Victoria Rock, Tarpiscan Bergmound and Cape Horn Traverse to West Bar Ripples

Last week I visited Tarpiscan Canyon for the first time in years. The canyon is on the west side of the Columbia River above West Bar. A few significant Ice Age Flood features in the area are Moses Coulee, Moses Coulee Bar, Crater Coulee, Babcock Bench, Potholes Coulee and the West Bar Giant Current Ripples.

I didn't see everything I wanted to on this hike. The short November day flew by.

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Victoria Rock

Victoria Rock - An interesting basalt tower standing in the Columbia River channel that's withstood plenty of abuse by floods over the years.

Victoria Rock (Symon's-Downing Image)
I mentioned Lieutenant Symon's "Report of an Examination of the Upper Columbia River: And the Territory in Its Vicinity in September and October, 1881" in a recent post of Sentinel Gap area photos. In his report, Symon's describes Victoria Rock:

A few miles further down there stands in the Columbia River a rock which is one of the most perfect profile rocks in existence. Approaching it from the north, it presents a striking likeness to the profile of Queen Victoria, from which circumstance it was given the name of "Victoria Rock."

Coming nearer to it and passing it on the west, the profile changes and merges into a more Grecian and Sphinx-like face, whose placid immobility takes one's mind involuntarily to far off Egypt. It rises from the surface of the water about one hundred feet, and a pair of eagles have selected it as their home, and upon its extreme top have built a nest, giving, as it were, a crown to this goddess of the Columbia.

The rock is of columnar black basalt. The portion of the river in which this rock is situated is very grand and beautiful.

Lieutenant Thomas William Symons (1881)

There it is ... Victoria Rock. Right where the Lieutenant said it would be.

Construction of Wanapum Dam south of Vantage, was completed in 1963. Only the uppermost portion of Victoria Rock stands above today's reservoir level.

It took an early start from Pasco to begin hiking before sunrise. I had to drive all the way to Wenatchee, cross the river and then drive south to reach the Tarpiscan Creek WDFW parking area. A Vehicle Use Permit is required in this area.

Lieutenant Symon's Map - 1881
Click map to enlarge and you should be able to see Victoria Rock below "Cabinet Rapids". Other notations on map from top are Bishop Rock, Sunken Rock, Rock Island Rapids, Bar of Rocks, Bad Ripple, Little Creek and two small bars just above "Flat" at West Bar.

Looks like notation on top of rim west of Victoria Rock reads "Magnificent Columnar Basaltic Bluffs". The area marked "Flat" at lower right is the NW corner of West Bar.

View northeast over Columbia River to mouth of Moses Coulee. Victoria Rock visible in river at lower right. The huge flood bar on far side of river is the Moses Coulee Bar. Much of the bar is out of frame to right.

I'll try to post Moses Coulee images one of these days. In his book "The Geological History of the Wenatchee Valley and Adjacent Vicinity" Charles Mason states:

"It is the author's opinion that Moses Coulee, above all else, has an atmosphere and character unmatched in our area. One would be hard pressed to find a more inspiring sight than a drive on an early sunny morning through the miles of majestic palisades of the lower coulee".

Moses Coulee

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Tarpiscan Creek Bergmound

Tarpiscan Bergmound - Thousands of years ago, a huge iceberg floated into the Tarpiscan Creek drainage and grounded during one of the Ice Age Flood events. After the floodwaters receded and the ice melted, a large pile the glacial debris carried by the iceberg was left stranded in the canyon.


Mouth of Tarpiscan Canyon - Google Earth View
- Red circle marks bergmound -
I hiked up the canyon for several miles enjoying bright fall colors and the interesting basalt cliffs along the north rim. Way too much time was spent taking pictures of frosty leaves and pine cones (above maximum flood level).

I'd had my eye on the big bar that sits between Tarpiscan Creek and the South Fork of Tarpiscan Creek. Once over the top of the bar I spotted a huge bergmound (marked in image above).

- Large erratics on top of the bergmound -
Erratic I'm leaning on (#1 in photo below) measured over 12ft. end to end.


Another view of erratics shown above. Note smaller erratics in foreground.

So how did the rocks end up in ice?

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Hope you don't mind if we take a quick trip to the lower slopes of Mt. Rainier.

Sometimes it's Hard to tell where the glacier ends and the mountain begins.

Glaciers are often referred to as "Nature's conveyor belts". Rocks from adjacent slopes often fall on top the glacier while ice in contact with the earth below the glacier is picking up rocks and other debris. Material carried on the surface of the glacier is known as "supraglacial debris" while the lower part of the glacier carries "basal debis".

The huge glacial ice dams that failed and released Ice Age Floodwaters were loaded with debris. Large sections of the dams were swept away with the flow and carried over eastern Washington. Some of these icebergs would have ridden the floodwaters all the way to the Pacific Ocean but many ran aground in Washington and Oregon. Rocks and boulders transported by the ice are known as "erratics".

er⋅rat⋅ic 1. deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion; eccentric: erratic behavior. 2. having no certain or definite course; wandering; not fixed: erratic winds. 3. Geology. noting or pertaining to a boulder or the like carried by glacial ice and deposited some distance from its place of origin. 4. (of a lichen) having no attachment to the surface on which it grows. Source: Dictionary.com

Large Boulders on Nisqually Glacier

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OK ... We're back to Tarpiscan Canyon

- Nice collection of large erratics -
(White erratic on skyline is Erratic #2)
Ivar Husa of the Ice Age Floods Institute's Lake Lewis Chapter answers the question "How Large Must an Iceberg be to Carry an Erratic" on Page 4 of the December 2005 Pleistocene Post.

As the iceberg melted, several large boulders rolled down slope. The rocks, gravel, sand and silt aboard the iceberg remained in a huge mound.


Click image above to play what appears to be the first "Bergmound" video posted on Youtube. Video shows relationship of bergmound site to Columbia River.

Not as many smaller scattered erratics in the Tarpiscan area as there are in other Kittitas County drainages to the south. I did see a few similar to this one as I hiked south out of the canyon.

