Far Western Section Field Guide for the Sonora Pass Region available at Sunbelt Publishing!

(Cross-posted from Geotripper)
Our field guide to the geology of the Sonora Pass region and the eastern Sierra Nevada region is now available for sale at Sunbelt Publishing for $24.95 (here is the link)! This was the roadguide for our recent meeting of the Far Western Section of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. There are quite a few geological road guides out there for the eastern Sierra Nevada, especially around the Mono Lake area, but there have been fewer guides for the area to the north. It is a fascinating area, with wide areas of Miocene volcanism, faulting and Pleistocene glaciations (the largest glaciers of the eastern Sierra Nevada traversed the West Walker River gorge).

One of California's most intriguing ghost towns can be found at Bodie (above), and one can also find a strange "fluvial forest" in the West Walker River, a group of long-dead Ponderosa pines that provide evidence of a century-long mega drought only a thousand years ago (below).

The western slope of the Sierra along the Stanislaus River hides some geological treasures as well, including the Columns of the Giants and the Natural Bridges in the cave country north of Columbia State Park (below).

Here is the table of contents...

A Geographical Sketch of the Central Sierra Nevada
A Brief Overview of the Basement Rocks of the Central Sierra Nevada
Trip 1: The Sierra Crest Graben: A Miocene Walker Lane Pull-Apart in the Ancestral
Cascades Arc at Sonora Pass by Cathy Busby, Alice Koerner, Jeanette Hagan, and Graham Andrews at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Trip 2: A Guide to the Geology of the Eastern Sierra Nevada between Sonora Pass
and June Lake, California by Garry Hayes, Modesto Junior College
Trip 3: Geology and Climatology of the Saddlebag Lake Region near
Tioga Pass, CA by Laura and Ryan Hollister
Trip 4: Sword Lake Debris Flow by Jeff Tolhurst, Columbia College
Trip 5: Unique Geology along the Stanislaus River, Western Central Sierra Nevada by Noah Hughes, Modesto Junior College
 Appendix A: The Flora of Central California: Central Valley to the Great Basin by Mary Cook

A reminder: Sales of this guide will fund the scholarship program of the Far Western Section of the NAGT, which supports geology majors throughout California, Nevada and Hawaii. Check it out!

New Geology Guidebook available! Geological Excursions in the Sonora Pass Region of the Sierra Nevada

 (cross-posted from Geotripper)
The newest guide by the Far Western Section of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers is now available for sale! Geological Excursions in the Sonora Pass Region of the Sierra Nevada, edited by Noah Hughes and yours truly, is a series of field trips at Sonora Pass and along the eastern Sierra Nevada as far south as June Lake and Saddlebag Lake near Tioga Pass. Other excursions include significant geologic sites on the Stanislaus River, including the unique Natural Bridges near the town of Columbia.

This is a fascinating region that hasn't always received the attention it deserves. A great deal of recent research has been done on the Miocene volcanism in the region and how it relates to the uplift history of the Sierra Nevada and the development of the Sierra Nevada microplate. The region is part of the Walker Lane, which in all likelihood is the future margin of the North American Plate. There are ghost towns, saline lakes, ancient metamorphic rocks glacial deposits and a strange "fluvial forest" in the West Walker River. There is the strange "Reversed Creek" near June Lake.

Chapters in the book include the following:

A Geographical Sketch of the Central Sierra Nevada

A Brief Overview of the Basement Rocks of the Central Sierra Nevada

Trip 1: Sierra Crest Graben: A Miocene Walker Lane Pull-Apart in the Ancestral
Cascades Arc at Sonora Pass (by Cathy Busby, Alice Koerner, Jeanette Hagan, and Graham Andrews at the University of California, Santa Barbara)

Trip 2: A Guide to the Geology of the Eastern Sierra Nevada between Sonora Pass
and June Lake, California (by Garry Hayes, Modesto Junior College)

Trip 3: Geology and Climatology of the Saddlebag Lake Region near
Tioga Pass, CA (by Ryan Hollister of Turlock High School and Laura Hollister of Pitman High School)

Trip 4: Sword Lake Debris Flow (by Jeff Tolhurst, Columbia College)

Trip 5: Unique Geology along the Stanislaus River, Western Central Sierra Nevada (by Noah Hughes, Modesto Junior College)

Appendix A: The Flora of Central California: Central Valley to the Great Basin (by Mary Cook, Modesto Junior College)

The book was prepared for the Fall 2012 meeting of the Far Western Section of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers held last weekend at the High Sierra Institute at Baker Station below Sonora Pass. All proceeds from the sale of the book support scholarships for geology majors in California, Nevada and Hawaii (details of the scholarship can be found here).

At this time, the book can be ordered directly from the Far Western Section at http://nagt-fws.org/publications.html for $29.95 plus shipping and handling (checks only). The web page also includes dozens of other guides for geological tours all over California and Nevada. The guide will soon be available from Sunbelt Publishing, which published the volume (http://www.sunbeltbook.com/). The ISBN number is 978-0-9606704-4-4.

Photo by Ryan Hollister

We are excited to be able to offer this exploration of a fascinating region! If you are interested in seeing some unique landscapes and want to catch up with some new Sierra Nevada research, check it out (and help some worthy students advance their studies in geology at the same time).

Photo by Ryan Hollister

Here is the promised furry animal. The pika is a rodent adapted to living at the highest elevations in the Sierra Nevada. Their habitat is being affected by global warming. They can be seen near Sonora Pass and in the region above Saddlebag Lake.

Time is running out! Register now for the Fall Meeting of the Far Western Section of the NAGT at Sonora Pass!

Time is running out! Register now for the conference (links for registration forms below). We won't be able to take on-site registration at Baker Station. Let us know if you have any questions.

Far Western Section

Fall 2012 NAGT Meeting

Hosted by Modesto Junior College, California

At the High Sierra Institute at Baker Station near Sonora Pass, California

September 7-9, 2012

What is the High Sierra Institute?

The High Sierra Institute (http://www.highsierrainstitute.org/) is located at Baker Station on Highway 108 near Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevada north of Yosemite National Park. It is located in the center of some of the most fascinating geological features in California. From our base at the institute, we will be able to explore the record of volcanism in the High Sierra and the valleys to the east (including Mono Lake and the ghost town of Bodie), and the glaciation of the range from both sides of the Sierra Crest. We will have access to plutonic and metamorphic rocks of the highest part of the Sierra near Tioga Pass, and the fascinating rocks of the Western Sierra Metamorphic Belt near Sonora and Columbia. This is a great opportunity for local earth science teachers to learn some interesting geology in their home region. Membership is not required to participate, but you will have an opportunity to join NAGT if you wish, and to purchase field guides and resources published by the Far Western Section.

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Not your normal Far Western Section Conference!

The High Sierra Institute is in a remote corner of California, and few motels and eating establishments are available in the area. Cell phones don’t work, and internet access isn’t available either. We will primarily be camping, hiking and eating outdoors (there is limited dormitory space at the station itself). This is alpine country, so it may be cool at night, but probably warm during the day. Our meetings and talks will take place under the trees and stars.

We hope to see you there!

Registration Form for Fall Meeting (PDF file)

or Registration Form for Fall Meeting (Doc file)

Please contact Noah Hughes hughesn at mjc.edu or Garry Hayes hayesg at mjc.edu with any questions about the fall 2012 NAGT Meeting.