
The Smith River Alliance & Resource Advisory Committee are hosting a day-long, geologic field trip in the Smith River basin focusing on the river and the hillslopes that make up the region. The field trip will be guided by local geologist Dylan Caldwell. Dylan has an M.S. in geology from Humboldt State University and completed a Master’s thesis focused on the Smith River and the physical development of the basin.
October 12, 2013 Rough timeline for the day:
8:30AM - Discuss the lower Smith River estuary via Tolowa Dunes State Park and coastal geology of the mainstem Smith.
10:30AM - Stop at Slant Bridge/Forks of the Smith river access to view the confluence and discuss the differences between the North, Middle, and South forks of the Smith.
11:15AM to Noon - Head up the South Fork with quick stops at “Surprise Falls” rapid and “Two Bridges” rapid for excellent examples of how geology controls the river and the formation of rapids.
Noon - Lunch break at Rock Creek Ranch and brief discussion of the Smith River Alliance’s efforts and achievements in the watershed.
1:00PM - Continue up the South Fork for another quick stop at “Pillow” rapid and an overview of the well-known Rattlesnake slide that temporarly damned the river in 1970.
2:30PM - View an ancient large-scale landslide in the upper South Fork and discuss high-elevation effects in the basin.
4:00PM - Optional dinner/camping back at Rock Creek Ranch.
The trip is free and open to the public, however, limited spaces are available.
For more information and registration contact trip organizer Connor Caldwell:
(831) 428-2754 or cnnrcldwll (at) gmail.com