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West Bar Giant Current Ripples

West Bar Giant Current Ripples - Huge current ripples created when fast moving floodwaters swept over the West Bar area. Geologists believe that the West Bar Ripples were formed during one of the last Ice Age Floods - Possibly the final draining of Glacial Lake Columbia.


I started to draw the route I used to get to West Bar on this image but, decided I'd better not do anything that would promote this as West Bar access. I know this basalt face as "Cape Horn".
TIP #1:The animal path I used is above terrace with the big pine.
TIP #2: Don't slip!


West Bar (right). Moses Coulee Bar dipping into Columbia river at left. Thin horizontal line on distant basalt cliff is Babcock Bench.


The Ice Age Floods created many large gravel bars. Moses Coulee Bar is one of them ... Train for scale.


1. Tarpiscan Bergmound
2. West Bar Giant Current Ripples
3. Moses Coulee
4. Crater Coulee - Also known as Crater Draw (No public access).
5. Quincy, WA - City of Quincy's "Local Geology" page.

Ripples from ripple level.

Summertime sunset view of West Bar ripples.- Boat for scale -
Click below to view Giant Current Ripples from Bruce Bjornstad's geocache at the West Bar Overlook.

OPEN LARGE WEST BAR IMAGE

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A couple images here of other ripples you might come across as you explore the Ice Age Floods region.

I noticed these frosty ripples in the sand yesterday while hiking along the White Bluffs (SE of Mattawa, WA). These small ripples were creeated by the wind blowing over the dune.


Belt rock with ripple pattern - Western Montana.

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Arrow points to hiker standing on one of the tallest West Bar ripples.

Geologists estimate the West Bar ripples were formed between 12,000 and 13,000 years ago. The ripples average 24 feet in height and are spaced about 360 feet apart. It's been estimated that the fast moving water that formed these ripples was about 650 feet deep (Not one of the largest floods).

The day this photo was taken, Orin and I arrived at West Bar in his boat ... which is the easiest way to get there. Certain times of the year you can drive to West Bar ... but ... It's a bumpy trip.

WDFW's description of Colockum area roads:

"Extremely primitive. High-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended. Carry water, supplies and a spare tire."

WDFW Colockum Wildlife Area - Ownership & Resource Map


I noticed several several erratics as I walked up and over ripple after ripple.

Large rocks dropped on the crests of giant ripples seem popular with local birds.

Small elk herd on West Bar (Between the arrows). View is south over western edge of ripples.
Colockum Elk Herd


View Larger Map
Use your mouse to navigate Google Map. Click "Ter" for Terrain View.

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Additional Comments from the Symon's Report

Grand Coulee Illustration - Symon's Report
A few text clips from the Symon's Report related to the Ice Age Floods -

The Grand Coulee:

"The coulee here is partially filled up by the broken-down hills. The cause of this break seems to have been a flood of water or ice coming in from the northeast and flowing off down through the coulee chasm. Many rounded bowlders are here found in the soil, and great rocks of large size, which could only have been transported by the agency of ice."

Victoria Rock area:

... "Thousand feet above the river, there lies in an inclined position a stick of timber, barkless and white with age. It never grew there. It is a thousand feet from the top of the vertical bluffs, and could not have been put there from above. The only way in which it could have reached its present position was by being caught there when the river was a thousand feet higher than it is now, drifting in and lodging, and being left there by the receding river.

My pilot. "Old Pierre," an Indian pilot and voyageur of the old Hndson Bay Company, said that this log was a landmark in the days when this company transported their furs and merchandise up and down the river in bateaux. He says that the Indians always considered that the log was left there when the river was up at that height. This is one link in the chain of evidence that proves that at no distant date the Columbia was a stream of such magnificent proportions that the present river is a tiny rivulet compared with it. If this be the true explanation of the location of this log, it is a remarkable example of the preservation of wood for a long period of time. It may be that the log is petrified, but I had no means of getting at it to determine."

- Petrified Log above Columbia River -

The banks are nearly precipitous bluffs, from 2,000 to 3,000 feet high, composed of columnar black basalt, which takes many wonderful shapes and produces many pleasing effects, rivaling the famous Giant's Causeway of Ireland in weird beauty. The columns are in every conceivable position, sometimes piled up like cordwood, in some places erect, and in others inclined; some great masses are twisted and bent, forming niches, arches, grottos, crowns, &c.

A View of Giant's Causeway: East Prospect. Engraving. Susanna Drury -1768

ABC News clip featuring Giant's Causeway

Below Sentinel Gap Symon's describes:

I have endeavored to outline this ancient lake as far as practicable, and propose for it the name of Lake Lewis, after Capt. Merriweather Lewis, the leader of the exploring party which first saw any of the headwaters of the Columbia.

I'd like to encourage anyone that hasn't looked through William D. Layman's book Native River to pick up a copy and thumb through it. The pre-dam Columbia River photos from Priest Rapids to the Canadian border are great!

Some of my favorite images in the book show: Sentinel Gap, Picture Rocks Bay, Vantage Bluffs, Rock Island Rapids, Victoria Rock and Whitestone Rock (I like the skunk story).

When I read Symon's comments about Columbia River basalt exposures rivaling those at Giant's Causeway (never been there but viewed plenty of photos) ... I was thinking he might be a little off but ... Look at the photos in Layman's book of Picture Rocks Bay (now underwater) ... Between amazing columns and the incredible pictographs and petroglyphs ... I can see why he would compare it to one of the most incredible locations on earth.

Link to photo sets from Tarpiscan Canyon hikers at NWHikers.net.

Sentinel Gap and Mattawa Bar

I wasn't able to attend a recent field trip to the Sentinel Gap area that Nick Zentner organized and led. It sounds like everyone had a great time and the 57 Ice Age Floods fans attending enjoyed a sunny afternoon.
I've posted a couple photos below from Nick's trip along with photos taken two weeks ago when I spent a morning hiking around Sentinel Gap and the Mattawa boulder bar (field) on my way north to hike near Frenchman Coulee.

The area I know as "Mattawa Bar" is part of a much larger bar known by two names - Wahluke Bar or Priest Rapids Bar.


