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A Walk Through Time: Gardner Canyon Geology

A Walk Through Time: Gardner Canyon Geology

$312.50
Dates:
June 10
Location:
Gardiner, Montana
Meals Included?:
No
Instructors:
Karen Williams, Ph.D.
Audience Type:
Adult
Program Type:
Field Seminars
Program Subject:
Geology, Hiking
(Activity Scale)
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The north entrance of Yellowstone is a complex geologic area. Glaciers from the Gallatin range, the Yellowstone ice cap, and the Beartooth plateau interacted in this area during the last Ice Age creating glacial landforms and periodic glacial outburst floods. In addition to the glacial story, this area has been subject to folding and faulting, landslides and earthflows, and most recently the 2022 floods. In this field seminar, we will travel off trail along the edge of the Gardner River Canyon starting near Mammoth and past Slide Lake observing landforms and geologic units exposed in the canyon and hiking over landforms created by landslides and earthflows. We will make a large loop returning to Mammoth via trail.

About the instructors

Karen Williams is a geomorphologist with a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Montana State University. She has taught geomorphology at Montana State and led field trips and geology hikes for MSU, Montana Wilderness Association, and Yellowstone Forever. She has worked in glaciated landscapes ranging from the Yukon to Yellowstone. She also has over twenty years of experience in stream restoration and serves on the board of directors of the Clearwater Resource Council, the watershed conservation group of the Clearwater River in western Montana.

Download Program Information:

A Walk Through Time: Gardner Canyon Geology Course Letter

More Information:

Lodging | Audience Descriptions

We are continually updating and refining our COVID-19 mitigation measures to ensure the health and safety our guests, staff and volunteers. Read our COVID-19 guidelines for program participants.

SUMMER ACTIVITY LEVEL SCALE

  • Be prepared to hike up to 1 mile per day, comfortably, through relatively flat terrain on maintained trails.
  • Be prepared to hike up to 3 miles per day, comfortably, with elevation gains up to 600 feet. Some off-trail hiking possible.
  • Be prepared to hike up to 5 miles per day, comfortably, with occasional elevation gains up to 1000 feet in undulating terrain.
  • Be prepared to hike up to 8 miles per day, at a brisk pace, comfortably, with climbs up to 1500 feet on dirt trails. Loose rocks, uneven footing, and off-trail hiking are possible. Good coordination is recommended.
  • Be prepared for brisk aerobic, destination-oriented hiking up to 12 miles a day. You should be physically conditioned to do these hikes comfortably. Elevation changes up to 2000 feet on dirt trails or off-trail. Loose rock, uneven footing, steep hillside traverses, and stream crossings are possible. Good coordination is required.

WINTER ACTIVITY LEVEL SCALE

  • Leisurely hikes up to 1 mile per day through relatively flat terrain on maintained or snow-packed trails.
  • Hikes on snow-packed trails, or snowshoe or ski trips, up to 3 miles per day with climbs up to 250 feet.
  • Brisk hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing up to 5 miles per day with climbs up to 500 feet, including some trail-breaking in snow.
  • Brisk aerobic snowshoeing or skiing up to 8 miles per day with climbs up to 1000 feet; or steep, rugged, off-trail skiing or snowshoeing—including breaking trail in variable snow conditions.
  • Brisk aerobic snowshoeing or skiing up to 12 miles per day with climbs up to 1500 feet; or steep, rugged, off-trail skiing or snowshoeing—including breaking trail in variable snow conditions.