GSOC Crowd Enjoyed the Annual Picnic at Beacon Rock SP

The GSOC Annual Picnic enjoyed a good turnout this year at Beacon Rock State Park in the Columbia River Gorge. GSOC had not sited the picnic here for over 20 years, and members agreed that this was a very good venue for a picnic. Not only did the site have a serviceable enclosed shelter building, but also a great view of some outstanding geology – Beacon Rock, a remnant of the last known outpouring of Boring lava, dated at 58,000 years ago.

GSOC volunteers Barbara Stroud and Nancy Collins planned the meal and brought the dishes and sandwich fixings. Patty Hyatt provided the plates and bowls. Other attendees brought vegetables and desserts, with a rather heavy emphasis on desserts (no pun intended!).

GSOC member and retired geologist Ian Madin spoke to the attendees after they finished the meal. He brought along a handout of a lidar image of the area and explained all the different geology that could be seen on the image. This is illustrated in the image below. After the talk, he sold GSOC attendees some of the stone pins that he has been making in his workshop at home. The proceeds of the sale were to go to the Bev Vogt Scholarship Fund.

A good time was had by all the attendees.