Alaska Quaternary Center

373 Reichardt Building
900 Yukon Dr.
PO Box 75-5940
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940

Phone: (907) 474-5433
Fax: (907) 474-5101
E-mail: fyaqc@uaf.edu



2011

2011 Alaska Cell FOP - Prince of Wales Island

Labor Day Weekend, September 2011

Geology and Archaeology on Prince of Wales Island


Cathy Connor has taken the trowel a SECOND TIME and is working with colleagues in Southeast Alaska to put together an amazing 2011 Alaska Cell FOP trip.   (see Cathy’s 2008 Juneau FOP guidebook – it’s awesome!)

Geologist Jim Baichtal (USFS Tongass National Forest) will host the Friends on Prince of Wales Island. Trip participants will explore and ponder exciting newly defined paleoshorelines, shell-bearing raised marine strata, subglacial volcanism and caves. This trip will be especially good for the northerners to warm up and moisturize before winter sets in!

For More Information Contact Both:


Cathy Connor
Professor of Geology

  Environmental Science Program,
Department of Natural Sciences

University Alaska Southeast

(907) 796-6293
concathy@gmail.com

 Jim Baichtal
  Forest Geologist

Tongass National Forest, 
      Thorne Bay Ranger District      

(907) 828-3248
    jbaichtal@fs.fed.us

Cape Felix Suemez Island.  Jim Baichtal, USFS



Cavern Lake Cave.  Jim Baichtal, USFS

East Staney Creek.  Jim Baichtal, USFS



El Capitan Cave Entrance.  Jim Baichtal, USFS

Preliminary Itinerary

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Option 1:   Meet at Ketchikan-Ferry to Hollis – Arrive on Prince of Whales Island Friday Evening
Option 2:   Fly into Thorne bay, arriving Friday evening
Forest service bunkhouse reserved for Friday night only  

Saturday, September 3rd, 2011

Check out the east side and interior of Prince Of Wales Island,   Staney Creek - Thorne River paleoshorelines and terraces, shell-bearing raised marine deposits, discuss pollen coring sites, associated cultural sites, drumlin fields, etc.

Camp at: Staney Creek Cabin or Sarkar Lake

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

North Island: El Capitan Cave, Beaver Falls Karst interpretive trail, Cavern Lake Cave, and raised marine terraces at Whale Pass Estuary.

Annual FOP business Meeting: PASS THE TROWEL to the 2012 trip leader(s)

Camp at: Control Lake Campground

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Morning Ferry for Ketchikan or Optional (weather dependant) boat trip.

Craig - Suemez Island volcanics, Canoe Point lava flow and tuyas (subglacial palagonite flows ~600,000 YA).   Check out a water fall, raised terraces and cultural sites.

Camp at Harris River Campground.

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

Morning Ferry for Ketchikan for those who stayed for Monday’s outings.

If you are interested in receiving e-mail updates as the trip approaches, please send an e-mail to BOTH Cathy and Jim.

If you are interested in reading some background material on the ICE AGE PALEONTOLOGY OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA, check out Tim Heaton's Webpage. http://orgs.usd.edu/esci/alaska/

UA Southeast will offer a 2 credit course for the field trip:   UAS GEOL 493 Quaternary Geology of Prince of Wales Island

If you are interested in receiving credit as part of an upper division field/project course through UAS during the fall 2011 Semester contact the instructor: Dave D'Amore (907) 586-7955 ddamore@fs.fed.us