Holiday Party Wrap-up

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Larry and Bev confer next to the Christmas rock found in the Columbia Gorge by Cris. 

Larry and Bev confer next to the Christmas rock found in the Columbia Gorge by Cris. 

Ho, ho, ho! This party rocks! 

It was 3 weeks before Christmas and all was joyous at the 2016 GSOC Holiday Party. A good selection of entrees and salads, and a vast array of desserts were gobbled up by the participants. Then our fine musicians led a selection of Christmas standards and provided a magical atmosphere. The eating and singing were followed by a slide show of this past year’s field trips.

GSOC President Bo Nonn led the show with his slide of the 2016 President’s Field Trip “Lava Flows and Accreted Terranes,” Sept 6-11, 2016. His trip included stops along the central and southern Oregon coast, northern California along the Smith River, the Oregon Caves, and Upper Table Rock near Medford, Oregon.  Amongst the gems of the trip was a stop at Rainbow Rock on the Oregon coast, containing folded layers of ribbon chert. 

Paul Edison-Lahm reviewed the field trips of the buildings of downtown Portland which he organizes, “Ancient Walls 2016, Exploring South and North Portland Downtown Buildings’ Geology,” June 25 and October 22, 2016. Now in its fourth year, our downtown geology tour has expanded to include a second “north” tour with many new buildings, including Pioneer Courthouse, Union Bank building, Multnomah Central Library, and the First Baptist Church among others. We also welcome Cris Morgante as the tour’s newest expert guide. Our understanding of the stone trade was greatly enriched by the opportunity to walk the tour with master stonecutter Joe Conrad. The tour was the subject of a two-day taping by OPB's Oregon Field Guide and also the focus of a highly creative school “Quest” project spearheaded by Sarah Anderson at Southwest Charter School and her 4th grade students, who created beautiful artwork and inventive poetry about the buildings and geology. 

Dawn and Barbara lead the Christmas carols with their terrific instrumentals. 

Dawn and Barbara lead the Christmas carols with their terrific instrumentals. 

Dave Olcott finished the show with his slides from the June 11th and 12th field trip entitled "New Insights into the Geologic Evolution of the West-Central Columbia Plateau". Dave reminisces, “On June 11th and 12th, 38 GSOC members ventured into the western margins of the Columbia Plateau under the guidance of Jim Anderson, Steve Reidel, and Terry Tolan. The two-day trip figuratively unveiled geologic processes and features of the said area dating back to the early and middle Miocene. The 'geo-print' of ancestral Columbia and Snake River gravels, Saddle Mountain (Columbia River Basalt) and Simcoe Volcanic intracanyon flows within the regional structural framework of the Yakima Fold and Thrust Belt, enabled participants to better interpret the chronology of the dynamic events that formed this area.” 

“The distinguished leaders illuminated the areas' diverse geology ranging from the latest stratigraphy of the Klickitat Canyon and Valley to the altering impact of the network of northwest trending strike-slip faults. Participants enjoyed the opportunity to interact with such outstanding geologists and educators. Jim, Steve, and Terry, we thank you!”