center 326. If you live outside the area, I can send you the relevant materials.

The Sierra Nevada and Owens Valley is an incredible place to explore. I hope you'll be joining us!

There's a Giant Atmospheric River Storm Pummeling California...So of course I'm Headed to Death Valley to Experience it...

So we here in California are experiencing one of those very intense atmospheric river storms generated when a highly active jet stream dips far to the south and starts to draw up very moist tropical air from the Pacific Ocean. The storms pound the state like a fire hose, dipping to the north and then to the south, and back again. In once sense, such storms are a godsend because they provide the bulk of our water resources.

On the other hand, the timing is...great. We can't reschedule our president's holiday weekend field studies class, so we are headed out to experience the storm firsthand, out in the elements, facing down our fears and all that other character-building stuff. We are headed to Death Valley National Park. Our best hopes lie with the Sierra Nevada's rain-shadow effect on the nation's driest valley.

It's not the first time this has happened of course. In thirty years of field studies trips we've encountered fierce storms a number of times, and it's always...memorable. Such trips give us the best memories and the best stories to tell our children and grandchildren. And all kidding aside, it's awesome to see intense weather events take place in the desert environment.

So it's probably radio silence for the next few days unless you want to follow our travels on Twitter (@geotripper). If I get a phone signal, I will try to post a few pictures. In the meantime, stay dry!

It's One of the Most Spectacular Landscapes on Planet Earth: Come and see the Colorado Plateau in Person! June 11-26, 2015

For once I am not discussing a trip I have taken...I am talking about a trip that you can take.

Grand Canyon from Powell Point on the South Rim

I spend a lot of time on my blog trying to convey the sense of wonder that comes from exploring the wild places of the Earth. I have to say, though, that nothing comes close to the actual experience of being there, seeing the rock, hearing the wind and feeling the heat, watching the night-time skies, and walking within the ruins of villages of people who lived on this land thousands of years ago (and meeting their descendants in the region today).

Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado

The Colorado Plateau, encompassing parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, is one of the grandest geological showplaces on the planet, and at the same time it is an archaeological treasure. Our geology department is combining forces with our anthropology department to offer a unique course on the archaeology and geology of the Colorado Plateau and other spectacular sites in the American West. The courses (Geology 191 or Anthropology 191) will take place on June 11-26, 2015, beginning and ending at Modesto Junior College in Central California. The cost will be about $160 for registration (for California residents; out-of-state tuition is higher), and $850 for food, transportation, and camping and entrance fees. The only additional costs would be for laundry, showers, and souvenirs.

Wupatki National Monument and the San Francisco Peaks volcanic field

Although these two courses are directed towards geology and anthropology majors, our travelers will also include teachers, life-long learning participants, and anyone who is fascinated in the geology of this stunning region. If you are a science teacher, you will come home with a collection of photographs that illustrate most of the important principles of geology, and a selection of rocks, minerals and fossils that will make great classroom teaching tools (legally collected, of course; there are many localities outside of protected parks from which to collect samples).

Kashua-Katuwe National Monument in New Mexico

What will you see?

Six states: California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.

Eight national parks: Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Mesa Verde, Zion, Pecos, Chaco Culture, Great Basin, and Yosemite.

Nine national monuments and preserves: Mojave Desert, Wupatki, Sunset Crater, El Morro, El Malpais, Kashua-Katuwe, Bandelier, Jemez Caldera, Aztec, Natural Bridges, Horseshoe Bend at Glen Canyon Dam, and many more state and tribal parks including the pueblos of New Mexico!

Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River near Glen Canyon Dam

Sound interesting?

If you are in the Modesto region, we will have an organizational meeting on Monday, April 6, at 7:30 PM at MJC in Science Community Center 326 (West Campus). Previous experience in geology, earth science or archaeology is recommended, but not required. You will need to be healthy enough to camp and deal with rugged terrain, although long hikes are not required (opportunities for hikes will be common, however). If you are not able to attend the meeting, please contact me, or our anthropology professor, Susan Kerr, and we will get in touch with the information that you will need.

