Missoula Floods

[RidgeRunner]

Since I often incorporate history and wheeling together my goal is to look for places to go that will satisfy my insatiable lust for “What happened here”.

A number of years ago I read a book about J. Harlen Bretz, a geologist who discovered the reason for the geological events, better known as the Missoula Floods, that occurred in the Northwest 12,000 + years ago.

The name of the book is Cataclisms on the Columbia by John Eliot Allen and Marjorie Burns. This book is being updated and reprinted.

In a nutshell, near the end of the last ice age, huge, multiple floods occurred, after ice dams broke, and massive amounts of water flowed across Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington , down the Columbia Basin, through the Columbia Gorge and on to the Pacific Ocean. Where I live here in the Portland area, the water was about 400 ft. deep. It resulted in what’s now known as the Scablands of Eastern Washington. It left a lot of evidence that can be seen when you know what to look for.

The National Park Service is in the process of implementing interpretive centers and driving routes so people can learn and see what happened. Some of it certainly takes some imagination, particularly for those of us who don’t have much geological training.

I’ve made countless trips, driving across and flying over the area for more than 30 years and didn’t really know what I was looking at until I read the book and saw the Mystery of the Megaflood: Nova which is available on Netflix. You can also Google (Missoula Floods), (Ancient Floods), etc and get a flood of information.

My wife and I joined the Ice Age Flood Institute earlier this year and have participated in some of their events, some of which were conducted by trained geologists. In July, I made a trip to the Mid-Columbia Basin and did some exploring on my own. You can see a lot when you have a reference such as this book.


I'd like to start thinking about more trips to see more. If there are any folks interested in this subject maybe we could get together and do an organized trip. A lot of it is highway driving but with a little research, we can take some off-highway excursions that will reveal evidence that the general public will probably miss and exercise our suspension systems at the same time.

Anyway, I’ll throw this out as conversation for now and we'll see what pops up in the way of interest, then we can plan some trips. I'm a tax consultant so I'm tied up until April 15th.

Mick

[Steve]

This sounds like a great area to explore. It would a great geology lesson for my daughter (hopefully she is willing to go).

Since the snow doesn't melt in the high country until June/July, this sounds like a great trip after for late April or May.

I could go on one of these dates:

April 19
May 3
May 17

Or maybe into even into June

hint-hint

Steve

[RidgeRunner]

Steve, I'll do a little planning to see what timing would work well and put a post into "Trip Planning", working with your timeframe also.

Thanks,

Mick

[Jerry]

Great idea. All of the Channeled Scablands is a neat area to explore. We have driven hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of backroads through the area over the years and never get tired of it. There are several dirt roads leading into pothole areas, especially in Lincoln, Spokane and Franklin Counties, that may or may not be accessible now. The Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed several roads.

We, too, have collected several books on the Spokane/Missoula/Bretz Floods as well as a couple of videos if anybody would like to borrow them. Very interesting. And for laymen, like me, a stop at the Grand Coulee Dam Information Center or the Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science, and Technology in Richland will give you the best understanding.

But, science, geology and history aside, I am more interested in when the folks from the Willamette Valley are going to reimburse us poor farmers in eastern Washington for all our topsoil???????
Jerry

[RidgeRunner]

Originally Posted by soggymountain

But, science, geology and history aside, I am more interested in when the folks from the Willamette Valley are going to reimburse us poor farmers in eastern Washington for all our topsoil???????
Jerry

Glad to hear you're interested in the "Floods" also, Jerry. It would be fun to tag along with someone who has seen a lot of the area. Bjornstad's book has numerous driving, hiking and flying routes that has accompanying information.

Mick

[Jerry]

I just finished up the preliminary 2008 Events Calendar for Backroad Drivers Northwest and scheduled a Channeled Scablands tour for April 19th. That date is not set in stone, but it is one Steve has off, it's a good time to explore eastern Washington and we were looking for an April event. If it works, great, if not that's okay, too.

You can view the calendar at:
http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/EKtmRzmhLFRu66Oadrls0SuDLGzho2PouqXb2F5RqBQzbOZ3US D79Pg5dc8wKQKIDTlxw5UR6Q_SqCItS2uv/EVENTS%20CALENDAR/2008%20EVENTS%20CALENDAR

And if that link doesn't work just go to the Backroad Drivers main page, click on Files, then Events Calendar:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/BackroadDrivers/

Jerry

[Steve]

Jerry, thats quite an impressive calendar so far. Good job.

Steve

[Jerry]

My wife and I joined the Ice Age Flood Institute earlier this year and have participated in some of their events, some of which were conducted by trained geologists. - RidgeRunner

It would be fun to tag along with someone who has seen a lot of the area. Bjornstad's book has numerous driving, hiking and flying routes that has accompanying information. -RidgeRunner

...that's quite an impressive calendar so far. -Steve

The date I chose for the Channeled Scablands Tour, April 19th, is arbitrary. The main idea was to get something on the calendar. Please let me know if the 19th works out for you. Also, if the Ice Age Flood Institute is planning any public guided tours perhaps we should tag along.

I would be happy to lead the tour, but I ask for your input as to which features you might like to see. The area is so expansive we cannot cover it all in a weekend of driving. The other thing is if you want to explore up close on hiking or biking trails, that's okay, just state so in the tour announcement, but that activity is not for everybody including me.

I was not aware of the Ice Age Flood Institute until you mentioned it, Mick, and will look into it further. Their web page was a good start. Thanks for the link.

The BDNW Calendar is taking shape and there is still plenty of room for new events as well as time to switch those already listed including the Channeled Scablands Tour.
Jerry

[Albino94ltd]

If you don't have this book, y'all should get it. www.amazon.com/Roadside-Geology-Washington/dp/0878421602/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197926052&sr= 8-1

[Jerry]

If you don't have this book, y'all should get it - Roadside Geology of Washington

Ditto. An excellent book to keep in your vehicle. Roadside Geology of Oregon, too.