Sun Valley born, grown up in Hailey, and shoshone. Lived in Twin for almost a year and a half before boot camp. I have always been fascinated with the outdoors after moving south as a child and seeing the vast differences from the forested part to the lava fields. Have you seen the mammoth ice cave that cinched it for me but my time in the service put a big hold on broadening my education, till just a few years ago. But I digress, I was wondering if you are doing or go could point me in some good info on the snake river hot spring around the boise, mountain home, and Buell, area. There used to be a really good place were as a kid our parents took us that a natural pool were you could swim (they used a log of some kind that was around 1 to 2 ft thick which made it quite different for a local swimming hole. But now I have heard they turned it into an alligator farm but I haven't been able to verify that. well thanks again for all of these very edifying vid's and keep them coming!!
Shawn, is it erosion or is it a spreading ridge that is helping the movement? A lot of cobbles in the layer above the basalt, so since its a weak layer does the waters you see about cause the added separation? Good stuff!
That looks like a fun adventure!! So interesting, and kind of sad to see the human garbage and the effects of irrigation on the canyon. “Glad they haven’t shot it up yet.” USGS as target practice? Whoa.
No. Those lavas didn't come this far east. Snake River Plain basalt is much younger than CRB, ranging from about 5 million years to only 2,000 years old.
Rotational slides move along listric faults, which are just spoon-shaped faults at depth where the clay layers impede water flow (aquitards). From the Latin, 'listron,' spoon.
Yeah keep up your field research it's great I've been living out for a lot of years I won't even take a house because I like being out out in the field is the best place to be it's a lot safer and I'm paying rent and utility bills gas and insurance on a old bus or something you should get live simple keep doing your field research I think God understand that....
Thanks for these fascinating videos, Shawn. I appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making these. Very interesting and a pleasure to watch.
Well, of course, Shawn needs to keep himself fit to wrangle his students through long terms of up skilling (which I suppose encouraged his rock climbing - scaling the many slopes towards higher knowledge).
A fascinating location. Thank you for explaining this. Here in the Wenatchee Valley, there is a location that started slumping on the side of the Wenatchee Heights. There was a big fuss over it for a couple of years. Houses built about halfway to the top of what looks to me to be a very old slump slide. The yards and road up the mountain began cracking and moving a bit. The county had it inspected. They decided that it was no longer moving. They are still allowing the people to live there. In college, I took 18 credits of Geography in Ellensburg. The professors pointed out and explained slump slides in that valley. It was stated that ground water is a factor. The area in Wenatchee is below the huge area of irritating for fruit orchards. It was very interesting in this video to see recent sliding. Thanks for this video.
I live a couple miles away! I checked this place out 2 years ago. It has definitely moved more since! Ground water runs from the side out towards the salmon creek. There is also geothermal occurrences in that area. One I found a year ago seems to be a new one. If you go to balance rock park on the other side of the road(private property) inbetween the old pump house and the right top corner before the canyon wall. There is a spring of hot geothermal water. Different type of gravel which is red and just in that small spot.
If you look on google earth, there's what looks to be a somewhat older slide section about 2000 feet north of this slide as well. I really enjoy these videos that show that geological processes are something that is continuously happening, not just something that happened some indistinct time in the past.
Wow, this was just a fascinating video. Very well explained too. Even for a layman cum auto didact like myself. I'd never know about this, or be able to appreciate it without Shawn having put so much effort into making and posting this video. So thankful.
As a lifelong climber, I feel very confident at the Bluegill Slide. Plus, the camera/selfie stick always makes it look spicier than it really is. Dramatic effect!
I've come to realize that the "fear of heights" really isn't a fear of heights...it's a "fear of falling from heights". I have no proof (No one will admit to it. LOL!) but I think my brother dropped me when I was a baby.
Thanks Shawn. Well done. Thoroughly enjoyed it and your other videos. Wish I could role back the clock 45 years and taken your classes…I might have become a geologist instead of an engineer. Again Thanks!!
First 25 years of my life in southern Idaho and acutely interested in geology and yet I missed so much. Thank you, makes me want to go back and just hike these areas, Could almost smell the sagebrush and feel the poke of dried junegrass seeds against my ankles. I'm a bit old now though.
Wonderful video Shawn - thank you! This may be my favorite one so far. It is amazing to realize just how quickly a major landscape change can take place when a landslide is involved.
great video. I had to take a TUMs before it was all over. I learned. It made me wonder about the huge chunk of cliff that fell at lake Whitney, but looking at that aerial after watching your video made me think that the entire "hill" was slowly rotating into the lake, probably for some similar reason of a weaker plane eroding away under the huge limestone cap. Thanks for making this video.
