Geologic Pit Stop: Dry Falls, Eastern Washington.

Earlier this week, while I was planning my  route to take to yellowstone, I decided to take a slight detour up to the north. Directly in the heart of eastern Washington lay a province known as the Channeled Scablands. This area is named for the massive canyons, or "Coulees" that pockmark the area. (Coulee? Sounds familiar, as if there's a large landmark in the state that has that word in its name, comment below if you know!) 

These Coulees are some of the most fascinating geological features in Washington State. Not just because of the Coulees themselves. (which are awesome!) But because of the massive geological event(s) that created them. 

15,000 years ago during the last major ice age, a massive ice sheet smothered the entirety of Canada and much of the present day northern United States in a sheet of ice that in some places was 5,000 feet thick.

Part of this large ice sheet, a lobe, desceded through the mountains of present day northern Idaho, and completely blocked a river valley with a wall at least 1,000 feet high. The River in the valley backed up. Eventually creating a massive Glacial Lake that covered an area more than Lake Superior and Lake Ontario combined, and submerged the present location of Missoula Montana under 1,000 feet of water. 

One day however. As the temperatures increased. The ice dam collapsed, and Glacial Lake Missoula poured through the opening, the almost incomprehensible torrent tearing right towards Eastern Washington. Once the massive flood reached the brittle Basalt Flats covering the area, the sheer power and force of the water dug deep channels into the bedrock, creating the coulees we see today. 

Dry falls is located in the biggest (aptly named Grand Coulee. It is where the floods created a huge waterfall, hundreds of times bigger than Navada Falls in New York.  And you can see where this waterfall was, ad what damage it did to the rock. Along highway 17 there is a visitor center perched right along the "brink" of the falls. It tells the geological and human history of the area, and also sells books and posters on the subject. 

I stayed at this visitor center for about 20 minutes before hopping back into Ol Bess' and continuing my journey. Very excited for what geological adventure ill have next!