Nick & Back Country Gary ! Geology at its finest. In the field, Walking the walk and talking the talk... 36 minutes of heaven! Thank you Nick & Gary. Wonderful informative video.
Excellent video! I happened to be in Index recently to climb and noticed that the index granite has occasional blobs of more fine-grained granite. I found a reference to this phenomenon in Dave Tucker's "Geology Underfoot in Western Washington" when talking about its use in the Smith Tower (p. 215) that attributes this to a hotter more mafic magma mingling with a more silica rich magma and forming enclaves in the rock. If you do another video about Index's geology, I would love to hear more about this. 😁 Also, love the idea of Volcanoes A-Z in the Cascades.
I've lived most of my life in Monroe and this is wonderful! Thank you. FYI if you go upriver where the valley narrows, even bigger rocks are regularly rolled along in our HUGE high water events (we've had several "hundred year" floods in the last few decades) Year round cabin residents have reported they can hear the boulders crashing together (while nervously watching the water rise) This has been going on for thousands of years, so...
Have you considered also going to the Index Mine? It's a spur off the Lake Serene trail and you can see inside the Index granite and also see the veins of copper ore they were trying to mine. That would be an interesting perspective as mining was a big part of settlement in the area, and it also shows some more of the local geology. The mine is fairly stable, but there is one open shaft to watch out for.
Ive done the Persis-Index traverse. Its a beautiful area. It feels like a much taller, more alpine mountain than its summit elevation might suggest. I remember a lot of variety of rock. Ive also done some climbing at the Index town walls. Its good climbing, although some of the areas on Icicle creek near levenworth are much more picturesque. Its cool seeing you explore areas close to home.
Holy smokes I just noticed Nick has over 90 thousand subscribers I have be following Nick for well over 4 years.Nick really doesn’t promote his channel The content and the community is what is bringing people here.Gary is one of them .
OMG Gary Paul! This is great! What fun it would be to follow these two around. My family is from that area, and I lived and worked there in my early adulthood. I sure miss it. This is a real treat.
Are there actual hot springs at Garland? As I went there in the scouts as a kid and we were told that it was Garland Mineral Springs and the springs we were shown seemed as they should accordingly to be of mineral almost carbonated seltzer springs and now later in life i hear of them being reffered to as hot springs of which I do not recall at least not to the similar hot springs I've experienced at scenic which were truely very hot. I'm not saying that they are not hot springs or mineral springs either way I'm simply trying to understand of my own experiences is all and it seemed to me that you maybe of agood person to ask? Thx for any info if you happen to respond.
@@williambrodmanvi5944 I was about 5 years old at time ... He had like a little hippie commune going on 🤣 any who ... Yes your correct it's mineral springs alot of iron in water .... I was told it was built as a training camp .... Winters were tough had to snowmobile in and out .... 🥰
Gorgeous day. Lake Serene is a lovely hike, and the falls. WOW, Fascinating info, Gary. I didnt know the names of most mountains in the Skykomish area. I drive Hwy 2 west often, so thank you very much. I love it!❤
More Gary is always a good thing, his ability to put 2D information in to 3D is a stunning asset. We don't know the Cascades so someone who can contextualise the geo map blobs gets three thumbs up from us.
Do the hike to Lake Serene, you will not be disappointed, used to be a glacier right at the lake. When the Skykomish floods it has some amazing power and can move the course of the whole river, those rocks would be easy for it to move. Thanks for the video of Index. 👍
I love watching you explain the mountains, I have been up a lot of them logging, always enjoyed the views and beautiful rocks you'd find in the streams or logging roads blasted from the mountains.
My family had a mining claim on mount Index in the 1990's, 2 square miles of the mountain. East on Hwy 2 from the town of Skykomish is an ancient town called Scenic. There you will find the Scenic Hot Springs. These are non-Sulfuric hot springs coming from the source at upto 120 F. I am looking forward to learning more about this region and can't wait for the fall!
