Ice Dam Field Trip with the Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute

What: Ice Dam Field Trip

Where: Sandpoint, Idaho

When: April 17-19, 2024

Who: Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter, Ice Age Floods Institute

How: Bus and personal vehicles

Cost: $75

Registration is now open for a field trip to the site of the ice dam that caused the formation of Glacial Lake Missoula multiple times during the Pleistocene period.

Itinerary:
April 17 - Participants will travel independently in personal vehicles to overnight in Sandpoint ID. Remember that Sandpoint, ID, is in the Pacific time zone.

April 18 - All participants will travel together in a bus with Tony Lewis, local floods expert and president of the Coeur du Deluge chapter, to Clark Fork and various other nearby sites, returning to Sandpoint at the end of the day. The bus is scheduled to depart from the Selkirk Lodge at 9:00 and make an additional stop at the Red Barn Park n Ride at the base of the mountain. A more complete field guide will be available to download in advance or can be picked up at check-in.

April 19 - Those interested in visiting sites further downstream will travel in a caravan of personal vehicles, meeting at Farragut Park at 10:00 am for interpretation at that location and your own lunch. Participants could then decide to continue to Spirit Lake, Newport, Kettle Falls and even the rest of the way to Spokane for an additional overnight on your own, or return to Sandpoint, or return home to Missoula at any point. All roads are paved. Surface parking is available at no charge at Schweitzer Resort. Underground parking is offered at a cost of $15 daily. Please arrange to carpool if possible.

Lodging and meals
Participants are responsible for arranging and paying for their own food and accommodations. The Schweitzer Mountain Resort has set aside a bloc of rooms for reservations at a discounted rate for April 17th and 18th. Two hotels comprise this resort: the Selkirk Lodge and the Humbird Hotel. The Crow’s Bench at the Humbird offers dinner and the MoJo Café is open for breakfast. It is anticipated that everyone will want to have dinner here and meet others the first night, and an overview of the itinerary will be presented at about 7:00. Dinner reservations can be made by contacting Brooke at the Crow’s Bench at 208-255-3051.

Reservations for lodging at Schweitzer must be made using the group name of GLM on or before March 18 to qualify for the discount and to meet the quota guaranteed by our chapter. To reserve a room, call Schweitzer Reservations at 1-208-265-0257. Rooms rates range from $107.20 ($145.12 with taxes and fees) to $135.20 ($186.78 with taxes and fees). A 25% non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking with a non-refundable balance due 30 days in advance of arrival. Other motels and restaurants are available. Snacks will be provided on the bus, but plan to bring your own food for lunch.

Background

An article on Northern Idaho sites was included in the IAFI newsletter for July 2023, still available on the IAFI website.

The Glacial Geologic Map of North Idaho published by the Coeur du Deluge (Heart of the Flood) Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute can be ordered from the IAFI online store, and some copies will be available at check-in. (Cost: $8.)

Registration

Registration is required. The registration fee is refundable if requested at least 7 days prior to the event. 

Registration will be closed on April 15th or when the capacity of 50 registrants is reached.

Participants are asked to check in with the event manager, Parnelli Sharp, between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. at the Selkirk Lodge or call her at 406-531-2257 on April 17th if you are delayed.

Questions? Contact Sherry at 406.207.7760 or glm@montananaturalist.org.