Again as in the past 10 years, Alison Jones and Fred Beck will be leading an 8-day rafting trip of about 188 miles through the Grand Canyon.   Many GSM members have made this trip in the past, some going twice.  The trip begins at Lee’s Ferry, Arizona, and ends at Whitmore Wash followed by a short helicopter ride to an airstrip at the Bar 10 Ranch on the North Rim.  The dates are August 6-13, 2018.  From there you will be flown to Las Vegas or Lee’s Ferry.

The emphasis of these trips is of course about the geology, from Precambrian through the Permian as well as an abundance of more recent events including volcanism, breccia pipe formation, spring deposited travertine, debris flows and much more.   At least two modest hiking trips are made each day into slot canyons or other side canyons and tributaries to visit waterfalls, fossils, archaeological sites and just to get out and stretch our limbs or swim in clear warm water.  Some choose not to do some of the side trips and just relax or read near the rafts while others go adventuring.

There are usually as many non-geologists on these trips as geologists and they get as much out of the trip as the geologists; a perfect geologic classroom.  We have often had teenagers on these trips and that has added to the fun.

The outfitter we use is Hatch River Expeditions, one of the most experienced companies licensed to operate in the Grand Canyon.  There will be two 34-foot inflatable boats powered by 30 HP outboards.  No paddling or rowing on this trip.  Each raft accommodates 16 people as well as all our gear, food, etc.   All meals are prepared by the Hatch guides and Hatch also provides all tents, cots, bedding, etc.

If you are interested in more details, contact Fred Beck at frmbeck@fmbeck.net or Alison Jones at ajones@clearcreekassociates.com.  We anticipate that we will have a full complement of travelers by the end of this September so an early commitment is advised.

2017 Geological Society of Maine Summer Field Trip
Southern Maine
August 5 and 6

Please Register!!

Registration Form

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GSM members and friends,

As described in the June Newsletter, the 2017 GSM Summer Field Trip will be held the weekend of August 5 and 6 in southern Maine.  Registration is open from now until Friday, July 14.  Please look at the attached registration form, choose your options, and mail it with whatever payment is needed to Steve Kelley at the address on the form (and as shown below).  Yes, you’ll need to find a postage stamp.

Because of this year’s location in the heart of summer tourist country, we are asking everyone who is going on the trip to register.  Please don’t just show up!  Logistics are tight but manageable if we know how many people are coming.  If you can bring a van or minivan to help carpool, it would alleviate traffic and parking pressures and make the trip more enjoyable.

One preposterous feature of this year’s trip is the early starting time Saturday morning.  There’s simply no way around it.  We must begin at 7:15 am in order to get in and out of Ogunquit before the beach crowd swells to gridlock proportions.  The Marginal Way geology is well worth the effort.  If this absurd time is too early for you, you can join the trip at 1:00 pm when we circle back to the starting point.  However the day goes, I hope everyone will join us for the cookout Saturday evening, the annual centerpiece of the summer field trip.

I also recommend getting the T-shirt designed especially for the field trip, as well as Arthur Hussey’s marvelous book which is available to us at a discounted price.

I am so excited to be visiting these classic localities.  This has all the earmarks of another memorable GSM field trip.  I hope to see you there.

Henry Berry

henry.n.berry@maine.gov

287-7179

August 5 and 6, 2017

This year’s trip will feature classic localities on the southern Maine coast, most of which were studied and described by Arthur Hussey and are featured in his 2015 book “A Guide to the Geology of Southwestern Maine.” The plan is to get from Ogunquit to Biddeford on Saturday, and from Saco to South Portland on Sunday. We have made arrangements with the University of New England for dormitory housing on their Biddeford campus Saturday night. Be aware that we will be traveling along the most congested portion of Route 1 during peak tourist season, so logistics may be challenging. But there is a reason that this area is so popular. The beautiful coastline with extensive bedrock exposures and active beach systems will showcase outstanding geology well worth any inconvenience! The detailed itinerary and logistical information are still in the works.

Canceled: GeoPRISMS distinguished lecturer, Dr. Heather Savage at Bowdoin College

The Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science at Bowdoin College
extends a warm welcome to Maine colleagues to join us for an afternoon lecture with Dr. Heather Savage.

Thursday April 6, 2017
4:15 – 5:30pm

Druckenmiller Hall 016
Bowdoin College.

Call for Member Participation: GSM Communications Committee

GSM is forming a communications committee to develop recommendations for policies and procedures related to more effective communication of GSM business and activities to members, other organizations, and the public at large. The recommendations will be presented to the Executive Council at the Spring Meeting (April 7, 2017). Possible issues to be addressed include, but are not limited to, more effective utilization of the GSM website, establishing an email account for the Society, developing ways to connect interested members with educators or non-profit organizations looking for a geologist to visit in the classroom or in the field, and discovering and broadcasting geology-related events throughout the state. The committee will outline to the Executive Council what and how things might be done, and will be tasked with implementation of many of these ideas in the future.
The committee is chaired by Amber Whittaker, the Facebook Page Administrator, and Marty Yates, the Website Administrator. We are looking for one or two technologically-savvy GSM members with experience in cloud-based membership management, digital content management, online networking, and/or database management to assist us in this effort.
If you are interested, please contact Amber at Amber.H.Whittaker@maine.gov by March 15, 2017.