2008 Guidebook

Preliminary details for the field trip (posted June 19, 2008)

The 2008 trip will feature 3 action-packed days of interesting Q localities located between northern Lynn Canal (Alaska Marine Highway travelers) to Tracy Arm (Allen Marine Catamaran sailors). Trip stops will emphasize landscape, sediment, soil ice, early human history, and vegetation records accessible from the Juneau roads and trails system (>100 miles if you include all the hiking trails and driveways!). An intriguing history of Cordilleran glaciation, Neogene extensional volcanism, active strike slip faulting, dynamic sea level change, early Holocene and post LIA uplift of marine sediments, temperate maritime rainforest ecology, the ever changing Pacific Ocean and ongoing glacier (Lemon & Mendenhall) and jokulhlaup monitoring.

CAMPING

People are responsible for their own camping on Friday-Sunday nights. Camping sites will are first-come first-served in the USFS Mendenhall Lake Campground at the end of Montana Creek Road off of back Loop road in the Mendenhall Valley. Walk-in back-packer sites and drive-in sites with RV hook-ups are available (~$10-30/night). Additional camp sites are available in the USFS Auke Village Recreation Campground 2 miles from the ferry terminal (~$8/night, also first-come, first-served).

CHECKLIST OF SUGGESTED GEAR ETC.

• 3 or 4 season tent consider an extra tarp if your tent is not waterproof.
• Inflatable sleeping pad or 2 foam pads for sleeping on coarse gravel.
• Sleeping bag good to 35F or so.
• Rain gear and rubber boots. Hats, mittens, warm clothes.
• Water jugs
• Cook stove and cooking utensils
• Food can be purchased at local grocery stores for 2 1/2 days
• Camera and binoculars.
• Camp chairs.
• Firewood available locally
• First aid kit.
• Maps, reading materials, notebook, hand lens, shovel, etc.
• Musical instruments, excellent singing voice, familiarity with FOP songbook

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday August 30th
Trip will begin at the Mendenhall Campground at 9 am. Meet in front of old stone 1930s era CCC Skaters Cabin on the north (glacier) side of the Mendenhall campground along the SW shore of the Lake Skaters Cabin fork of Montana Creek Road. We will return to the campground(s) each night. FOP Guidebooks will be distributed Saturday Morning. Saturday we will explore the Quaternary of the Montana Creek, Mendenhall Valley, Auke Bay, and Lynn Canal region. Sat eve Auke Bay (Thai) or Valley (American, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, grocery store) dining.

Sunday August 31st
North Douglas, Eaglecrest, Gastineau Channel, Treadwell, Juneau, Lemon Creek Quaternary Explorations.
Sunday Eve-FOP Jamboree Campfire, Closing ceremonies, “Passing of the Trowell”- USFS Auke Village Recreation Beach

Monday Sept 1-Juneau to Tracy Arm Fjord Catamaran Trip-(Working on costs presently ~$100-ish) back by 5 pm.

Please RSVP with Cathy Connor (cathy.connor@uas.alaska.edu) as soon as possible. Your hosts, including my friendly group of UAS Environmental Science students, will help you move around Juneau once you arrive, if you are flying in and need transport. See you in Southeast Alaska!