Ha ha, don't make me angry by panning too fast, Shawn. Another crazy good video sir! Appreciate the explanation of the likely factors involved in these ground movements. 10 cm per month or 120 cm per year seems significant enough to me.
❤🔨❤🇺🇸What more could I say about this brave and smart professor Sham? Nothing. He is the best in all he has done about Geology. Thank you teacher once more time for this fenomenal job. God bless you in all.🔨🇺🇸👍🙋📙
As someone from another part of the world, southern England, I am fascinated by the geography and geology of the USA. Your presentations are informative and interesting and have watched your videos with fascination. Some slow pans of the surrounding scenery would be good too. Thanks for uploading and the clear explanations
Super interesting. Your explanation of this event is clear and easy to follow. Amazing processes and nice looking country also. Thank you for the outing.
Abandoned Urbex Canada RUclips channel published a recent video on a land failure near Vancouver, BC that is slowly destroying a housing subdivision. Explore #111 - Devastating story of the Abandoned Subdivision (14 Luxury Houses) PS - Thank you. We normally don’t think about the ground as having motion!
Shawn, what were those rounded cobbles that you place your clipboard on. why were they on top of the basalt? just something that looked out of place to me. thanks, really enjoy your videos, like the shorter format, fits my short attention span.
Great to hear you enjoyed this. the rounded gravels are called Tuana Gravel and are thought to be older deposits of Salmon Falls Creek before it began to incise the modern canyon.
Hey chief, watch your step on terra-not-so-firma! We’ve all grown accustomed to these field reports. Hate to suffer a disruption on a misstep!😂Great stuff as usual. Thanks.
Great video, For those of use who can't get out it's especially welcome to be taken on the geological walking tour. More so when I've no chance ever of visiting the USA Many thanks!
How are those little lakes fed? Are they spring fed due to the land movement and "opened up" due to this movement? Thanks for your geological expertise. I've been to this area several times and its great to have explanations of what is going on.
And maybe some of these ponds are underlain by a rotated layer of a more waterproof clayey deposit that can help to sustain their contents. Just below your first location there was a small pond at the bottom of a wedge-shaped crack that looked a bit big for just a rain fed puddle but also seemed higher in elevation than the new stream channel's path nearby it, so probably mostly from groundwater making its way down and through the slump's sand and gravel layers from precipitation and the water table sourced above.
@@shawnwillsey The time it would take to lay down that layer over such a huge area is mindboggling. Thanks so much for taking the time to explain that.
Awesome! I can apply what I've learned here to many features I've noticed here in Central Oregon, especially crooked river canyon!This video made me smarter!Thank you!
Such a cool thing to see. Reminds me of places where people have built homes too close to the edge near a river. After which a tremendous rainfall then tragedy ensued.
A very good illustration of successional transformation.....Nature at work, and how our efforts to make change, are absorbed, and altered to fit Mother Nature...Wonderful Video. Thank You.
Is the Sinking Canyon at the northern tip of the Basin and Range Province? It's clear from G. Maps that it's on the southern edge of the Snake River Plain, itself an artifact of the Yellowstone Hot Spot. If the Canyon is within the Province one might speculate that the long term crustal thinning process would contribute to the creation of these landslides and escarpments. Thanks for this great video tour. Be safe!
Thank you for taking the time to show us these geological formations. The Earth is fascinating and a pleasure to see. It’s better when you have an idea of what you are seeing.
Shawns first camera angle is from 42°37'19.17"N 114°54'18.99"W I really am curious if minerals from fertilizers are making the potash/soil change composition? The overall surface pressure across the plain = surface soils are vulnerable to slumping to the lowest point available by default, no? Second Camera 42°36'41.18"N 114°53'21.10"W I think what you see here is a really good example of how recent a geological story can be. This is not a state of low entropy....................yet.
Shawn Wilsey, 'BLM ground'?!? This Land is Your Land, this Land is my Land, this Land is Our Land. Unless It belongs to someOne in particular Who Owns It 'privately'. It is wonderous to see the Landscape changing so rapidly. Such a 'National Treasure' We've got. 🙂 Rick Bonner Pennsyltucky
I have hiked and sport climbed for over 50 years in Southern Arizona, and I have to say based on my experiences some of your locations were sketchy and your confidence level may have been too high. Tough to say without being there. Be safe. I know you are an experienced climber and in your line of work you have to be fearless. Thank you for showing us this. Between you and Nick Z I feel like I have a strong understanding of eastern Washington/Idaho. Beautiful land.