With Sentinel Gap in the distance, Ellensburg IAFI Chapter President Nick Zentner describes how Ice Age Floodwaters moved through the Othello Basin. Photo by William Meyer-Ellensburg.

Westbound traffic on I-90 gets a good look at Sentinel Gap while descending to Vantage Bridge.


Ice-Rafted Erratic and Sentinel Gap
Below Sentinel Gap is a huge boulder field that I enjoy visiting every couple of years. A few ice-rafted erratic boulders sit among thousands of basalt boulders. As the floodwaters flowed through Sentinel Gap into the Pasco basin (Lake Lewis), the velocity decreased and the largest bedload material settled out.

Not sure what the story is with the big erratic ... maybe rafted to a point in or near the main Columbia channel above the gap and then tumbled through the gap during one of the later floods or rafted to this exact spot?

Google Earth view showing Sentinel Gap and the huge boulder field. The big erratic I'm standing by in previous image stands out in this shot ... light colored boulder (bottom-center).


Mattawa Erratic
The boulder field west of Mattawa is pretty cool and I feel worth inspection by those interested in Glacial Lake Missoula and the Ice Age Floods but ... the Ephrata Fan below Soap Lake is even more impressive!


Yellow star marks Sentinel Gap-Google Maps Image-
Floodwaters moving through the western channels of the Ice Age Floods region were forced to flow around the Saddle Mountains. Water moving down or over Lower Crab Creek Coulee would have been forced to flow in an easterly direction when Sentinel Gap began to restrict the flow.

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"Sentinel Gap represents a water gap where erosion by the Columbia River was able to keep pace with folding, faulting and uplifting across the Saddle Mountain anticline. During Ice Age floods this opening was repeatedly reamed out, which probably widened and steepened the walls of the gap. ... If and when floodwater flow ever exceeded the capacity of Sentinel Gap, the floodwaters would automatically self-adjust, sending more water east to Othello Channels to establish equilibrium."

Bjornstad

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-Saddle Mountains Recreation-
The sand found on lower slopes of the east bluff makes a great playground for ORV riders. If you want to make the short hike to the top of the east bluff, try for an early start. It gets a little noisy around here later in the day.

One of the things I enjoy about hiking around Vantage is the variety of user groups drawn to the area. You don't run into many people, but all seem to appreciate the unique landscape. In addition to the ORV riders you might get the opportunity to visit with hunters, fishermen, boaters, bird watchers, horse riders, rock climbers (that take great care of the Frenchman Coulee area ... THANKS!!!), para gliders and others.


I hiked up the sandy draw on the left, then descended through basalt chute at right. Small pieces of petrified wood and nice views. Talus below chute no fun, best bet up and down sandy draw or perhaps the road on south side.


View north from rim
Links to HUGEfloods.com trip reports for area hikes.
1. John Wayne Trail
2. Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Part I
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Part II
3. Lower Crab Creek Coulee


Crab Creek is known for its meandering course through the Columbia Basin. The creek makes one more big "S" (cutting through the Beverly Bar) before joining the Columbia River north of Sentinel Gap. Wildlife that enjoys the streamside habitat in lower Crab Creek Coulee can thank the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project for the year-round flow.


In 1881 (October), Lieutenant Thomas W. Symons noted:

"Crab Creek discharges no water into the Columbia-at this time of the year, at any rate."

Link to Symon's 1881: Report of an Examination of the Upper Columbia River

Symons marked Sentinel Gap as "Sentinel Bluffs" on his map. The first mention Sentinel Bluffs I'm aware of was by Alexander Ross in 1811.

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"On the 20th we left the Priest Rapids, and proceeded against a strong ripply current and some small rapids, for ten miles, when we reached two lofty and conspicuous bluffs [Sentinel Bluffs], situate[d] directly opposite to each other, like the piers of a gigantic gate, between which the river flowed smoothly.

Here we staid for the night, on some rocks infested with innumerable rattlesnakes, which caused us not a little uneasiness during the night..."

Alexander Ross [1811]

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Several early explorers of the Mid-Columbia region mentioned the healthy rattlesnake population found between Priest Rapids and Sentinel Gap. I didn't cross paths with any snakes as I hiked on this cool October morning, but did meet up with one later the same day while hiking the south rim of Frenchman Coulee.

I'll borrow a photo from that hike and plug him in here along with a short video (below) of the same snake as he tried to let me know that I should just move along.


Click to view short video of Frenchman Coulee rattlesnake.

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-Priest Rapids Snake Report-

"...Rattlesnakes are very numerous. At times they may be heard hissing all around, so that we had to keep a sharp look-out to avoid treading on them; but the natives appeared to have no dread of them. As soon as one appears, the Indians fix its head to the ground with a small forked stick round the neck, then extracting the fang or poisonous part, they take the reptile into their hands, put it to their bosoms, play with it , and let it go again."

Alexander Ross [1811]

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Washington State Department of Transportation engineers aren't the first to have issues moving traffic between the Columbia River and the steep basalt cliffs at Sentinel Gap.

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Joel Palmer's Wagon Road 1858-60

Palmer found Sentinel Gap to be an obstacle when attempting to establish a Wagon Road between Priest Rapids and Canadian mines. He was forced to unload the wagons and use two canoes side by side to ferry each wagon around the steep rocky bank to Crab Creek. Boards were laid down in the canoes to support wagon wheels. Oxen were driven along a narrow Indian trail through the rocks.

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Sentinel Gap Diatomite Exposure

Faint strandlines are visible on both sides of the river at Sentinel Gap.

While hiking down from the east rim, I watched load after load of apples move through the gap. The Mattawa area is known for quality vegetable and fruit production.

Mattawa area pea harvest (June).

Huge boulders have been pushed to the edge of vineyard along SR 243. Sentinel Gap in the distance.

The The Wahluke Slope became Washington's eighth appellation in 2006. Clifton Hill Vineyard has a nice group of boulders displayed along the highway.


I hope the guy living here is excited about the Ice Age Floods. Those are some nice flood-tossed boulders in the front yard and the backyard should be in a geology text book.