You were near the spot on the railroad where, back in the late 80's, my friends and I (accidently) broke off a huge chunk of rock from the hillside. It rolled down, going through trees like toothpicks; rolled up to the tracks, then rolled back. It sounded like thunder echoing off the valley walls. The rock has since been shoved off the grade.
Some beautiful granite specimens and gorgeous views. I always loved traveling to the PNW. I used to look for loads up there just so I could stop and study the geology.
My my my. I so am enjoying this. I hiked this area back in 1978 and was awestruck by the amazing geology. After 43 years in the O&G industry as a well log analyst, it is still jawdropping. Thanks Nick for all the work you've put in to enlighten the world. Dean.
Awesome video and would love a video on Mount Index and the area! I’ve climbed there a couple times and always so fascinated in the rock, it is very impressive. If you guys walk around and find a couple of the routes like “Toxic Shock” it is a super cool splitter crack.
I hiked it about 45 years ago, in the root grabbing days. There is a trail now with about 350 steps, which were built for, apparently, people 8 feet tall. About wore out my legs. Also, Gary said they were about "3000 feet there" [ on the river]. The forks are at about 750 feet.
The North Cascades ain't the Tetons. The range is almost entirely hidden from highways. Hiking to highpoints will always yield unique views. Take us there! Rugged peaks, hidden cirques, hanging glaciers, waves of ridges - the reason we love these mountains, the American Alps.
doing 'episodes' around places like lake serene, which is a popular place, makes the science relatable - the audience has some context, and that will help draw a broader audience. I think that Gary is gonna be a good field producer, as he understands what will make compelling content.
You 2 get into the best adventures. Wish Backcountry Gary was available to come look at and give us advice on our public access trails into our Limestone forest restoration project. 11 acres on Guam, Community Forest. We have spent 8 years cutting paths to clear invasives and establish natives. Its time to think about how the public are going to access our wonderful park.
OMG NEW A TO Z ANNOUNCED, IM SO EXCITED!!!! CASCADE VOLCANOES, HERE WE COMEEEEE!!!! Love Gary by the way, thank you for introducing him to us. He looks like such a gentle and generous soul.
Your reaction to the big boulders in the Sky got me thinking. Could it be that we get so captivated by the spectacular geology of eastern Washington that we tend to overlook the interesting stories in western Washington rock?
you'd probably be amazed at unchecked floods on rivers, Nick. Those boulders are just tossed around like nothing by the water. They make the loudest bangs as they're bashing against each other.
For some really stunning examples of large polished boulders in the area you should take a look at the boulder drop. Really unusual polished heucos and some 20ft+ rocks
My home crag. Did you notice all the freshly broken boulders and trees at the base of the quarry area? Late last year it came down. If you poke around the sand you will see many river spuds that came down from the top of the cliff. And even higher up by the Upper Town wall I find lots of river stones. When I think about the large very well rounded granite boulders on the river I imagine the river being higher and eroding down so some of those boulders might have been 1000-2000’ higher but in the same spot. Also did the continental ice sheet come up river this far?
Very cool! When I came to the Bretz A to Z I drove Hwy 2 threw Monroe and several of those small towns. I would pull over at the bridges and even stopped at two of the small towns. Had coffee and a danish plus a couple little antique shops. Glad to know I stumbled bumbled threw a possible Zentner movie site! lol It's a absolutely gorgeous drive. I only did this because some of the roads south of I90 were still closed for snow(or so I thought) by the big volcanos.
I love that area. I had a memorable post hike meal at the Index Cafe after a four day hike up in the Alpine Lakes/West Foss. While you're in this area, I'd like to know more about the marble found in the Foss area. Cheers!
I have to ask, how is the fishing? Such a nice spot. Wild rivers and rugged peaks. Thanks for the geology Nick, I really like the energy the two of you bring.
My cousin RIP was the leading salmon gill scale scientist and he used to take me "counting" on various riviers right there and further north. What an amazing place, the PNW.
Take the trail to the top of the upper town walls to get a great shot looking up valley. Also “Hueco Rock” of the index river boulders is a beautifully sculpted 20ft tall, riverside boulder that would make an impressive backdrop
I love this stuff 🎉 you really bring forward degrees of comprehension that lacks everywhere else. Just wish you could do other states as well. Colorado, Utah, new Mexico, Arizona.
