Washington's Channeled Scablands Guide: Explore and Recreate Along the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail

by John Soennichsen

Overview

CLICK HERE to download the intro and section on exploring "Lower Crab Creek" from Washington Channeled Scablands

 Explore Washington's canyons of Ice Age wonders -- great trails, stunning scenery, and amazing history

* Comprehensive guide to a fascinating region rich with history and recreational access to camping, hiking, fishing, and more
* The Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail was designated by the National Park Service in 2009. Once completed, the Trail will connect interpretive facilities, signage, and other tourism activities
* Features regional maps and photos

Often overlooked by those cruising on the highway to Spokane or the Tri-Cities area, more than 2,000 square miles of terrain in eastern Washington are home to a striking collection of sharp-edged coulees slicing through a crust of basalt. In this stunning landscape, deep lakes fill the depths of dramatic gorges flanked by steep walls of towering rock columns, labyrinthine channels, and wide tracts of scabby rock that give the region its name -- geologically, no other region in the world contains features like those found in the Channeled Scablands.

Where-to guidebook and travel narrative come together in the Washington's Channeled Scablands Guide to offer a comprehensive and intimately knowledgeable tour of this one-of-a-kind region. Local writer and historian John Soennichsen is your guide to fascinating lore; snapshots of the unique towns connected by this singular landscape; descriptions of the unique geology; advice on how to explore whether by auto, horseback, canoe, bike, or on foot; and essential info like where to fuel up and stop for dinner.

Take the family to scenic camping and fishing in Coffeepot Lake, and read out loud the legend of Old West outlaw Harry Tracey as you cruise along on a "Back Roads Auto Tour." Lace up your boots for a cross-country hike in the Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area or up Badger Mountain Trail. Explore the unearthly crater-like formations in the Telford-Crab Creek Tract, or set up with your camera for a stunning sunrise over Palouse Falls. Whether you're a boater looking for new waterways to explore, a naturalist interested in unique ecosystems, or just a curious traveler -- if you're seeking adventure and intrigue just a little off the beaten path, you'll find the keys to a whole new world of exploration with Washington's Channeled Scablands Guide.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594854842
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	02/21/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

JOHN SOENNICHSEN is the author of Live! From Death Valley and Bretz's Flood, the biography of Harlen Bretz, the first geologist to research the Scablands and propose its creation by massive flooding. Soennichsen is a member of the Ice Age Floods Institute and lives just outside the eastern Washington town of Cheney, along the rim of a prominent Scabland channel.

