Historical Geology Class Field Trip 2009

John Day Basin, Oregon

The Spring 2009 Historical Geology class traveled to the world-famous John Day basin to experience the almost-complete record of Cenozoic strata preserved in the basin. Much of the trip was focused within three units of the John Day National Monument.

DAY ONE: Fossil Collecting in the Bridge Creek Strata, John Day Formaiton, Wheeler Highschool. Interpreter Karen Masshoff has done a great job rescuing this well-known site from being lost in the talus.

Wheeler Fossil Beds Pictures:

Above left:: from left-to-right: Drew Foraker, Olga Kutnyakova (smiling because I just gave her 5 stickers), Matt Veale, Laura Astudillo, Joey Horne.

Above Right: Karen Masshoff, interpretive director of the site, instructs students the proper way to split rock. Joe Carter, black shirt, middle of picture—not paying attnention. Too consumed with wondering who he can convince to give him stickers.

DAY ONE: Hiking at the Clarno Unit, John Day National Monument. Students took a two-mile hike back into the Clarno unit to look at the lahars from Clarno volcanoes. Below: Panoramic of View over Clarno Unit.

Above Left: Lorena Swift, Lloyd Bouslaugh and Melissa Davis in front of lahar deposits.

Above Right: Group Shot. Left to Right- Joey, Justin Mitzel, Lloyd & Melissa in back, Matt Engel, Lorena in back, Olga (3 new stickers), Drew in hiding, Matt V., Ian Pierce, Pearl Styron (on ground) next to Laura, Joe in back (probably plotting for stickers.)

Above left: volcanic bomb as clast in lahar deposits. Too cool!

Above Right: Drew shows us a great example of differential erosion.

Top Left: Pearl gets creative with her field equipment.

Right: Laura finds us the trail through the mud. Joe follows Drew & Justin, asking for their stickers.

Above: Group shot at top of hill: Left-to-right, back row: Justin, Matt E., Olga (with 4 new stickers), Ian, Drew, Joe (coveting Olga’s 4 new stickers); in front: Pearl, Matt V.

DAY ONE: CAMPSITE> Muleshoe BLM Campground on the John Day River, Service Creek, OR. I think Joe traded the rest of his dinner to Olga for stickers.

DAY TWO: MITCHELL,OR. We began the day with coffee then fossil collecting in Mesozoic Hudspeth shales near Mitchell, OR. No pictures: I was too busy finding ammonites (3!) After leaving the Hudspeth, we visited a leaf local on Ochoco Pass, where we found some delightful faulting. We then briefly visited the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Monument. Justin—you got lucky.

Above left: Normal Fault, Drew Foraker for scale. Above right: Leaf local, Ochoco Pass. Pearl Styron down front, Matt Engel, Joey Horne facing camera.

DAY TWO: SHEEP ROCK UNIT, John Day National Monument. Our last stop was to visit the Monument museum at Sheep Rock, where many of the mammal fossils the basin is famous for are on display.

Above left: Matt Engel & Sheep Rock. A complete section of John Day formation exposed below the Picture Gorge basalt cap.

Above right and Below Left. Laura is getting loopy. Too much caffeine? Chewing on too much rock?

Below right: Matt V. makes friends EVEN at the gas station, on the ride home.

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