The trip itinerary and basic information is on the web at http://hayesg.faculty.mjc.edu/Geology_174_Colorado_Plateau.html (my site for the course), or http://kerrs.faculty.mjc.edu/anthro_191_193.html (my fellow professor Susan Kerr).

The Road Goes Ever Ever On: Getting Into the Field Again!

 

Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains in the moon.

 

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

 

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were an important part of my youth, in part because Tolkien constructed a vividly real world in which he set his stories. The mountains of Middle-Earth, whether the Misty Mountains, the Lone Mountain, or the jagged cliffs surrounding Mordor, all seemed to evoke real places that I noted as I grew and traveled more and more. The poetry was pretty cool too, and I think of this poem whenever I set out on a new journey. Can anyone see the Misty Mountains north of Moria in a picture like that above (out of Banff?)

 

I love taking people to new places they have never seen, and helping them to understand the sometimes mysterious forces that produce these awesome landscapes. We don't usually have to battle orcs and goblins, but there ARE mosquitoes, tourons, and the occasional bear.

 

What I like better is to see new places and to get to know them. That's why this week is a bit special, because it combines the two. I'm taking our students to some familiar places to me, like Mt. Rainier, the Channeled Scablands, Glacier National Park, and Banff. But I'm also going to be discovering some places that are new to me as well: Olympic National Park, Vancouver Island, the Sea to the Sky Highway out of Vancouver and Whistler. I'm leaving this morning on a scouting expedition, and I'm feeling as excited as any of my students.

Posting will be off and on, as we will occasionally be in some isolated regions, but I'll certainly try to put up some pictures from the road. Take care, all!

Does this resemble Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, at least to those with a pre-Peter Jackson image in their minds?

Hitting the Road, Going to Unexpected Places

Thanks to the obstructionist party in the House of Representatives, we've had to completely retool our last overnight field studies trip of 2013. We had planned to explore Sequoia and Kings Canyon, but with the absolutely wrong-minded shutdown of the federal government, those parks are closed.

Luckily, even though the state of California flirted with the idea of closing her state parks, they are open for business, so we will be exploring one of the greatest stretches of coastlines in the world, the one between Big Sur and Bodega Bay. There just isn't any place like it anywhere.

It's been a while (like never) that I've had to plan and conduct a three day trip with three day's notice. I started from scratch, but I think we've got an ambitious itinerary that is flexible, and bound to be fascinating no matter where we go.

I will let you know how it worked out in a few days!

In the meantime, contact your representative and tell them to stop holding the government hostage. The fools in Washington have officially failed basic civics and political science. You don't get your way by tossing hundreds of thousands out of work, and taking food from children and the elderly (including the veterans).

Interested in Earth History? This is where you should learn about it...June 15-29

North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (yes, Gaelyn, we'll be on the North Rim, hope to see you there!)

There is no place on this planet like the Colorado Plateau. It's hard to find anyplace else on Earth where the crust remained relatively stable for upwards of a billion years, accumulating several miles of horizontal sediments, only to be lifted up rapidly in the last few million. The Colorado River and her tributaries then stripped away much of the sedimentary cover, and cut deep into the underlying metamorphic rocks, which record a violent geologic history of colliding landmasses and mountain-building. The resulting landscape is one of the most beautiful places imaginable.

Angels Landing Trail in Zion National Park, Utah

The plateau country is a training ground for geologists and earth scientists, and has been since the days of John Wesley Powell and Joseph Ives, who were the first to lead research parties into the region (they didn't "discover" the plateau, of course; Native Americans have known the region for thousands of years). If you are curious about learning geology in this incredible region, you might consider joining us as a student (of any age) on our geology field studies course Geology 174, offered under the auspices of Modesto Junior College in Modesto, California.