Table of Contents

Map 8

Introduction 9

Acknowledgments 15

Part I The Channeled Scablands: An Overview

1 The Scablands' Geologic Past 19

2 The Channeled Scablands Environment 29

3 Getting Around in the Channeled Scablands 39

Part II Touring the Channeled Scablands

4 Cheney-Palouse Scabland 57

1 Fish Lake 63

2 Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge 64

3 Williams and Badger Lakes 65

4 Fishtrap?Hog Lake Recreation Area 67

5 Rock Lake and Environs 69

Paddling to Bonnie Lake 73

6 Sprague Lake 73

7 Escure Ranch Recreation Area 75

Towell Falls Hike 76

Turtle Lake Loop Trail 77

8 Staircase Rapids 78

9 Palouse Falls and Canyon 79

Paddling to the Base of Palouse Falls 81

10 Washtucna Coulee 82

11 Devils Canyon 84

Columbia Plateau Trail 86

Cheney-Palouse Scabland Auto Tours 89

Cheney-Area Lakes Loops 89

Palouse?Snake River Loop 92

5 Telford-Crab Creek Track 95

12 Telford Recreation Area 100

13 Twin Lakes Recreation Area 102

Loop Trail 104

14 Coffeepot Lake Recreation Area 104

15 Govan Recreation Area 106

16 Lakeview Ranch Recreation Area 107

Odessa to Pacific Lake Trail 108

17 Odessa Craters 108

Odessa Craters Loop Trail 109

Telford-Crab Creek Auto Tours 110

Midsection Loop 111

Almira to Odessa Back Roads 112

6 Grand and Moses Couless 115

18 Banks Lake 122

19 Northrup Canyon 123

Northrup Canyon Hike 124

20 Steamboat Rock 125

Steamboat Rock Summit Hike 125

21 Waterville Plateau Glacial Erratics 126

22 Dry Falls and Umatilla Rock 128

Umatilla Rock Trail 131

23 Lake Lenore 132

24 Lake Lenore Caves 133

25 Soap Lake 134

26 Dry Coulee and Billy Clapp Lake 136

27 Ephrata Fan Rock Fields 138

28 Moses Coulee 139

29 Douglas and Duffy Creeks Recreation Area 142

Grand and Moses Coulees Auto Tours 145

Upper Grand Coulee Loop 145

Lower Grand Coulee Loop 147

Moses Coulee 149

7 Moses Lake-Quincy Basin 153

30 Crater Coulee 161

31 West Bar Current Ripples 161

32 Potholes Coulee 164

Ancient Lake Trail 165

Dusty Lake Trail 165

33 Frenchman Coulee 166

Central Rib Trail 167

34 Moses Lake 168

35 Potholes Reservoir 170

Paddling at Potholes State Park 171

36 Drumheller Channels 172

Upper Goose Lake Trail 176

Paddling Upper and Lower Goose Lakes 177

Frog Lake Trail 177

Paddling Hutchinson and Shiner Lakes 178

37 Lower Crab Creek 179

Paddling Lower Crab Creek 180

Moses Lake-Quincy Basin Auto Tours 181

Moses Lake?Area Loop 181

Othello to Trinidad Back Roads 183

8 Pasco-Lake Lewis Basins 187

38 Esquatzel Coulee 191

Esquatzel Coulee Hike 192

39 Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area 193

Juniper Dunes Cross-Country Hike 195

40 Red Mountain 196

Red Mountain Trail 197

41 Goose Hill 197

Goose Hill Trail 198

42 Benton City Badlands 198

43 Badger Mountain 199

Badger Mountain Trail 200

44 Wallula Gap 201

Wallula Gap Hike 203

45 Twin Sisters 204

Twin Sisters Hike 205

46 Hat Rock 206

Pasco-Lake Lewis Basins Auto Tours 208

Esquatzel Coulee?Juniper Dunes Loop 208

Tri Cities?Wallula Gap Loop 209

Part III Future of the Channeled Scablands

9 The Age Floods National Geologic Trail 212

Recommended Resources 217

Index 219

Editorial Reviews

a fun way to learn about most of the geology of Eastern Washington....

The Guardian

This guidebook has accomplished what other Ice Age Floods publications are lacking in that the author comprehensively describes his travel experiences and observations of Floods features, then enhances his narrative with humor. Schoolaged children, senior citizens, and those of all ages in between can read this book easily and understand it.

The Ice Age Floods Institute

Check out....Washington's Channeled Scablands Guide for more hikes, more sights and more adventures in coulee country.

Washington Trails Association magazine

John Soennichsen’s book is a must for those wanting to explore this fascinating but not well-known area.” “A book well worth adding to your Washington library.

The Acorn Fall 2012

Soennichsen...has become a local sage of sorts, looking into the region's geologic past and translating what happened for the lay audience.

Pacific Northwest Inlander - Nicholas Deshais

Pick up a copy of Cheney-author John Soennichsen’s latest book, “Washington’s Channeled Scabland Guide” and you’ll understand as well as be amazed at aspects of area topography and history that many area residents have spent their entire lives, or most of their lives, observing on a daily basis.

2012 Outdoor Guide - John McCallum

Get an in-depth look at scabland recreation opportunities in John Soennichsen’s new book “Washington’s Channeled Scablands Guide.

Tacoma News Tribune