SUMMER 2008 FIELD TRIP EXCURSION: CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

GSCI 104 (Physics), GSCI 106 (Geology), GSCI 107 (Astronomy)

Faculty Contact: Dr. Rick Reynolds, BH-20b, 541- 881-8822 ext. 323

Date and Time: July 28-August 2, 2008

Meet at 7:00 AM Monday July 28 at Barber Hall for sign-in, preparation and loading.

Bus departs at 8:00 AM sharp on Monday from east parking lot of Barber Hall and will not wait for stragglers who will forfeit their fee and receive a failing grade for the class. Plan ahead! Return on the evening of Saturday August 2.

Cost: $100.00 - This fee covers all transportation, camping, admittance fees, and meals with the exception of meals in transit on the first and last days. Individuals must provide their own sack lunch and snacks for the first day bus trip on Monday, and purchase their own meals during the return trip on Saturday. What a deal!

Accommodations: We will be camping the first three nights at Tumalo State Park which rests along Oregon’s spectacular Deschutes River about 5 miles northwest of Bend. Basalt rock formations form a backdrop for the scenic river view. Nights 4 and 5 will be spent at lovely Diamond Lake Campground, “The Gem of the Cascades”, located just north of Crater Lake National Park. Restrooms and showers are available at both sites. Sleeping gear is each individual’s responsibility. A tent, warm sleeping bag, and ground pad are necessary. Friends are encouraged to share the same tent to conserve on the number of available campsites. It is not necessary to bring cooking equipment and coolers but assistance in preparing meals and cleanup is expected from all attending.

Itinerary:

Monday 28 July - 8:00 AM bus departure from Barber Hall east lot. We will be taking highway 26 to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Sheep Rock Unit), then continuing on to Tumalo State Park near Bend, observing sites of geological interest along the way. Stops include the Painted Hills Unit. Students must provide their own sack lunch and snacks for the trip. A late supper will be awaiting us at the Tumalo campground, followed by an evening star party with telescopic viewing.

Tuesday 29 July - We will spend the day touring Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Newberry Volcano is a shield shaped composite volcano, about 40 miles north-to-south, and 25 miles east-to-west, rising 3600 feet above the surrounding area. Currently dormant, it has erupted frequently during its half million year history, most recently 1300 years ago. Within the monument we will explore cinder cones, pumice cones, lava flows, caves, lakes, streams, and waterfalls. Adventurous types may trek to the end of Lava River Cave, Oregon's longest intact lava tube. Evening activities and star gazing.

Wednesday 30 July – Physics/Math students will spend the day participating in and observing skydiving activities at the Skydive Central Oregon Center in Madras, while Geology students explore Newberry Volcano and Lavalands in more detail, including the Lava Cast Forest and High Desert Museum. Astronomy students may choose to join either group, depending on transportation/space. After dinner, we will all visit the Pine Mountain Observatory where we will spend the evening observing planets, stars, galaxies and more through large telescopes up to 32-inches in aperture. Wow!

Thursday 31 July – After morning activities at Tumalo, we will pitch camp and depart, heading for Diamond Lake Campground just a couple of hours to the south and barely outside of Crater Lake National Park. We will explore a few more Newberry Volcano sites on the way, including Paulina Falls and the Big Obsidian Flow. Once at Diamond Lake, we will setup camp, enjoy a meal and an evening of dark sky observations and other activities.

Friday 1 August – Crater Lake National Park. Depart at 8 am for ranger-led bus tour circling the lake on the 33-mile Rim Drive. The 6-mile caldera was created by the eruption and collapse of Mt. Mazama almost 7000 years ago. Even seasoned travelers gasp at the twenty-mile circle of cliffs, tinted in subtle shades and fringed with hemlock, fir, and pine: all this in a lake of indescribable blue. After lunch we’ll hike along The Pinnacles, and then spend the rest of the day exploring the park’s displays, visitor’s centers, gift shops, etc. Evening relaxation and social activities.

Saturday 2 August – Early departure as we head home via Burns, stopping at Fort Rock State Park and other points of interest, arriving in Ontario Saturday evening. Aside from breakfast, students are responsible for meal purchases on the return trip.

Things to bring:

a. Sleeping bag and pad

b. Tent with water proof fly if there is no arrangement to share another’s tent

c. Towels and personal gear, washcloth, soap, etc.

d. Foul weather gear, raincoat, pants, hat, warm jacket and sweatshirt, etc.

e. Sun protection, hat, sunblock

f. Good walking shoes

g. Binoculars

h. Extra money for meals during travel

i. Flashlight and/or headlamp

j. Camera and Film

k. Course Materials, textbooks and study materials, field notebooks/journals

Rules and Behavior: Due to logistical considerations, independent travel in personal vehicles is not permitted. The purpose of this fieldtrip is to provide you with the opportunity to explore and appreciate nature’s great outdoor laboratory. This requires each person’s cooperation and willingness to help in meal preparation and clean up. Additionally, since this is a college sponsored trip and we will be representing the college, each participant will be required to comply with the code of conduct portion of the TVCC Student Hand-book. This document states that drug and alcohol use is prohibited at any college activity, whether on or off campus.