Good luck digging a post hole out here. I guess just putting the post in a drum and filling it with basalt will work.


October Wildflowers

Tales of early steamboats on the Columbia are pretty wild. For many years Priest Rapids created enough of an impediment to prevent the boats from reaching Sentinel Gap and beyond.

W.R. Todd operating near White Bluffs
Image from Hanford Site Historical Photo Gallery


To support passage of early steamboats on the Snake and Columbia rivers, anchors were often fixed to allow crews to line their vessels through difficult sections. As far as I know, any anchors used for this purpose in the Priest Rapids area are now underwater behind the dam. Photo above was taken on a Snake River boat trip in Hells Canyon where several of the anchors remain.

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Randall V. Mill's book "Stern-Wheelers Up Columbia" describes the first successful steamboat navigation of Priest Rapids in the 1880's:

... a new boat, named appropriately the City of Ellensburgh, slid into the river at Pasco, and as soon as the trial runs showed that everything was all right with her, Captain Gray loaded her with cordwood and headed upstream. Priest Rapids broke the river badly, but Gray got out a line, rigged tackle, and by using the capstan, hauled the boat over the rapids to where her wheel could get a grip on Quiet water.

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Columbia River Steamer John Gates 1884. Photographer unknown


-Priest Rapids Bar-
If you travel between the Vernita Bridge and Sentinel Gap, make sure to check out the 430 foot high Priest Rapids Bar to the east. Photo taken from SR 243 shows Road L-SW climbing to top of the massive flood bar.


Historic Beverly Railroad Bridge north of Sentinel Gap.


Click to view short video clips from top of east bluff and Mattawa boulder bar. I need to find better free music files ... sorry about that.


View Larger Map
Google Maps view of boulder field. Large erratic shown earlier in post is visible at bottom center (just above "2009" in credit) of aerial image. Use your mouse to control map navigation tools at top left.


The Heritage Center at Wanapum Dam provides an excellent introduction to the people who have called this area home for many years.


Great shot from Nick Zentner, showing Ellensburg IAFI field trip members spreading out to explore huge boulder field near Mattawa. Ellensburg IAFI chapter meetings and field trips are free and open to all. Visit chapter page at Ellensburg Ice Age Floods Institute.

The boulder field shown in image is part of the WDFW Columbia Basin Wildlife Area's Priest Rapids Unit.

Link to WDFW area Ownership Map

A WDFW Vehicle Use Permit is required to visit the big erratic.


Sentinel Gap and Surrounding Points of Interest
1. John Wayne Trail
2. Ginkgo State Park
3. West Bar
4. Frenchman Coulee
5. Potholes Coulee
6. Priest Rapids Dam
7. Frenchman Hills
8. Lower Crab Creek Coulee
9. Dry Falls
10. Ephrata Fan
11. Potholes Reservoir
12. Drumheller Channels
13. White Bluffs
14. Hanford Site


Sentinel Gap from Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies sculpture.

Babcock Bench Hike - Frenchman Coulee to Potholes Coulee

On the east side of the Columbia River, 20 mile long Babcock Bench stretches from Trinidad to a point just north of the Interstate 90 bridge at Vantage, WA.

Ice Age floodwaters from Glacial Lake Missoula and other sources raced through the region, eroding tremendous amounts of basalt. The entablature of the Sentinel Bluffs flow was able to withstand the erosive forces of the water in this area, leaving a remarkable terrace 500 feet above the Columbia River up to one mile wide in places. Photo below provides a good look at the river and bench.

-Click any image to enlarge-


Aerial view (looking north) taken a few years ago shows mouth of Frenchman Coulee and part of the southern section of Babcock Bench. To start this October hike, I parked at the spot marked with yellow star and hiked north to Potholes Coulee. If you're considering this hike you might want to look at a shuttle so you don't need to backtrack. My hike was just over 24 miles up and back.

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Babcock Bench
One of many pieces of evidence that helped unravel the Ice Age Floods Mystery.

J Harlen Bretz described Babcock Bench as " ... a very marked ledge of basalt, one mile wide in places."

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The bench is for the most part, just a long flat shelf but far from featureless. Explore the river side or the wall to the east and you'll find all sorts of Columbia River Basalt formations that were shaped by the Ice Age Floods. Once columns like these were exposed by a flood, the following flood(s) would easily take apart the formation by plucking entire columns.


View from the east rim looking south over the tops of basalt columns and down Babcock Bench.

Other Ice Age Flood features found along the hike are various gravel bars, ice-rafted erratics, shallow potholes and mesas.


A few erratic boulders sit on Babcock Bench. The boulders were rafted to the area in icebergs during Ice Age Flood events. Today they look out of place in this land of dark brown basalt.


One of the nice scabland features found along the way. This mesa stands high above the Columbia River in the Sunland Estates area.


Fluted gravel bar shown is part of a much larger bar just below point where the river channel makes a slight turn to the east (see next image to view entire bar). This fluted portion of bar is just below and left of red circle #2 - next image.



1. - Sunland Estates
2. - Huge gravel bar (pictured above)
3. - Potholes Coulee


Google Maps terrain image shows hiking route between Frenchman Coulee and Potholes Coulee. I walked cross county going north and followed the old jeep road on return trip.


Several interesting cross canyons (running east to west) cut into the Bench, allow for a look at the basalt flows you've been walking on.


Erratic

I guess if I'm going to stand in these for scale, I should get closer. I think this erratic must be about five feet wide. View north up bench. Great description of Babcock Bench hikes and photo of this erratic in Bruce Bjornstad's book "On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods". Notice the job the floods did scrubbing the bench. I bet this place is covered with bitterroot in the spring.

Erratic sits at N47.0883 - W120.0151


A couple small waterfalls are found between Cave B and the Columbia River. Sad face at left edge of basalt.


Quiet today as I walked by the Gorge Amphitheatre. Stroll by this place at certain times of the year and you could be listening to a rock band and 25,000 fans.


Google Earth view
1. Gorge Amphitheatre
2. Flood Bar
3. Center-Pivot Irrigation
4. Sunland Estates


Fall color in another east-west canyon cutting through bench.


