HI Nick I was on an Archaeology dig just west of Enumclaw way back in the 1970s. We found Native tools and some fire pits , above and below the mud flow, Very sure they were wiped out and had to start all over as the mud and rocks is 4 or 5 feet deep. My instructor was Jerry Hedlund at Green River CC .He was one of my best teachers. I hope you find his papers.
Here's an article talking about Enumclaw and the early people there, one citation of which is to a Jerry Hedlund paper: patch.com/washington/enumclaw/bp--early-enumclaw-6000-years-ago-to-the-mid-1850s.
I am grateful that young fellas like you huff and puff up the mountains and take outstanding videos of your exploits so that my old backside can sit and watch. 50 years ago I would have joined you.
3 года назад
I haven't hiked the Crystal Peak trail for many years. So happy to see it again. Thanks Nick!
I'd like to thank you for posting all of your videos, I've been watching your (Winter 2021) Geology 101, I'm on episode 5 currently, and it's truly fascinating to me, I take notes. The more I watch your videos it makes me want to look into Geology as a major. Thank you, I hope to see more videos in the future!
Wow you caught such an amazing day with minimal cloud cover! We're from Colorado and we've hiked all around Mt St Helens multiple times over the last 15 years and watching nature recover has been amazing. Mt Rainier is next on our list of the Cascades to explore!
What an incredible view ! I worked with USGS in Olympic Forest in 80s .. love love Rainier too ... the cold clear water rushing off the mountain. I'm getting a new hip in a few weeks , will be 60 a few weeks after surgery. I've been limping along on flat trails this last year.. I'm expecting great things from my new hip so I can get back on my local peaks, from Flagstaff, AZ. Gorgeous video and info !
Thanks as always, Nick! And I hear you about not taking any blue sky days for granted at this time of year. Been a little smokey up here in Calgary, too. Cheers!
Thanks for the beautiful hike and geological information. We also have Clark's Nutcrackers in the East Sierra of Calif they are in the jay family and like to eat pinion pine seeds and other pine seeds (strong beak required). Mt Ranier is beautiful! Quite a bit of ice.
After everything you said I'm still captivated by that view of Mt Rainier. Here in Australia we don't really get those kinda views. Just spectacular! From your talk on the mudflow, seeing the actual environment, it just boggles the mind on the sheer scale of the event!
The Puyallup river valley from commencement bay up to Sumner and then north up the Green river valley to Renton and possibly even Seattle was Puget sound tidal waters before 5,600 years ago as well. The Electron flow also filled in the Puyallup valley more around 500 years ago. Back in the early 1990s crews dug up an old growth forest under ground in Orting which was buried by the electron mudflow.
a mechanic can take a day off and not think about work ,as too a plumber, or other , but your field it, is constant .You are surrounded by you work ! and thanks for taking us along
Hi Nick! Awesome views of Mount Rainier and the White River Valley! Great job with 3,000’ elevation gain! Looks like an awesome trail with plenty of views and wildflowers. I’m adding it to my to hike list. 😉👍 🥾🥾
Great video. Yes Nick our world has changed. Smoke is already bad in Eastern Washington, having the driest and hottest spring/summer recorded. Last few years smoke arrived in August and September, now in the middle of July..
Nick I enjoy your classes and your hikes. I am in Minnesota and I started looking into the historical geology of northern Minnesota. And although I studied this in college in the late 70s, I did not realize how similar the Cambrian history of northern Minnesota is to the area of Washington you are discussing is. It helped me understand a great deal. Thank you. Next story my wife just had her hip done. You are doing great on your bionics best to you and enjoy
Nick, I don't know how else to contact you to see if you've seen footage from the European flooding. I found this one that leaves the landscape looking like the ice age floods (on a smaller scale) www.itv.com/news/2021-07-16/more-than-90-dead-as-major-flooding-continues-in-germany-and-belgium Thought your viewers might find them helpful in imagining the flows 18,000 years ago.
Really enjoy Crystal Peak and Crystal Lake. If you have two cars, its fun to park one at Chinook Pass and Hike from the Crystal Lake Trail to the PCT, then out to Chinook Pass past Sheep Lake. Enjoy!
I Praise God I found your website and youtube. Nature especially geology is beyond amazing and you help me see it and better understand it. Thank You Nick.