So... what was that 'big blue blob'? I've been fascinated by this type of stone on the Upper Cowlitz - another west-side river with really big boulders.
Right when Mr Paul was holding up that piece of granite...... Around 6:00 plus minutes into your video..... I was noticing what a good listener he is..... There's reasons why you guys are so smart ....... He didn't interrupt you. Extremely interesting listening to both of you. I remember up there by Snoqualmie pass you said Denny mountain was part of the plumbing for the volcanic rise... Because it had marble exposed...
34:17 Well it sure seems to me that the granite boulders had to be a result of glacial outburst flooding. What else could have sent boulders this size tumbling down for miles and getting them rounded out like river cobbles? Even accounting for what might be age-old granite? They couldn't have been rafted in on the glacier nor drop-stone, otherwise they'd be much more jagged. That's as far as my thinking goes.
I can already see "Cascade Volcanoes A to Z" may look like! Maybe, Nick on the Rocks could also shift the stories in that direction?! Why not!😉 How exciting!!😃💞💗Aww✨
Come climb Mt Adams (or at least part of it) with me Nick. Lots of Cascade Volcano stories from many different ages and incredible visuals from the gorge going north up 141 to Mt Adams. Can figure out housing for you and whatever crew you might want to bring. I’ve summited Adams over 40 times. Imagine the content!! 😎
Got a fishing pole? Lots of good fishing here, fish behind those big rocks. Toward the end I noticed a shelf, that is eroding looked like some big rock in that too. Thank you looking forward to NEW A-Z stay safe ALL
Gary Paul is amazingly knowledgeable. He deserves an award of some kind.
Nick & Back Country Gary ! Geology at its finest. In the field, Walking the walk and talking the talk... 36 minutes of heaven! Thank you Nick & Gary. Wonderful informative video.
My wife and I bought a piece of ground in Index 30 years ago. I’m on the edge of my seat because Nick came to explore and reveal some secrets.
Excellent video!
I happened to be in Index recently to climb and noticed that the index granite has occasional blobs of more fine-grained granite.
I found a reference to this phenomenon in Dave Tucker's "Geology Underfoot in Western Washington" when talking about its use in the Smith Tower (p. 215) that attributes this to a hotter more mafic magma mingling with a more silica rich magma and forming enclaves in the rock.
If you do another video about Index's geology, I would love to hear more about this. 😁
Also, love the idea of Volcanoes A-Z in the Cascades.
Absolutely love these field location scouts w Gary Paul... so magnificent.
Gary Paull is a quintuple threat! Geologist, geographer, photographer, historian, raconteur!
You guys are just great . It is wonderful to learn from the two of you . Much appreciation to you both..
I've lived most of my life in Monroe and this is wonderful! Thank you.
FYI if you go upriver where the valley narrows, even bigger rocks are regularly rolled along in our HUGE high water events (we've had several "hundred year" floods in the last few decades) Year round cabin residents have reported they can hear the boulders crashing together (while nervously watching the water rise) This has been going on for thousands of years, so...
Videos with Gary are pure gold!
You should include Bridal Veil Falls as well. I snowshoed there many years ago.
That Persis rock shows up again 30 miles downstream at Lord Hill in Snohomish according to the USGS maps.
Definitely no.1
Have you considered also going to the Index Mine? It's a spur off the Lake Serene trail and you can see inside the Index granite and also see the veins of copper ore they were trying to mine. That would be an interesting perspective as mining was a big part of settlement in the area, and it also shows some more of the local geology. The mine is fairly stable, but there is one open shaft to watch out for.
Ive done the Persis-Index traverse. Its a beautiful area. It feels like a much taller, more alpine mountain than its summit elevation might suggest. I remember a lot of variety of rock.
Ive also done some climbing at the Index town walls. Its good climbing, although some of the areas on Icicle creek near levenworth are much more picturesque.