1. West Bar (Giant Current Ripples)
2. Potholes Coulee


The big overhang in the south alcove of Potholes Coulee. Time for a quick lunch before heading back. If you haven't explored Potholes Coulee you're missing out ... This is one of the most amazing places (Top 5) in the entire Ice Age Floods region.

Here's a link to a paper on Potholes Coulee:
The Geomorphology of Potholes Coulee, Quincy Basin, Washington by Marc Fairbanks. A pleistocene sloth that was dug up on Babcock Bench is mentioned.




Interesting piece of basalt with plenty of gas bubbles (vesicles). Looks like it was really tumbled to have such a rounded shape.


The floods left some unfinished business here. The next flood or two shouldn't have much trouble bringing down this huge piece of entablature now that floodwaters can work all sides.


This is one cool pile of rocks. The photo doesn't do it justice ... Looks great when you can walk around and view from all angles.


This was a nice viewpoint. Easy access from another column just out of frame at right.


These hedgehog cactus are one of my favorites. Pretty healthy population of them on the other side of river. Their pink blooms in the spring are great!


Name for this island?


I followed a small stream down to the Columbia. A few salmon were swimming at the mouth of the creek. Some had expired and were scattered along the shore. Long trip from the Pacific ... I hope this was his destination.

The winery has done a nice job marking several trails below the facility.

Cave B Inn from the bench. I'm not sure if it will be there when you click on it but ... The day I posted this, the site had a great sunset photo of Babcock Bench at Cave B / Sage Cliffe.


Use your mouse to navigate around map.

WDFW driving directions to Potholes Coulee and Frenchman Coulee. Release below involves access to Potholes Coulee.


Scabland Gang Activity?

Columbia Basin Wildlife Area - Press Release
Quincy Lakes

Continuing gang-related vandalism is prompting early closure of an entrance gate to the Quincy Lakes unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area in Grant County.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will close the unit’s south entrance gate Aug. 24. The north entrance will remain open.

The south gate closure is in response to gang-related graffiti tagging, garbage dumping and destruction of public property, including toilets, concrete walkways, parking areas and signs. Closing one entrance gate is expected to reduce unpermitted through-traffic on the north-south road through the unit. That road is traditionally closed to motor vehicles Oct. 1 through Feb. 28 during hunting season. Foot traffic is allowed year-round.

The south entrance will remain closed indefinitely. Wildlife area users are encouraged to report vandalism and any other illegal activity to local law enforcement.

For more information contact WDFW’s Northcentral Region Office in Ephrata at (509) 754-4624.

Palouse Falls and Palouse River Canyon - Whitman County Side

Hikers enjoy lunch break at Palouse Falls.

The Ice Age Floods from Glacial Lake Missoula and other sources carved the Palouse River canyon and created spectacular Palouse Falls.

I felt fortunate to be allowed to join a group of six other Ice Age Floods enthusiasts on a hike along the east rim of the Palouse River Canyon. The area is privately owned and has been maintained in a pristine condition by a family that obviously appreciates this unique and spectacular landscape.

Lloyd Stoess organized the hike and arranged for our entry with the landowner. I can't thank him enough for letting me tag along. The arrow-straight upper channel of the Palouse River Canyon and Winn Lake Canyon are Ice Age Floods features I've always wanted to view.

- Click any image to expand -

Our hike began in the rolling Palouse hills several miles east of the canyon. These windblown loess deposits on top of the basalt, have accumulated at depths up to 250 feet. This image was taken near the margin of a huge channel swept by the Ice Age Floods.

Wheat farming ends where the floods stripped away the soil. Mounds shown beyond the wheat are Streamlined Palouse hills that withstood the floodwaters. These large mounds are erosional remnants of Palouse hills.

Another Streamlined Palouse hill along our route. Note exposed basalt bedrock between fence and loess island.

I found the quote below in geologist Bruce Bjornstad's book "On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods":

"The 'islands' of loess which make striking features on many broad scabland tracts are almost invariably elongated with the gradiant of the tract and are almost invariably scarped on the sides and upgradient end ... Many such hills or hill groups are separated by narrow scabland channels. Some stand alone in the scabland, miles from others of their kind."

J Harlen Bretz (1928)

View east - back to the wheat fields.
In early October, Findley Lake looks better on the GPS and maps than it does in person.

1. Findley Lake


2. Animal trail to seasonal water


3. Scabland


4. Palouse hills east of channel

Google Map terrain view shows one of the Streamlined Palouse hills in the area. Use mouse to navigate map.


Lloyd leads the group through several miles of scabland on our way to the Palouse River Canyon.


I shot a few short videos during the hike. Click arrow to play. Sorry I'm not very steady with the camera. The tripod was home in closet.


Amazing place when you try to visualize the floodwaters that created these features.


The floods scoured out many depressions in the channel that today serve as seasonal water sources for livestock and wildlife.


Google Earth view of the upper Palouse River Canyon. Note deep tectonic fractures in the area that were eroded and scoured out by the Ice Age Floods. The view in this image is to the north ... Arrow marks Palouse Falls ... Washtucna Coulee runs east to west at top. During some Ice Age Flood events, Washtucna Coulee was too small to carry the floodwater. When the torrent overtopped the coulee rim, it flowed south to the Snake River carving the Palouse River Canyon.


Another Google Earth image. View looking south from Washtucna Coulee. The straight 4.5 mile trench in the upper canyon sure is facinating.


View from canyon rim looking north - Up the 4.5 mile trench.


Railroad bridge in upper canyon.


Union Pacific equipment on west side of canyon. Bruce Bjornstad hiking along east rim.


Geologists Bruce Bjornstad and Gene Kiver patiently answered our questions about Columbia River Basalt and the Ice Age Floods.


Laminated deposits on the right confused me. I was behind the group when I noticed these.


View of Palouse Falls State Park viewpoint from behind falls.


Here's a shot for Tyler Bradt in case he finds this page. The flow on the day of our hike was much lower than it was when he made his 186-foot kayak drop off the falls to set a world record earlier this year. Link at bottom of this page to interview where Tyler describes his thoughts as he went over the edge.


