Signs along the road...

indicating that's it's not easy being a deer in the Methow Valley.

Montana bound...

for several days, to visit with friends in Missoula and to explore the north side of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. I'll post a trip report upon my return.

Here are the highlights...

you've been waiting for from last week's field trip across Washington state (click on images to enlarge).

The first day began with a long drive across the Columbia Plateau, composed chiefly of ugly dark rocks (the Columbia River Basalt Group) that often display columnar jointing. But here we paused to examine some interesting pillow-palagonite structures:

On Day 2 we examined the fossil floras contained in the Cretaceous-age Winthrop Sandstone in the Methow Valley, where the dominantly broad-leaf specimens indicate a paleoclimate that was warmer and wetter than the present:

We then proceeded to Hart's Pass, and onto Slate Peak, the highest point one can drive in Washington. Our group had to hike the last bit due to lingering late season snow, but it provided an opportunity to closely examine the sedimentary rocks:

Here, just below the summit and nearly 7,000 ft above sea level, one can find marine gastropods in the Virginian Ridge Formation, interpreted to be a deepwater clastic environment of deposition:

Glacial geomorphology is in evidence no matter what direction you cast your gaze. This is the view north, into the Pasayten Wilderness, of a textbook example of a glacially eroded U-shaped valley:

One can believe they are visiting Switzerland and the Alps from this lofty vantage point. Jack Mountain is hidden in the clouds in the distance, and an old gold mining site lies in the foreground, in this scene to the northwest:

Alpine flowers were blooming in abundance, and this bright phlox caught my eye:

One nearby drainage burned in 2006 and provided an opportunity to examine the impact to the alpine forest ecosystem and to discuss concepts related to secondary succession:

Day 3 started with an examination of the granites associated with the Golden Horn Batholith at the highly scenic Washington Pass:

Quite by chance, I ran into an old caving buddy of mine who I hadn't seen in years. He was kind enough to take this snap of our field class:

This was followed by a short hike to Rainy Lake, a classic tarn set in a classic cirque:

Further along the North Cascades Highway (Route 20) the Skagit Gneiss is encountered, developed during the great Wrangellian crunch:

Day 4 took us to Sauk Mountain where the weather was foggy, but we still enjoyed a day filled with botany. Here's a shot of bleeding heart:

And a red columbine:

At lower elevation, later in the day, we discovered the rare parasitic Indian Pipe:

Day 5 found us ascending a snow-packed trail through the forest, beginning at Schreiber's Meadow, and delivering us at the lateral moraine below the Easton Glacier on the south flank of Mount Baker:

This scrounging Clark's Nutcracker visited us during lunch:

Day 6 provided an opportunity to rendezvous with retired emeritus professor Gene Kiver for a tour of Washington Park near Anacortes. Here we examine tide pools in the exposed mantle rocks (ophiolites):

Each water-flooded pool provided refuge for dozens of different organisms until the rhythmic return of high tide:

We spent the entire Day 7 at Double Bluff beach on South Whidbey Island, examining the interglacial deposits in the bluff and walking the sandy beach during low tide:

The mixed lacustrine and glaciofluvial sediments showed meter-scale flame structures indicative of soft-sediment deformation, likely in response to a pre-historic event on the South Whidbey fault:

And check out these two beautiful and delicate anemones:

The return drive to EWU was made the following day, via Route 2 and Steven's Pass. Great students and terrific colleagues will guarantee another summer field class next year, to a destination as yet unknown.

A puzzling collapse...

of Earth's upper atmosphere.

My new sleep system...

for summer backpacking/camping consists of the ENO DoubleNest Hammock. I slept it in every night during my field class this preceding week and found it highly restful.

It is well made and sets up quickly and easily (the straps are sold separately). It's fantastically comfortable but likely not for everyone, especially if you're not a back sleeper. Helpful hint: on chilly nights you should use a sleeping pad to provide insulation from the cold on your backside.

An east-west transect of Washington...

will be explored during a week-long field class "Scablands to Islands" that I co-teach commencing tomorrow. The mixed biology/geology course will examine the climatic and botanical variation, as well as the complex geology of numerous accreted terranes, across this impressively diverse and beautiful state. The approximate route of the excursion is indicated on the satellite image shown above (click to enlarge).

Blogging will be minimal, if at all, in the week ahead. But upon return I'll post some images and share interesting observations. OK, I've gotta get back to packing.

It's field work Friday...

on the Rathdrum Prairie in Idaho, as I make the rounds measuring groundwater levels in a select set of monitoring wells this morning. It's been more than three months since my last visit to gather data so it will be interesting to see the status of the aquifer.

Then it's back to the university for final prep and packing for a week-long field class that departs early tomorrow morning - more about that later.

The last external fuel tank...

to be manufactured, and a symbol of the end of American human spaceflight for the near future, on its way to Cape Canaveral for the last shuttle flight. Here's the press release from NASA.

Previous related post.

The new B-Squad Blog...

is up and running, authored by the Bu bro. It's a synopsis of his family's activities, who are now enjoying the mountain living in Aspen, Colorado for a big chunk of the summer. Take a look, people who are look takers: B-Squad Blog.