Its cool seeing you explore areas close to home.
Very much appreciated walk and talk. This is why geologists are so important.
I grew up in Index in the 60’s. Thanks for talking about my old stomping grounds!
Holy smokes I just noticed Nick has over 90 thousand subscribers I have be following Nick for well over 4 years.Nick really doesn’t promote his channel The content and the community is what is bringing people here.Gary is one of them .
OMG Gary Paul! This is great! What fun it would be to follow these two around. My family is from that area, and I lived and worked there in my early adulthood. I sure miss it. This is a real treat.
In 1968 my family owned the Garland Hot Springs .... This is so exciting to sit back and watch ... 😮
Are there actual hot springs at Garland? As I went there in the scouts as a kid and we were told that it was Garland Mineral Springs and the springs we were shown seemed as they should accordingly to be of mineral almost carbonated seltzer springs and now later in life i hear of them being reffered to as hot springs of which I do not recall at least not to the similar hot springs I've experienced at scenic which were truely very hot. I'm not saying that they are not hot springs or mineral springs either way I'm simply trying to understand of my own experiences is all and it seemed to me that you maybe of agood person to ask? Thx for any info if you happen to respond.
@@williambrodmanvi5944
I was about 5 years old at time ... He had like a little hippie commune going on 🤣 any who ... Yes your correct it's mineral springs alot of iron in water .... I was told it was built as a training camp .... Winters were tough had to snowmobile in and out .... 🥰
Wow! Mount Index is stunning!
What a treat it is to see a beautiful clear river vs. the murky kind I only get to see in the East. Love these field videos!
A drone shot with someone climbing the upper town wall with Index and Persis in the background would be a stunning intro!
Aside from the geology, the visuals are STUNNING!
Gorgeous day. Lake Serene is a lovely hike, and the falls. WOW, Fascinating info, Gary. I didnt know the names of most mountains in the Skykomish area. I drive Hwy 2 west often, so thank you very much. I love it!❤
More Gary is always a good thing, his ability to put 2D information in to 3D is a stunning asset. We don't know the Cascades so someone who can contextualise the geo map blobs gets three thumbs up from us.
Do the hike to Lake Serene, you will not be disappointed, used to be a glacier right at the lake. When the Skykomish floods it has some amazing power and can move the course of the whole river, those rocks would be easy for it to move. Thanks for the video of Index. 👍
I love watching you explain the mountains, I have been up a lot of them logging, always enjoyed the views and beautiful rocks you'd find in the streams or logging roads blasted from the mountains.
Welcome to the wet west side! Thanks Nick and Gary!!
Awsome. Quarry for up close. Perspective from ridge. Scenic lake up close hike.
That is beautiful country, wow!
My family had a mining claim on mount Index in the 1990's, 2 square miles of the mountain. East on Hwy 2 from the town of Skykomish is an ancient town called Scenic. There you will find the Scenic Hot Springs. These are non-Sulfuric hot springs coming from the source at upto 120 F. I am looking forward to learning more about this region and can't wait for the fall!
I am looking forward to the volcanoes this coming winter.
You were near the spot on the railroad where, back in the late 80's, my friends and I (accidently) broke off a huge chunk of rock from the hillside. It rolled down, going through trees like toothpicks; rolled up to the tracks, then rolled back. It sounded like thunder echoing off the valley walls. The rock has since been shoved off the grade.
Some beautiful granite specimens and gorgeous views. I always loved traveling to the PNW. I used to look for loads up there just so I could stop and study the geology.
My my my. I so am enjoying this. I hiked this area back in 1978 and was awestruck by the amazing geology. After 43 years in the O&G industry as a well log analyst, it is still jawdropping. Thanks Nick for all the work you've put in to enlighten the world. Dean.
Love the Gary episodes and I cannot wait for Cascade Volcanics a-z! Thank you!!
Very interesting walk with Gary Paull but they always are when he shows up. Fantastic scenery for sure here! Thanks Nick.
Always a fun time to watch you and Gary Paul team up! I always learn something new about the N Cascaded.