Crystal peak looks like a high perch …beautiful and amazing envisioning the power of that day when the river turned into a wall of mud-Crete destroying all before it 5600 years ago … great live field lesson . Wonderful surprise ..Osceola mud flow Nice downhill breathing lol ! thanks nick
Great video Nick! One of my favorite nearby (to me) hikes, lucky for you to have it practically to yourselves. On a clear day you can see all the major strato volcanoes from Mt. Baker to Mt. Hood. If you have the opportunity, check out Crystal Lakes too! Thank you for sharing, Hugh in Puyallup
Another beautiful hike! Thank you so much, Nick (and Liz!!) for sharing these with us. One of these days I am going to make it back out there - hopefully before i am too old and decrepit to do a little hiking, lol. And I would LOVE to have that creek (@22:13) on a loop for falling asleep to... so beautiful and soothing to me.
There's no way my 76-year-old knees will tolerate a 3,000-foot climb, and they will like the descent equally unhappily. Gorgeous views, though - that's quite a gizmo you have. I very much liked the glacier lilies (?) at 20:10 or thereabouts - one of the several pleasures of getting out on the trail - almost any trail - in high country.
What a perfect summer day! Coming from the Midwest, you guys are absolutely SPOILED with perfect mountain views! Everything you film looks like a postcard! Great job professor!
Haven't got out at all this Spring or Summer. My daughter and my imaginary friend in that mythical place called Ellensburg sends me lots of pictures though.
Why do they call it Crystal Peak? Are there any pegmatites around that might have some quartz crystals in it? One time, I was flying to Tucson and we flew directly over the top of Mt. Rainier and there was this perfect crater/cone right at the top. That just blew me away! Thanks, Nick for taking me on the hike. I really enjoyed it and all of the information you provided.
There were some gold prospects in the nearby basin where Crystal Mountain ski resort is. I would imagine crystals were found during prospecting and the name stuck. Other mining related names in the area are Placer Lake and Pickhandle Point.
Can anyone identify that awesome orange-yellow flower Nick photographed? The one with the purple (I think) spots and curled over petals? I would love to investigate it further. Thanks...
Love the scenery and hearing about the history of the area; however, as one who lives about 20 minutes from the MN/WI border, I keep wanting to correct your pronunciation of "Osceola" (even though I know that's how it's pronounced in WA). ;)
... I guess there is Crystal Gondala ride the next valley over.... I wish I had forced myself up Ranier more I went just a bit from the lodge but even without guide one can walk to the Camp Muir hut where they sleep , , , or ha take a chopper to anywhere
Im on nw Oregon coast. I love that a few hours drive in any direction puts us in an completely different terrain. Hiked towards the headwaters of the skokomish two weeks ago. It was beautiful! My m.i.l. wants to go find elensburg blue on her birthday, but she needs her walking stick... Could you recommend an area where a person can access public land, and find a good specimen for moms collection without breaking a hip?
The $6 Man! Of course the way health care costs have risen since Lee Majors was the first bionic man, I wouldn't be surprised if the two new knees _weren't_ $6 million by now.
There used to be a fire lookout on Crystal Peak which is why a trail climbs it. "My recollection is that the 1971-1972 heavy winter snowfall so badly damaged the Crystal Peak lookout that it was torn down in about 1972 or 1973. In 1974 Jim Wintworth, of the Mount Rainier NP Road Crew, went up to the lookout site with a case of 50 sticks of dynamite. According to what I was told Jim, not wanting to bring any of it down, put 38 sticks in the foundation, and 12 sticks in the out house. The resulting blast was so loud that my 2 1/2 year old daughter, was left crying at the White River Entrance Station far below." www.willhiteweb.com/mount_rainier_national_park/crystal_peak_trail/fire_lookout_387.htm
Nick Zenter, I don't know if you read these comments but I was curious after watching your last video, the popup geology, if you had any thoughts about the damming of the Columbia. Do you wish it would go back to its natural state? I understand the reasons but seems a shame too because of all that is being missed such as that rock that looks like the Sphinx you mentioned you can just see the top of now.
Thousands of people downstream from the dams benefit from the flood control they provide. Before the dams, in the spring natural runoff caused severed damage, and sometimes wiped out whole communities. The dams don't stop all flooding, but they help a lot.
I'm kind of curious about a couple of the formations there by Mt. Rainier. As you had your camera pointed at it, there is something I identified as Goat Island Mountain right in front of Mt. Rainier. And then to the left and closer to you is Cowitz Chimneys South. I'm wondering what those are. They kind of look like something that slid off Rainier at some point in history.