Not the best lighting with half the falls in shadow.


View across canyon to Palouse Falls State Park viewpoint. I'm standing in line with a fracture in the basalt that's been scoured out by the floods (large cracks on both east and west rim of canyon line up).

The terraced inner-canyon is pretty amazing. The Palouse River Canyon and nearby Devil's Canyon are good locations to examine Columbia River Basalt flows.


Canyon resident

South of the falls we found several interesting basalt towers.


Hikers stand below group of columns that withstood the floodwaters.

Lone column along canyon rim.

Winn Lake Canyon is an incredible Ice Age Floods feature. A classic example of a flood carved coulee. Walking into Winn Lake Canyon was my favorite part of the hike.


Another shot of loess islands in the channel.


Hikers (bottom left) walk around the upstream end of a Streamlined Palouse hill on our way back to the wheat fields.

The glossary in Bjornstad's "On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods" describes loess as:

Windblown silt and fine sand that has collected downwind of sedimentary basins along the floods route, especially in the Palouse country where it accumulated into rolling hills up to 250 feet thick. Loess began forming about the same time as the earliest Ice Age Floods (about 2 million years ago) and continues to form today.

Images below (2) show examples of windblown loess in the Columbia Basin.


Image recorded by NASA on 4 October 2009. Blue circle marks Pasco, WA.
Arrows label Moses Coulee (1), Grand Coulee (2), Telford-Crab Creek (3) and Cheney-Palouse (4) Ice Age Flood tracts that are well defined in this high altitude image.

NASA TEXT: Visibility dropped to zero in parts of eastern Washington on October 4, 2009, as a large dust storm blew through. This image of the storm was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite shortly after noon (Pacific Daylight Time). According to local news, the storm brought strong winds gusting to 43 miles per hour in places that propelled the dust across the southeast corner of the state. After numerous multi-vehicle accidents, sections of Interstate 90 near the town of Moses Lake and several local roads had to be closed for several hours.
The dust storm persisted for several hours and was still visible when Aqua MODIS flew over the region at 2:00 p.m. local time. The Terra MODIS image shown here is available in multiple resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System.

Open large 7 mb NASA Image of dust storm.


Dust Devil


GPS track shows 14 mile hike route. Thanks again Lloyd!!!


At least I know where Hooper is.


These two patrol the streets of Hooper. Bruce has a story about the big one.


The fractures are pretty distinct in this Google Map terrain view. About five clicks of the "Right" arrow will shift view to the Streamlined Palouse hills shown in several images above.


One more look over the lip of Palouse Falls. I'm so impressed with Tyler Bradt's trip over the falls! Link to Tyler Bradt interview below.

Click above to play interview with Tyler Bradt that describes his world record kayak drop over Palouse Falls.

Link to images and photos of Palouse Falls in winter.

Link to images and photos of Palouse Falls near flood stage.

Link to USGS Palouse River flow at Hooper.

Ice Age Floods Features - East Rim of the Grand Coulee

Photos from a September hike along the east rim of the Grand Coulee - between the "Million Dollar Mile" and Northrup Canyon. Bruce Bjornstad and I enjoyed the awesome Ice Age Floods features found along this 15 mile hike. Not sure of ownership in a few areas ... we tried to stay as close to the rim as possible throughout the hike.

Click any image to expand


Million Dollar Mile
This spendy one mile stretch of Hwy 155 in the Grand Coulee was built in 1948. The cut through the basalt became necessary as the Bureau of Reclamation filled Banks Lake.


Hiked from location marked as 7 to 4.
The Grand Coulee is considered by many to be the most remarkable legacy of the Ice Age floods. Today the massive coulee is used for off-channel storage of Columbia River water. A huge pumping station adjacent to Grand Coulee dam lifts water into the coulee. This water will either generate power as it returns to the Columbia River or flow south to irrigate crops in the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project as far south as Pasco.

1. Lake Roosevelt
2. Grand Coulee Dam
3. North Dam
4. Northrup Canyon
5. Steamboat Rock
6. Nespelem Silt deposits (white bank)
7. Million Dollar Mile
8. Dry Falls Dam
9. Dry Falls
10.Deep Lake


Geologist/Author Bruce Bjornstad hikes near an impressive basalt butte created by the Ice Age Floods.


Hiking south to north along the coulee rim.

The floods scoured out many saucer shaped potholes along the east rim. These are cool but I'm more impressed with the Deep Lake and East Lenore Channel potholes a few miles to the south. Bruce for scale.


The potholes hold water late into the season. A Google satellite image got us close to these potholes. We then followed animal trails to go from one pothole to the next.


The guy on the right - that didn't want to pose - looked like a nice buck.


Half of this pothole disappeared as the Grand Coulee widened.


Looking north up the Grand Coulee. Basalt knob on east rim shown in next image.



Photo by Bruce shows Steamboat Rock to the north. Tom hiking along rim at right.


This Bureau of Reclamation photo shows Grand Coulee Dam and the upper Grand Coulee.

1. Grand Coulee Dam
2. Lake Roosevelt
3. Pumping Station
4. Feeder Canal
5. North Dam
6. Steamboat Rock


Early photos show the Grand Coulee looked much different prior to the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. Photos from top show Steamboat Rock, BOR employees walking through wheat fields on the coulee floor and the clearing of sagebrush.

To view hundreds of photos taken during the construction of Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, visit Central Washington University's Rufus Woods Collection.

This band of palagonite formed when lava flowed into water. -Photo by Bruce ...Tom trying not to slip on the mini marbles.

Columbia River Basalt Group


Bruce standing on ring dike near the coulee rim.



Google satellite view of the same ring dike.
-Use your mouse to navigate satellite view-


East coulee wall
1. Hwy 155
2. Steamboat Rock State Park entrance
3. Northrup Canyon


Here's a shot for the three or four people out there who enjoy longitudinal groove images.


Looking north to Castle Rock (flat top).


Steamboat Rock in the upper Grand Coulee. The Nespelem Silt deposits on the coulee floor can be examined along the lake shore.