I’m looking forward to this A-Z series! Beautiful spot.. 😁
What an excellent partnership.
Awesome video and would love a video on Mount Index and the area! I’ve climbed there a couple times and always so fascinated in the rock, it is very impressive. If you guys walk around and find a couple of the routes like “Toxic Shock” it is a super cool splitter crack.
Really looking forward to November... thanks for your work fellas
I hiked to Lake Serene as a kid. I remember grabbing onto a lot of tree roots to climb the trail. You'll want to be hands free.
I hiked it about 45 years ago, in the root grabbing days. There is a trail now with about 350 steps, which were built for, apparently, people 8 feet tall. About wore out my legs. Also, Gary said they were about "3000 feet there" [ on the river]. The forks are at about 750 feet.
The North Cascades ain't the Tetons. The range is almost entirely hidden from highways. Hiking to highpoints will always yield unique views. Take us there! Rugged peaks, hidden cirques, hanging glaciers, waves of ridges - the reason we love these mountains, the American Alps.
Gotta Love It! Cascade Volcanos A to Z. Looking forward to watching!
Thank you Nick, and Gary Paul for sharing your expertise. It is pure gold to me.
Please confirm: was Index granite used for paving Seattle streets or perhaps for ballast in ships?
doing 'episodes' around places like lake serene, which is a popular place, makes the science relatable - the audience has some context, and that will help draw a broader audience. I think that Gary is gonna be a good field producer, as he understands what will make compelling content.
like the scouting :)
An excellent guide, this Gary Paull. Thank you Nick and Gary for the reveals.
You 2 get into the best adventures. Wish Backcountry Gary was available to come look at and give us advice on our public access trails into our Limestone forest restoration project. 11 acres on Guam, Community Forest. We have spent 8 years cutting paths to clear invasives and establish natives. Its time to think about how the public are going to access our wonderful park.
Thanks Gary and Nick for another field trip with spectacular scenery and interesting geology!
Ok... I'm only at 2:22..... and loving this. Nick ; you , Gary and the rest of the " Ned Zinger Rock Posse " are motivational / inspirational.
I love this reconnaissance format. 👍
More excellent content on this channel
Another great super informative video. Thanks to you both.
Can you include the polished granite of eagle falls just up the road by baring?
Very nice scenery. Reminds me of a RUclips channel called “Outside&Stuff”. Young couple hiking and summiting numerous peaks in the Cascades.
OMG NEW A TO Z ANNOUNCED, IM SO EXCITED!!!!
CASCADE VOLCANOES, HERE WE COMEEEEE!!!!
Love Gary by the way, thank you for introducing him to us. He looks like such a gentle and generous soul.
Love Gary and love these hikes
Your reaction to the big boulders in the Sky got me thinking. Could it be that we get so captivated by the spectacular geology of eastern Washington that we tend to overlook the interesting stories in western Washington rock?
I’d be interested in learning more about Persis! Fascinating
you'd probably be amazed at unchecked floods on rivers, Nick. Those boulders are just tossed around like nothing by the water. They make the loudest bangs as they're bashing against each other.
For some really stunning examples of large polished boulders in the area you should take a look at the boulder drop. Really unusual polished heucos and some 20ft+ rocks
Nick, Gary, I'm pretty sure that this would make a great episode of Nick on the Rocks
My home crag. Did you notice all the freshly broken boulders and trees at the base of the quarry area? Late last year it came down. If you poke around the sand you will see many river spuds that came down from the top of the cliff. And even higher up by the Upper Town wall I find lots of river stones. When I think about the large very well rounded granite boulders on the river I imagine the river being higher and eroding down so some of those boulders might have been 1000-2000’ higher but in the same spot. Also did the continental ice sheet come up river this far?
The terminal morraine from the continental glaciers is down valley a few miles, just east of Zeke's drive in.
Lake Serene is like a freaking highway. So busy. Be ready 😂
Great program. It’s always good to have Nick and Gary together.