Coldest antimatter...

ever produced. And it's really, really chilly: "The team cooled down antiprotons to temperatures colder than the surface of Pluto, as low as -443 degrees F (9.26 Kelvin) -- just 17 degrees above absolute zero."

Um, cool.

Ten crazy-looking...

new deep-sea creatures. Given these, can you imagine what we'll find swimming beneath the ice encrusted ocean on Europa?

The life of a turtle...

This better work...

Hitting a Tiny Bull’s-Eye Miles Under the Gulf.

A very good article on directional drilling as it relates to BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster. Be sure to check out this excellent graphic.

Paper wins again...

it seems: Reading on Paper is Faster than iBooks on the iPad.

Interesting, but I don't believe the study is statistically significant. Though I do accept that there are real differences in contrast, resolution, and comfort.

Previous related post.

Testing the "standard model"...

Large Hadron Collider: Touring the Physics Frontier

Oceans of bachelor's buttons...

(Centaurea cyanus) are in bloom in the meadows among the pines in eastern Washington (click to enlarge). I can't recall seeing them this prolific in the past.

The definitive guide...

to finding free Wi-Fi.

Today's visitors...

to my cottage in the forest in eastern Washington.

Happy Independence Day...

today, the Fourth of July, the 234th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

FASCINATING HISTORICAL FACTOID: "In a remarkable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence to later serve as President of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration."

RELATED: How Fireworks Pros Make Brilliant Pyrotechnics.

Seeing green was a real treat...

for my eyes today as I hiked trails on the south flank of Mount Spokane with friend RT. The lush forest stood in stark contrast to the red rock canyon country I had been visiting for the past 3.5 months. Retinas rejoice!

One of my subalpine favorites was pushing out the first blooms of the early summer. That's bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax), which really isn't a grass at all as it is closely related to lilies (click to enlarge):

In all, a fabulous day. Surprisingly few people for a holiday weekend. Perfect weather. Terrific company.

How to photograph...

fireworks.

I used many of the tips in the article to take this image.

Delaying the inevitable...

NASA reschedules two final space shuttle launches

Meet your great-great-etc-grandparents...

2-Billion-Year-Old Fossils May Be Earliest Known Multicellular Life.

More here.

Miller-Urey redux...

Zapping Titan-Like Atmosphere With UV Rays Creates Life Precursors.

Here's more about the original Miller-Urey experiment.

Best to-do list manager is...

paper.

I agree, and particularly enjoy the physical act of crossing something off the list. That's so much more satisfying than clicking on a delete button or an "x."

Heading north today...

to the cool and verdant Northwest after spending more than three months in canyon country. I have to admit that it will be nice to see green landscapes, rather than red vistas, for a while. My retinas need a break.

What I'm reading...

right now: The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands - Region of Wonders by Terry Johnson and Kurt Byers. It's a lavishly illustrated presentation of the cultural and natural history of a remote part of the world, and though a broad treatment of a large region, it contains a wealth of detailed information.

When the desert gets hot...

one can find cool refuge in the high country in the La Sal Mountains where the alpine meadows are still resplendent with wildflowers (click to enlarge):

Here's a magnificent, broader view:

And a nearby aspen grove shelters a fabulous display of countless columbine, of which here's a shot of but a few:

The rustic charm is gone...

from the street signs in the town of Castle Valley (click to enlarge), ostensibly for health and safety reasons, so that emergency responders can locate themselves more quickly in our burgeoning metropolis. Still, I prefer the old ones.

The future is now...

Researchers Create Self-Assembling Nanodevices That Move and Change Shape on Demand.

Can von Neumann devices be far behind?

Luna rising...

over the La Sal Mountains this evening (click to enlarge).

RELATED: Only an early bird will catch the partial lunar eclipse this Saturday morning.

DIY dismemberment...

How to Be a Butcher: 4 Pro Tips.

It is, after all, barbecue season, and ribs are oh so delicious.

The peak has passed...

on the Colorado River for this runoff season, having crested a bit above the median flow for the 91 year period of record at the Cisco gage. Here's a live webcam view of the river a few miles downstream of the gaging station.

Ten cool things seen...

in the first year of LRO.

I'll have another cup, please...

Coffee May Protect Against Head, Neck Cancers

I wonder, do margaritas offset any illnesses?

Previous related post.

Wise words...

Why is it that if someone tells you that there are one billion stars in the universe you will believe them, but if they tell you a wall has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?

-- Stephen Wright

In the right place...

at the right time: Amazing Aurora Seen From Space.

Rejoice the summer solstice...

on this, the longest day of the year. Summer officially begins at precisely 11:28 Universal Time (5:28 am MDT) when the sun reaches its highest point on the celestial sphere.

Classification of arches...

can be a very complicated matter.

That's the appropriately named Jug Handle Arch along the Potash Road southwest of Moab, Utah, developed in the Wingate Sandstone (click to enlarge). It's estimated to be 46 ft high and about 3 ft wide.

Studying volcanoes in Nebraska...

Volcanic Eruptions in North America Were More Explosive in Ancient Past