The white banks below Steamboat Rock sure are interesting. This view from the coulee rim shows the best exposure of Nespelem Silt in the coulee. These lake deposits were probably laid down in Glacial Lake Columbia between (or after) the megafloods.


Wave action along the shore of Banks Lake disturbs the silt deposits.


Here are a couple of shots taken during a visit to the Nespelem silt deposits in the spring. The petrified doughnuts found on the beach make me hungry.


Bruce views a section of the Nespelem silt deposits. The bank is unstable in places ... Use caution if you explore this area ... Not a good place to visit with children!!!


In some sections of the Nespelem silt deposits you can follow the alligator skin pattern into the bank. Ice age mud cracks!




Back to the coulee rim hike ... Another shot of the Nespelem silt deposits. The white banks shown in previous images are along the far shoreline in this photo. Note the giant current ripples.


Bruce views the flood-swept east rim of the Grand Coulee.

Map created by Bruce shows ice lobe that diverted Columbia River and floodwaters from Glacial Lake Missoula down the Grand Coulee.

At times the ice lobe blocked the Columbia River creating Glacial Lake Columbia. This photo from another trip (a few miles NE of Northrup Canyon) shows Glacial Lake Columbia shorelines cut into the hills 1,000 feet above the surface of Lake Roosevelt.


Haystack Rocks (large pieces of basalt) scattered above the west rim of the Grand Coulee were left behind when the ice sheet melted.


Here's a shot of a huge haystack rock west of the Grand Coulee (wife Teresa left of rock). Yeager Rock sits next to Hwy 172 east of Mansfield.


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Tough place to farm! That's Yeager rock upper left. Use mouse to view more debis left by the ice sheet.


One of the erratic boulders stranded on the east rim of the Grand Coulee. Not as many granite boulders on the east rim compared to what you find on top of Steamboat Rock.


Photo from another hike shows one of the many granite boulders stranded on top of Steamboat Rock. View down the Grand Coulee.


Another of the large erratics on top of Steamboat Rock. View shows mouth of Northrup Canyon (1) and Whitney Canyon (2) along east rim.


Northrup Canyon from Steamboat Rock. Plenty of history in this canyon.


Northrup Canyon Structures.

It was getting pretty late when Bruce and I reached Northrup Canyon. Great day with perfect weather.

Open link to view map of Coulee Corridor


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National Geologic Trail Press Conference

The Ice Age Floods Institute held a press conference today regarding legislation that was passed by Congress on March 25, 2009, authorizing the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. The legislation is the culmination of a multi-year effort. The primary sponsors of the legislation are U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and U.S. Congressman Doc Hastings.

Link to Tri-City Herald coverage: Press Conference


Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Press Conference speakers Gary Kleinknecht (Ice Age Floods Institute President), U.S. Congressman Doc Hastings and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell.


Congressman Hastings and Senator Cantwell hold small ice-rafted erratics that were presented by the Ice Age Floods Institute.


Senator Maria Cantwell

“Since 2001, I have been working with communities in Central and Eastern Washington, the National Park Service, and community stakeholders to create an Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail through portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana,” said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell. “Visitors to the trail will not only provide an important economic boost to Central and Eastern Washington communities, but they will learn about an amazing, and often overlooked, part of our region’s history.”

Check out the huge erratic boulder above - left side of image. This boulder was ice-rafted to the Badger Mountain area during the Ice Age Floods. Material on the kiosk describes that the erratic was moved to this point during construction of homes a short distance away.


Congressman Doc Hastings

“I was proud to sponsor the legislation establishing the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail in the House of Representatives,” said U.S. Congressman Doc Hastings. “It is fitting that the first-ever National Geologic Trail should highlight the unique and dramatic landscape of the inland Northwest, which was shaped by these Ice Age floods. This trail will serve to inform local residents about our unique geologic history, attract and support tourism to the region, and do so by interpreting sites on existing public lands rather than adding new regulations to private landowners or through the costly acquisition of new federal lands.”

Lake Lewis Maximum Elevation 1,250 feet.

The press conference was held in Trailhead Park, (541 Queensgate Dr., Richland) on the slopes of Badger Mountain. As you hike the trail to the top of Badger Mountain, you'll pass this marker placed at the Ice Age Floods high-water line.



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Badger Mountain (lower left) and Queensgate Drive in Richland. Use Google's navigation tools to explore the area.


Bruce Bjornstad created this illustration to show approximate water level during major Ice Age Flood events. Click to enlarge and notice the summit of Badger Mountain became an island surrounded by temporary Lake Lewis.


Keith Dunbar is the National Park Service Chief of Planning for the Pacific West Region.



Kris Watkins, CEO for the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau describes tourism opportunities for communities along the trail.






Geologist/Author Bruce Bjornstad
I'm not sure what Bruce is describing here but he's probably explaining a flood feature or giving directions to a hike in the Channeled Scablands.

Bruce's book "On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods" is available at the Ice Age Floods Institute store.


Dale Middleton
It made my day to see Dale at the press conference. Dale has worked hard for many years to make sure that the story of the Ice Age Floods is told.


George Last
George deserves a ton of credit for the Ice Age Floods kiosk and high-water marker along the Badger Mountain trail. George serves as President of the Lake Lewis chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute.


Terry Hurd is President of the Columbia Gorge chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute. I'll always appreciate Terry's help and advice when Nick Zentner, Karl Lillquist and I were starting the IAFI chapter in Ellensburg.


Ice-rafted erratic along bike path to Badger Mountain.

Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail

The Trail will become part of the network of existing public highways through Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, enabling the public to view, experience, and learn about the features and story of the Ice Age floods through the collaborative efforts of public and private entities.

The Ice Age Floods were the largest documented flood events known to have occurred on Earth. The discharge of water from Glacial Lake Missoula as the ice dam failed equaled ten times the flow of all of the rivers on Earth. The Glacial Lake Missoula contained over 500 cubic miles of water when the ice dam failed.