Goosenecks of the San Juan River, Utah

Our field course will be a grand loop through the plateau country, with investigations of the Mojave National Scenic Preserve, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde and Great Basin National Parks, as well as many monuments, including Natural Bridges, Navajo, Hovenweap, Colorado, and state parks like Kodachrome Basin, Goblin Valley, and Berlin-Ichthyosaur. It will be an unforgettable two week trip from June 15-29, beginning and ending in Modesto. Information can be found at my school website at  http://hayesg.faculty.mjc.edu/Geology_174_Colorado_Plateau.html.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado

It's not a comfortable trip...we travel in school vans (which of course are known for their luxuriousness!), we camp every night, and the days can be hot, windy, cold, stormy, and we are out in the middle of anything that happens. But we are staying in beautiful places each night, and there are even showers and laundry available every third day or so! Extensive hiking is not required, but there will be many chances to explore the parks and monuments that we are visiting.

Double Arch in Arches National Park in Utah

Geology 174 is a 3 semester unit course. By end of the course, you will be able to see the landscape the way geologists do: by identifying rocks, minerals and fossils, and interpreting the geological history of an area by working out the sequence of events as exposed in outcrops. If you are a science teacher, you will come home with a collection of photographs that illustrate most of the important principles of geology, and a selection of rocks, minerals and fossils that will make a great classroom teaching tool (legally collected, of course; there are many localities outside of protected parks from which to collect samples).

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

The cost of the trip is $650.00 plus the cost of tuition (Currently $46 per unit for California residents, and $222 per unit for out-of-state residents). The cost includes transportation, food, camp fees, and entrance fees. Participants would want to bring a few dollars along for showers, laundry, and souvenirs.  The food is tasty and plentiful (everyone helps cook and clean!), and the school vans...are vans.

For those of you who live in the Modesto region, we are having an organizational meeting on Monday, April 22 at 7PM in Science 132 of the East Campus at Modesto Junior College. Attendance is not mandatory (and not binding, either), but will be a chance to learn more about the trip and the class. If you can't make it to the meeting, I will send the class materials to you.

Antelope Canyon, Navajo Nation Tribal Park

If you are not in the area, we will be glad to arrange for transportation from nearby airports and train stations (we actually have an Amtrak station in town). Enrollment can be completed online once you are registered with the college (http://www.mjc.edu/index.html). Please contact me through the class website if you have any questions.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Hope to see you out there, back of beyond!

A Trip to the Grandest Geological Locale on Earth

For once I am not discussing a trip I have taken...I am talking about a trip that you can take.

I spend a lot of time on my blog trying to convey the sense of wonder that comes from exploring the wild places of the Earth. I have to say, though, that nothing comes close to the actual experience of being there, seeing the rock, hearing the wind and feeling the heat, watching the night-time skies, and walking within the ruins of villages of people who lived on this land thousands of years ago (and meeting their descendants in the region today).

The Colorado Plateau, encompassing parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, is one of the grandest geological showplaces on the planet, and at the same time it is an archaeological treasure. Our geology department is combining forces with our anthropology department to offer a unique course on the archaeology and geology of the Colorado Plateau and other spectacular sites in the American West. The course (Geology 174 or Anthropology 174, your choice) will take place on June 13-29, beginning and ending at Modesto Junior College in Central California. The cost will be about $160 for registration (for California residents; out-of-state tuition is higher), and $650 for food, transportation, and camping and entrance fees. The only additional costs would be for laundry, showers, and souvenirs. Although these two courses are directed towards geology and anthropology majors, our travelers will also include teachers, life-long learning participants, and anyone who is fascinated in the geology of this stunning region.

What will you see?

Six states: California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah.

Eleven national parks: Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Mesa Verde, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Pecos, Chaco Culture, Great Basin, and Yosemite.

Eleven national monuments and preserves: Mojave, Wupatki, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon, El Morro, El Malpais, Kashua-Katuwe, Bandelier, Jemez Caldera, Aztec, and Hovenweep

and many more state and tribal parks including the pueblos of New Mexico (Zuni, Acoma, Taos, and others!

Sound interesting?

If you are in the Modesto region, we will have an organizational meeting on Monday, April 23, at 7:00 at MJC in Science 132 (East Campus). Previous experience in geology, earth science or archaeology is recommended, but not required. You will need to be healthy enough to camp and deal with rugged terrain, although long hikes are not required (opportunities for hikes will be common, however). If you are not able to attend the meeting, please contact me, or our anthropology professor, Susan Kerr, and we will get in touch with the information that you will need.

