The Ellensburg Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will host a field trip that covers the Vantage Highway corridor between Ellensburg and Vantage. On Saturday, May 18 2024. We will meet at Wildhorse Wind and Solar Facility and Renewable Energy Center parking lot at 11:00 a.m. The trip will include stops at: 1) Renewable Energy Center for a big picture view of geology and physical geography;  2) Pumphouse Road to see impacts of past and current erosion (including that from the 2022 Vantage Highway Fire);  3) Ginkgo State Park Trees of Stone Interpretive Trail for ancient Ginkgo trees and the upper limit of Ice Age flooding in the area; 4) Ginkgo State Park Interpretive Center for a more complete view of the petrified forest plus impacts of Ice Age flooding alone the present-day Columbia River channel. Given that we will be field tripping on the 44th anniversary of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

The weather prediction for Vantage on Saturday is sunny with a high of 75oF. We will have several short (<0.75 mile) hikes over uneven ground on this trip. Make sure to wear sturdy
hiking shoes or boots, dress for the weather, wear a shade hat, slather on sun screen, and bring plenty of drinks. You might want to bring hiking sticks if uneven ground poses problems for you. I will wear long pants as we will be walking through weedy areas

As on past Ellensburg Ice Age Flood Institute trips, this is an automobile trip. No need to sign up—just show up! You will need a Discover Pass to park at three of the sites. I will bring a limited number of hardcopy field guides.  A pdf. of the field guide will also be sent out several days before the trip. You can download and/or print a hard copy of field guides Here

Contact Karl Lillquist at lillquis@cwe.edu with any questions