[RidgeRunner]

Jerry, (Soggymountain) asked us to add some information regarding the Ice Age Floods trip highlighting our personal experiences.

First of all, we had a truly great time. I’d like to again thank Jerry for his experience and time in putting together a great trip.

We had the privilege of meeting a Board member of the Ice Age Floods Institute, Marv McCamey. Marv was very well versed in geology, the history of the floods and just history in general. His stories entertained us all day. Marv was constantly communicating with us as we drove along, mentioning important facts most of us would not have noticed or known.

We viewed and learned about many different parts of the floods. Since it was all interesting it’s difficult to pick out particular highlights but three of the most important things for us were the high water level lines of Ancient Lake Columbia, which backed up behind the ice dam that blocked the Columbia River a few miles east of present day Grand Coulee Dam.

It was also interesting to us to learn that Banks Lake, which fills the Grand Coulee was carved by the floods but then dried up. There was no water in it except when one of the floods occurred. The reason there is water in Banks Lake today is because the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers pumps water up to the lake from Grand Coulee Dam. Therefore, Banks Lake became a 26 mile long reservoir holding tank to help irrigate the mid-Columbia Basin.

Of course Dry Falls is an awe inspiring scene. But something that really surprised most of us was the sight just south of the town of Soap Lake when Marv told us to watch for boulder strewn fields. There were many thousands of huge boulders on both sides of the road for several miles. As the flood waters rushed south, these boulders fell out of the flood waters as the coulee widened and the water slowed down. It was quite a sight and allows you to imagine what may have occurred during those floods.

If there is enough interest, we plan to do more trips into this region and the Columbia Gorge to view more flood areas. Here is a link to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles which has many interesting historical exhibits including ice age floods.

On our way home from the Tri Cities on Sunday we decided not to go out to Palouse Falls on this trip as we originally planned because when we do go out there we want to spend more time and not be rushed to get home. So instead, we drove up on Horse Heaven Hills and drove westbound along the spine all the way west to the Glade Summit and then on to Bickleton and Cleveland.

We descended into Rock Creek Canyon then followed the gravel county road southbound about six miles to Hwy 14 and the Columbia again.

The first pic is the remains of basalt ravaged by floodwaters at the foot of Dry Falls, the second is the Cleveland Pioneer Cemetery between Bickleton and Cleveland.

Mick