The trip itinerary and basic information is on the web at http://virtual.mjc.edu/kerrs/Anthro_174/Anthropology_174.htm (Susan Kerr's page) and at http://virtual.yosemite.cc.ca.us/ghayes/coloplat.htm (Garry Hayes' page).

Searching for the Perfect Volcano...And visiting some state parks for the last time

It's September, the start of a new semester, and time for a last stab at field work in the high country! I'm heading out with one or two dozen students for an exploration of the California Cascades, the southern end of major chain of volcanoes that includes such luminaries as Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Crater Lake, and Mt. Hood. We will be taking an in-depth look at Lassen Peak, Mt. Shasta, and Medicine Lake Highland, some of the most intriguing volcanoes to be found anywhere.

We will also be taking a last look at a couple of California's state parks that are slated to close within a matter of weeks. For the lack of less than a dollar from each resident of the state, we are losing 70 of our state treasures, including Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, and Castle Crags State Park above the Sacramento River in the Klamath Mountains. I hope to be posting some new pictures of what we are about to lose of our state heritage because of the dereliction of duty by our state legislators.

I'll be out of touch for a few days, but you might watch for updates on Twitter: @Geotripper.

And That's That: We are on the Road!

We are outta here for places unknown (and sort of known). Blogging will be sporadic. Y'all behave. We won't be...

Powder Monkeys and Dead Canaries: The Underground History of California's Mother Lode

It's late October, so it was time to introduce some of my students to the history of the Sierra Nevada Mother Lode, the site of the California's 1848 Gold Rush that brought hundreds of thousands of people to the west coast of the United States, and forever changed life in the Sierra Nevada and the rest of the state (and not for the better if you happened to be Mexican or Native American). Interest in gold has expanded as the price these days has reached $1,050 per ounce.

We explored Highway 49 from Sutter Creek to Columbia, one of the richest sections of the Mother Lode. Part of the trip was an exploration of the Sutter Creek Mine (the Lincoln Project), which offers tours of part of the underground workings of this off and on gold prospect.

The picture above is the entrance to the mine shaft. The white cylinder on top of the opening is the ventilation system that keeps fresh air flowing through the mine.


We were taken by modified jeeps about a quarter of a mile into the mine. Unlike most of the Mother Lode mines, the Sutter Creek operation is fairly horizontal. It is just a bit eerie to leave the daylight behind and to go plunging into the darkness. The ventilation system is quite noisy. One of the people on the tour (not one of my students, I'm glad to say) pretty much lost it and had to be taken back out (she was not aware that the tour was an underground tour).

We were taken to the safety room, a sort of refuge in a time of crisis for the miners. The room has strongly reinforced walls, air and water lines, first aid equipment, and communication lines to the surface. It also makes a nice little auditorium for talking about the early history of mining for gold. The demonstration of working by candlelight, as the earliest miners did, was especially effective. If you were wondering about the title, the canary refers to the actual practice of carrying canaries in the mine to monitor oxygen levels, and powder monkeys were the young men and children who were responsible for carrying dynamite around in the mine.

We walked through a section of tunnel that followed the gold bearing quartz veins, and looked at "gold" exposed in the quartz above our heads (I don't want to sound skeptical, but the "gold" is in a different place every time I tour, and it is always three or four feet above our heads where we can't see it well...). The equipment they used in the old days was downright, even insanely dangerous. Not just the explosives; the drills kicked up large amounts of silica the miners inhaled. Many died after just a few years from silicosis. But the pay was good...

The operators of the tour do a pretty good job of describing historic and modern methods of mining for gold, although it may stretch your budget if you are there on your own. They offer a decent discount for student groups such as the group we had yesterday. If you are interested in checking it out, their website can be found here.

After our tour, we headed up the mountain towards the town of Volcano for our second underground adventure, at Black Chasm Cavern. That will have to wait until the next post!