GE 430 Geomorphology

1
GE 430 Geomorphology

• 2006 edition...
• The American Southwest

2
Goals

• To be THE BEST course in your college career
• To continue a tradition of excellence in
  teaching/learning/field experience
  
• To explore regional geomorphology/understand
  geomorphic processes and READ the landscape
  
• To build an espirit de corps that will be the
  envy of everyone else on the UNA campus
  
• From this day to the ending of the world, we in
  it shall be remembered we lucky few we band of
  brothers...." -Henry V

3
The Plan....

• Explore the Southwestern United States, exploring
  as many outstanding landscapes/landforms and
  geomorphic processes as possible in two weeks
  
• Costs for the course...
• The same for everyone 452

4
Academic Assignments....

• You will keep a daily field log describing where
  we have been and the more significant
  features/processes observed.
  
• The field observations should be thorough,
  including lat/long from a GPS (or other
  descriptive location information), sketches and
  diagrams, photographs etc.
• These will be kept daily... Not put together
  after the trip is over based on what you
  remember.. When you get out of the rig, your
  notebook/camera is with you!
• Each evening, I expect to see pencils on paper,
  maps being marked etc.
  
• Your entry/sketches/photographs will be evaluated
  based on completeness and depth.
  
• The field notebook will be 50 of your grade.

5
Academic Assignments contd...Web site development

• You will be divided into groups
• Each group will be responsible for creating a
  website that describes one of the sites we have
  visited
  
• The web sites will present photographs of the
  site, you will scan or link to appropriate
  publications. Your work will be the definitive
  answer for questions about the site.
• Each group will be responsible for helping the
  professor create successful links from a
  geomorphology class home page to your pages.
  
• If you have not yet used front page this will
  be your big chance!

6
Academic Assignments contd...Final
Presentation...

• Later in the summer, I will ask the group to come
  together for an evening at my home....
  
• We will look at the web site for each group and
  collectively make suggestions to make them
  perfect' (if my wireless internet is fixed!)
  
• At this time Id like to have individual slide
  shows available for viewing...and story telling
  etc. (I anticipate a month away from each other
  should be sufficient to make us want to be
  together again, at least for a couple of hours)

7
Day to day management...

• MOST (not all) campgrounds will have showers...
• We will have multiple rigs... I request everyone
  switch/shuffle every few days. The team is a
  unit, not little groups inside the unit.
  
• Timelines... When it is time to roll, we need to
  roll... We are not going to be splitting up
  because people are sleeping late etc. This is
  not a military campaign, but neither is it an
  undisciplined ramble across the country.
• Aquatic sampling and other recreational
  activities ... Fine, as long as they do not
  interfere with the business of the class.

8
Management contd.

• Smokers... Not in the van!
• We reserve the right to splash you down with air
  freshener if you climb back on board with smoke
  clinging to your clothes
  
• We reserve the right to toss individuals into a
  body of water who fail to take advantage of
  showers when available.
  
• Be cautious of taco bells .99 bean burritos and
  other such... We are living in close quarters!

9
Alcohol...

• NONE in the vehicles! Ever, under no
  circumstances!
  
• NONE till the work is done!
• MODERATION... Act stupid, and you will find
  yourself sitting on a pile of your gear beside
  the road with your thumb out in the wind! (dont
  test me... Remember my goals of this course, its
  hard to have this be THE BEST if I am dealing
  with stupidity, chemically induced or not!)

10
The West...

• We are not going into a cowboy movie, but, the
  West is different.
  
• The distances between places are longer...
• There is not a convenience store on every corner,
  sometimes cell phones dont work...
  
• The possibilities of getting into trouble are
  very real... To wander off into a canyon and get
  lost can be very serious business. Wandering off
  without water can be serious...
• It is the most magnificent part of the world...
  But it demands your respect.

11
Camping...

• Each student will provide their own gear
• If you do not have gear of your own, and
  cannot borrow or rent the gear, please visit with
  the instructor and we will try to make
  arrangements for you.
• We need to establish a tent plan in 05 we
  actually packed 3 tents each day that were never
  used!
  
• As with personal gear, try to pack small! Again
  using 05 as an example, we had more than
  sufficient folding chairs (1.3 chairs/person) I
  think .75 chairs/person will be sufficient

12
Camping....

• We will spend 14 nights on the ground you need to
  be as comfortable as possible.
  
• A good bag is critical... As is a pad, and for
  most a pillow.
  
• Not only does the pad make it softer... It keeps
  you off the cold ground.
  
