Category: Local Field Trips

Descriptions of field trips we’ve run. May or may not have a Field Guide associated with it.

2018-06-16 Paul Loubere: Bluff Talk & Walking Guide

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Field trip, Kala Point to Fort Townsend

On June 16, 2018, Paul Loubere conducted a 75-minute indoor seminar in the morning and then led a low-tide 1.5-mile beach walk at Kala Point focusing on depositional environments, sediment properties, and modern coastal processes. 45 persons attended the seminar, and about 35 participated in the beach walk, with bag lunches at Fort Townsend State Park. A brief field guide keyed to locations along the bluff can be downloaded by clicking here.

About the Speaker

Paul is a retired Distinguished Research Professor who has been instrumental in forming and managing our Geology Group. We last had Paul on our stage in 2015 as a speaker on Rising Seas, Retreating Shorelines. Our local newspaper, the PT Leader, wrote about his presentation – read more…

Googling Paul’s background yields these biographical notes: Paul Loubere decided to be an oceanographer at age 9. He received a B.Sc. Honors in Geology and Biology from the University of Keele, England and a Ph.D. in Marine Geology and Micropaleontology from the School of Oceanography, Oregon State University. His interests include global climate and ocean-climate interactions through time and he specializes in retrieving paleoenvironmental information from fossil assemblages.

2017-06-10 Kitty Reed: Fort Worden geology field trip

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About the Field Trip

Geology of Fort Worden—A 3-mile Hike and Beach Walk

When: Saturday, June 10th. 10:30 am – 3 pm (coincides with -1.5 ft low tide)

Where: Park your auto/bike/horse at the Fort Worden USO Building Lot, just west of the Taps at the Guardhouse Pub (old Information Center).

What: Geology of Fort Worden, plus some history of the old fort and the State Park. We’ll concentrate on the glacial sediments on the north-facing bluff but will also discuss marine landforms, erosion, drift cells, possible faulting, and tsunamis. After the walk (about 3 miles), there is an option to have beverages at the Taps at the Guardhouse Pub. Bring a pack, lunch, boots, and water (camera, binoculars); dress appropriately for the weather.

Who: Kitty Reed, Hugh Shipman, Carol Tepper, Michael Machette, Kevin Alexander & Leslie Aickin

How: Will accept registration postmarked after May 22nd. You must send your registration form and a check made out to Jefferson Land Trust for $10 per person to Leslie Aickin. No more than 2 persons per registration. No dogs or children under 16 yrs old. We’ll accept the first 25 persons to register and have a short standby list (hence the need for contact information).

  • To download a more recent guide for this trip click here*. The long version of the self guided field trip is found on the QGS website; titled:  2021-Fall:  Geology of bluff along North Beach, Fort Worden (updated 2023) – click here.     *This link is temporarily not working, check back soon 3/2024.

2016-06-11 Tepper and Clark: Basalt quarries

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About the Field Trip

GEOLOGY OF THE SHINE & PENNY CREEK QUARRY, basalts and mine operations & Mt. Walker overview

(About 50 miles round trip) see photos here…

Schedule:

8:30 – 9:00 AM: Check in at Chimacum High School Parking lot ($10 fee and sign waiver)

9:00 AM:  Brief introduction to basalt (if raining, we’ll go to HJ Carroll Park, 9884 WA-Hwy 19, Chimacum, WA 98325); awaiting Matt Tyler 360.385.9129 call back for permission)

9:30 AM:  Depart Chimacum High School

9:45 AM:  Arrive at New Shine Quarry (9861 State Route 104, Port Ludlow, WA

 

10:45 AM:  Depart quarry

11:15 AM:  Arrive at Penny Creek Quarry (450 Penny Creek Rd, Quilcene, WA 98376; 360.765.3391); contact: Crystin Stingle

12:15 PM:  Depart quarry

12:30-1:30 PM:   Mt. Walker* (north side) Lunch and Big Picture Basalt conversations (do we want people to bring camp chairs to sit on?)

If raining or overcast we will NOT go to Mt. Walker, instead, we will meet at the Quilcene city park (just north of US Forest Service office or possibly the back room of the Olympic Timberhouse Restaurant (360.765.0129) in Quilcene (just south of the US Forest Service office

2:15 PM:  Arrive back at Chimacum High School

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NOTE:

 

Safety First is not just a phrase… based on the nature of this field trip and quarry location requirements, our Geology Group requirements include:

  • Close-toed shoes or boots
  • Hard hat (we will provide)
  • DO NOT go within 50 feet of quarry face/wall
  • DO NOT wander off while in the quarry (quarry will not be in operation, but safety is still paramount!)

ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO BRING:

  • Sack lunch/bevs
  • Rain jackets and layers if cool
  • Notebook/paper for taking notes
  • Camera
  • Hand lens (if you have one, others will share)
  • No need to bring rock hammer (Penny Creek Quarry has a pile of fist-sized rocks if we really want/need a sample to bring home)
  • Small compact camp chairs for during discussions

About the Speakers

Jeff Tepper is a Professor of the Geology Department at the University of Puget Sound.  He received his AB from Dartmouth College and his MS and PhD from the University of Washington, where he studied the origins of granites in the North Cascades.  After teaching on the East Coast for ten years, he joined the faculty at Puget Sound in 2001.  Dr. Tepper’s research uses geochemistry to investigate geologic questions.  He and his students are currently studying the Eocene magmatic and tectonic history of the Pacific Northwest, the environmental history of the Puget Sound area as recorded in lake sediments, and the behavior of heavy metals in sediment.

Ken Clark is a staff of the Geology Department at the University of Puget Sound.  He received his bachelor of science in Geology from Central Washington University and Masters from Western Washington University.  He teaches physical geology and leads senior thesis projects related to basalts and mapping of the eastern Olympic Peninsula.  He is an amazing geologic artist, his maps are typically hand drawn and colored.

Carol Serdar Tepper is a licensed geologist working as a regulator for Washington State.