Learn more about the trail at the Ice Age Floods Institute site: IAFI Trail Page

Umatilla Rock - Dry Falls

View north from top of Umatilla Rock
-Dry Falls Lake upper left-
Dry falls is one of the most well known features created by the Ice Age Floods. This great cataract group is primarily made up of Dry Falls, Monument and Deep Lake coulees. The two best known lakes immediately below the precipice are Dry Falls Lake (Bretz refers to this lake as "Falls Lake" in his papers) and Deep Lake.

-Umatilla Rock-

The State describes Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park as a 4,027-acre camping park with 73,640 feet of freshwater shoreline at the foot of Dry Falls. Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of North America. Carved by Ice Age floods that long ago disappeared, the former waterfall is now a stark cliff, 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide. In its heyday, the waterfall was four times the size of Niagara Falls. Today it overlooks a desert oasis filled with lakes and abundant wildlife.

Umatilla Rock is the long slender island in the big horseshoe shaped cataract system. Dry Falls Coulee on left, Monument Coulee on Right. Deep Lake Coulee joins from the far right. The State Park's northern boundary is confusing. The ranger in the visitor center has tearoff maps available.

I parked at what looked to be a new turnout or small parking area along the west side of Umatilla Rock and found a faint path through the talus. Near the top I had to use both hands to access a ledge or two before reaching the top. I don't think this is an official part of the Umatilla Rock trail. Hazards encountered by those hiking in the park seem to be listed on all trailhead signs.

The top of Umatilla Rock is pretty cool. The Ice Age Floods really swept this thing off flat.


Looking off the east side of Umatilla Rock, one views huge basalt blocks scattered over the western portion of Monument Coulee.

This basalt shelf in Monument Coulee is pretty cool. It sits just downstream from a large depositional feature and has been drilled from above by a kolk (underwater tornado/whirlpool) during an Ice Age Flood event. The feature left by the kolk is known as a pothole.

-Pothole-


My favorite wildflower.
Bitterroot blooms (Lewisia rediviva).

According to the Wikipedia page: "The Lemhi Shoshone believed the small red core found in the upper taproot had special powers, notably being able to stop a bear attack."

The hike into Monument Coulee along the east side of Umatilla Rock is nice when the wildflowers are blooming. The huge basalt blocks shown in earlier photos are pretty impressive when viewed from the coulee floor.

Monument Coulee Trip Report - Seattle PI

An interesting spire stands at the south end of Umatilla Rock.


The same basalt blocks that were mentioned above. Several similar clusters are found nearby.


North end of Umatilla Rock. Fisherman on Dry Falls Lake at right.


Umatilla Rock from the brink of the falls.


Deep Lake
This is one of the most amazing areas in the Channeled Scablands. Every time I visit the Deep Lake area I find more incredible Ice Age Flood features.

Deep Lake Trip Report - Seattle PI


In his 1932 publication "The Grand Coulee", J Harlen Bretz included images and description of the "pothole-riddled ledges south of Deep Lake". Bretz noted that some of the holes are 40-50 feet deep.


The Ice Age Floods ripped out and removed tremendous amounts of basalt from the Upper and Lower Grand Coulee. There are a few sheltered areas where the floods deposited material ... Small gravel bar on opposite side of coulee. Check out all those potholes!!!

A few of the Deep Lake potholes with a blue pickup truck for scale.

If you visit the Washington State Park's Centennial Page you can open a copy of the Interpretive Master Plan
for the Ice Age Floods in Washington State Parks

The document describes this group of potholes:

"Another spectacular feature is a tight cluster of the deep potholes beyond Sun Lakes just west of Deep Lake. These potholes lie along the valley bottom and require only a 5-10 minute walk from the road."

CAUTION: I'd like to add that a fall into one of these potholes could be fatal!!!


This high altitude image from Google shows the same group of potholes. Click the minus symbol to view surrounding terrain.

I actually measured one of the Deep Lake potholes last year. This illustration is pretty close to scale. I'm 5'10, the pothole is 48' deep and 76' across.

One of the many bedload carried erratics scattered through the park.


This pothole just above the brink of the falls has a nice shape but the water quality doesn't look good. Nasty looking layer of algae.

Red Alkali Lake and Green Lake in upper Monument Coulee.


I almost stepped on the female killdeer tending these eggs.


Interesting pothole gouged into a weak section of the basalt.



Google aerial view of the same pothole. Zoom out or pan side to side to view location of pothole shown in the previous image.


The huge basalt knobs pictured above are between Monument and Deep Lake coulees. The cover of one of my favorite books about the Ice Age Floods shows the same feature viewed from a different angel. David Alt's Glacial Lake Missoula and it's Humongous Floods is available at the IAFI Store.


The Dry Falls area is one of the best locations to view Longitudinal Grooves carved by the floods. They sure stand out this time of year when the grooves are filled with blooming wildflowers.

The State Park's Visitor Center at Dry Falls houses excellent displays that describe the creation of the Lower Grand Coulee. Videos that explain Lake Missoula and the Ice Age Floods are also shown.

I'd be willing to provide a couple gallons of basalt brown paint to the State Parks if they ever decide to paint the south wall of this ugly structure. You can see the big white box for miles.


On previous visits to the Dry Falls overlook, I failed to notice this small flood tumbled erratic placed on one of the stone walls.


The Dry Falls overlook has been a popular spot for years. Photo above from the Rufus Woods Collection (Housed at Central Washington University), shows a woman photographing Dry Falls in 1940 (Umatilla Rock in the distance).


Another image from the Rufus Woods collection. The caption posted for this 1946 shot states: "F.A. Banks, Supervising Engineer at Grand Coulee Dam explains features to Secretary of Interior Krug and party at Dry Falls near Coulee City, Wash."


Dry Falls viewed from the visitor center along SR17.




This set of contour lines is pretty good evidence that the Ice Age Floods were a powerful force.


Sunday, June 7, 2009
FIELD TRIP: Dry Falls and the Lower Grand Coulee (led by Karl Lillquist, Coulee City native!)
8:00 am - 6:00 pm (carpool from Hebeler Hall parking lot)
More information soon on the Ellensburg Chapter page.


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