Very cool! When I came to the Bretz A to Z I drove Hwy 2 threw Monroe and several of those small towns. I would pull over at the bridges and even stopped at two of the small towns. Had coffee and a danish plus a couple little antique shops. Glad to know I stumbled bumbled threw a possible Zentner movie site! lol It's a absolutely gorgeous drive. I only did this because some of the roads south of I90 were still closed for snow(or so I thought) by the big volcanos.
I love that area. I had a memorable post hike meal at the Index Cafe after a four day hike up in the Alpine Lakes/West Foss. While you're in this area, I'd like to know more about the marble found in the Foss area. Cheers!
That was rather interesting and fun watching you guys work on planing a possible upcoming episode, a little inside look, Thank you!
I'll be watching that show on volcanoes. 👍
This guy is just super Nick. Really enjoying this.
Exciting stuff, can't wait..!
Impressive geology and gorgeous scenery. Easy to like this. ❤
GREAT episode!
love love love
So cool--I love the theories, and the scenery can't be beat! So many things going on in Nature, all of the time!
I have to ask, how is the fishing?
Such a nice spot. Wild rivers and rugged peaks.
Thanks for the geology Nick, I really like the energy the two of you bring.
My cousin RIP was the leading salmon gill scale scientist and he used to take me "counting" on various riviers right there and further north. What an amazing place, the PNW.
I'm sure I could see trout hiding in the shade of the cut bank on that river. reed scott
Take the trail to the top of the upper town walls to get a great shot looking up valley. Also “Hueco Rock” of the index river boulders is a beautifully sculpted 20ft tall, riverside boulder that would make an impressive backdrop
Pretty decent office you guys have. And, geology lessons for those who want to learn. Very nice video.
I love this stuff 🎉 you really bring forward degrees of comprehension that lacks everywhere else. Just wish you could do other states as well. Colorado, Utah, new Mexico, Arizona.
At 11:29.... YES ! 😎😎😎😎😎. [ " So Let It Be Written, So Let It Be Done. " ]
A to Z with GP!
Beautiful views in the backyard of a small town America.
So... what was that 'big blue blob'? I've been fascinated by this type of stone on the Upper Cowlitz - another west-side river with really big boulders.
My guess is a blue sandstone.
Great video and looks like awesome new videos to come in the future.
Can’t wait for Cascade Volcanoes A-Z…! I’ve been to the top of them all!
❤❤❤
Hello Gary and Nick.
More please!!!
Stunning!
Right when Mr Paul was holding up that piece of granite...... Around 6:00 plus minutes into your video..... I was noticing what a good listener he is..... There's reasons why you guys are so smart ....... He didn't interrupt you.
Extremely interesting listening to both of you.
I remember up there by Snoqualmie pass you said Denny mountain was part of the plumbing for the volcanic rise... Because it had marble exposed...
Great story, the older drydocks at PSNS are built with giant blocks of granite mabe from the cascades.
34:17 Well it sure seems to me that the granite boulders had to be a result of glacial outburst flooding. What else could have sent boulders this size tumbling down for miles and getting them rounded out like river cobbles? Even accounting for what might be age-old granite? They couldn't have been rafted in on the glacier nor drop-stone, otherwise they'd be much more jagged. That's as far as my thinking goes.
I'm guessing the big boulders were landslide material that haven't moved very far.
I can already see "Cascade Volcanoes A to Z" may look like! Maybe, Nick on the Rocks could also shift the stories in that direction?! Why not!😉 How exciting!!😃💞💗Aww✨
Come climb Mt Adams (or at least part of it) with me Nick. Lots of Cascade Volcano stories from many different ages and incredible visuals from the gorge going north up 141 to Mt Adams. Can figure out housing for you and whatever crew you might want to bring. I’ve summited Adams over 40 times. Imagine the content!! 😎
Great video! My name is Gary. I'm willing to bet that none of you know someone named Gary who is under the age of 50.
Got a fishing pole? Lots of good fishing here, fish behind those big rocks. Toward the end I noticed a shelf, that is eroding looked like some big rock in that too. Thank you looking forward to NEW A-Z stay safe ALL