• We will try to stay at lower elevations, but we
  will be in the arid west.... It may get COLD at
  night!
  
• Remember 80 of your body heat is lost through
  your head...if your feet are cold, put on your
  hat!

13
FOOD...

• you will be providing your own supplies.
• We will have stoves and some utensils for group
  use.
  
• While I am not adverse to occasionally stopping
  at fast food places or Moms café, when the
  opportunity presents itself, do not plan on
  being able to stop all the time. Many times the
  opportunity will not be available.
• We will also plan on a couple of group social
  eating events (e.g. Isabellas Pizza in Moab)

14
Forms...etc.

• UNA Liability form
• Rafting Liability Form (?)
• Stupidity is frowned upon.
• First Aid will be applied by the instructor, or
  whoever is handy...
  
• Look around, do you want these people responsible
  for your care after an accident?... Be safe!
  

15
Weather....

• While the Southwest is generally stable and rain
  free in May, appropriate rituals and sacrifices
  will be performed insuring good weather...
  
• However, we will plan on living in the weather
  like the vagabonds we will become....so be ready
  
• Raingear
• Tarps
• A mat for the front of your tent
• Seal the seams on your tent
• IF its really bad... Well be flexible and try to
  flee to a more comfortable alternative

16
Weather contd....Moab Utah Elevation 4934
feet    Latitude 38 29N   Longitude 109 27W

• The average precipitation for Moab Utah in may is
  .6
  
• The average number of Rainy days is 1.8
• The average high temperature is 75 degrees F the
  average low is 48 degrees F

17
Other Logistics.......Amateurs are concerned
with tactics... Professionals are concerned
with logistics...

• Vehicles/people/gear
• Radios
• Maps/GPS
• of camping spots (usually limited to 8
  people/site)
  
• Resupply
• laundry
• Sharing gear
• Stoves
• Tents
• Cooking supplies
• Other?

18
Day by day...Consult The Plan for details.
Stops/readings/special assignments
19
Day 1

• Day 1 (Sunday 14 May) EARLY START (0700) LONG
  DAY. (Celebrate Mothers day on SATURDAY!)
  
• 880 miles from the well-watered East to the arid
  West
  

20
Day 2...

• Day 2.(Monday 15 May) EARLY START (0700) and
  another Long Day
  
• 380 miles from the heart of the Llano Estacada to
  the Sangre De Cristo Mountains of Colorado.

21
Day 3

• Day 3 (Tuesday 16 May) Local travel Great Sand
  Dunes Natl. Monument

22
Day 4

• Day 4 (Wednesday 17 May)
• Sand dunes to Mesa Verde via the San Juan
  Mountains 267 miles

23
Day 5

• Day 5 (Thursday 18 May)
• Local travel... Mesa Verde National Monument

24
Day 6

• Day 6 (Friday 19 May)
• Mesa Verde to Moab 323 miles (via Monument
  Valley, Mexican Hat etc. (early start required)

25
Day 7

• Day 7 (Saturday 20 May)
• local travel, Dead Horse Point State Park, Island
  in the sky

26
Day 8

• Day 8 (Sunday 21 May)
• The Needles district of Canyonlands NP

27
Day 9

• Day 9 (Monday 22 May)
• local travel Arches NP, Land Behind the rocks,
  Rafting the Colorado (1/2 day)?

28
Day 10

• Day 10 (Tuesday 23 May)
• Moab to Capitol Reef NP 157 miles Torrey to
  Escalante 55 miles
  
• One night stand at Escalante SP

29
Day 11

• Day 11 (Thursday 24 May)
• Escalante Burr trail/waterpocket fold/slot
  canyons/Kodachrome Basin 190 miles (some back
  tracking required as there are a limited number
  of roads available!)

30
Day 12

• Day 12 (Friday 25 May)
• Bryce Canyon/Zion Canon 260 miles (stay camped in
  Kodachrome Basin)

31
Day 13

• Day 13 (Saturday 26 May)
• Kodachrome Basin to the North Rim of the Grand
  Canyon 140 miles

32
Day 14

• Day 13
• (Saturday 27 May) North Rim to Flagstaff 207
  miles Flagstaff to Red Rocks SP Gallup NM miles
  (The Malpais?)

33
The final days...

• Day 15 (Sunday 28 May) Gallup to Oklahoma City
  (?)miles
  
• Night Hotel in Oklahoma City
• (SHEETS! Hotel sheets, but sheets nonetheless!)
• Day 16 (Monday 29 May) Memorial Day! Oklahoma
  City -Florence 621 miles
  
• The end of the trail....return to reality