Hello from Maine! I’m in a graduate program in Trauma Informed Emergency Management at UMaine Augusta. This semester we are learning about natural hazards. Thanks for the field trip is mass wasting!
The "plank" made me smile. Right out in the middle of nowhere. Do you see "the slide" as an exciting natural process or as something caused by us humans and the watering of crops? Would this have happened anyway? Also, it was sad to see the things people had dumped, car, mattress etc. I live a few miles away from a landfill site which has been badly/illegally maintained and the odour from it often reaches out into a 4-5 mile or more radius, depending on the weather and direction of the wind. Many locals feel it has ruined our town and surrounding countryside and people who live nearby are desperate. Sorry to go off topic, but seeing the rubbish dumped in the video reminded me of it.
Oh, Shawn, my heart was in my throat as you navigated the holes and fractures! (Knew there would be trouble when you ignored the fence up top.) Had to keep reminding myself that the camera was extended beyond your feet. But what amazing terrain and geological history in this area. Great field trip!
Thank you for sharing the beauty of the world 🌎 stunning views - your Blessed to be among the rocks and earth - sending you and yours positive energy from Sunny Florida 🌞🌞🌞thanks for a truly educational video
From what I've seen of the topography of the Snake River basin (while on a vacation trip to Craters of the Moon) is that the aquafier in this region is very high. Now you say that there was a large lake over this area eons ago. The slumping of this land mass makes sense then, noting the make up of the soil layers also. The entire area looks to be pretty unstable. (glad you noted staying away from the edges). Too many edges to take my grandkids to view...ha,ha. As you walked , I see some shear areas on the side walls. What was that material makeup? Clay mix? (would have liked to seen that up closer). But, thank you for this interesting "adventure".
is that snake river canyon, i remember when evel knievel tried to jump snake 🐍 river canyon and his parachute opened up on lift off. Actually I have jumped snake river canyon but i did it in a boeing 737 as a passenger on a flight from salt lake to anchorage. jumped it with room to spare
Feel like I’ve attended the most informational class ever - you have a wonderful speaking voice - makes it easy to learn , thank you for sharing your knowledge , just stunned - I found your channel threw RUclips recommendations- your a kind human for sharing your intelligence with others for free , some of us can’t afford university 📚thanks for all you do to share with others 🗿🪨🌋🌵🏜️🌞🐎📚👨🏫🦖🦕
This is such an exciting video. I was out exploring this area recently and it was a phenomenal experience. Finding this in depth explanation of this geological wonder makes it even better!
While on a vastly smaller scale both in space and time this looks quite similar to the topography changes occurring behind a recent beaver dam where the thick alluvial horizons on the edge of the erosional scouring canyon from excessive urban hard surface cover. A much smaller scale analog of a slump slide complete with a multi level escarpment. Probably not going to last remotely as long as this landslide given that this has all happened within the past month busy beavers indeed.
Very interesting, but I'm not sure I would want to explore there! What if a sinkhole opened up somewhere in there while one was exploring! I never even knew about sinkholes a few years ago but our water table is disappearing under earth's surface and sinkholes are happening and its scary!
From Google Earth you can really see the scale of the irrigated crops and the effect of the drainage causing or accelerating the slides. Another great field class!
Funny, I was just feeling more and more scared when he starts talking about staying away from the edge so no one gets scared……I’m already freaking out and I’m sitting in my living room 😳 Edit….holy cow, it even gets worse…..I’m so scared !!!! I sure hope you are not out there alone !!!!!!
Impressively detailed and explained. Clarity of the videos is excellent. Thank you for posting. I felt that I was wandering through the slide myself. I look forward to following your adventures.
There really are some other places that really blow your viewers away and your students seeing more and just that area....... There's some other ones I don't dare mention to you yet
outstanding--my reclusive retreat is the Owyhee county creek drainages. in 50 years I have found endless treasures ---from Oregon to the highway to jackpot and in the north near Homedale to the Nevada boarder is heaven. Sinners welcome to the chapel of the ineffable force of the universe. Would be wonderful to hear the geological specifics on Balance Rock.
Holy Smokes! Do be careful...that looks like a very sketchy place. Don't get complacent, please. The "bridge" looked like it had saw cuts in it. In fact, seemed that one part had broken off. Just when you said "don't worry" the first time I was thinking, "no Shawn, please don't step there." Could not watch all of it...bailed at 20 mins.... Interesting indeed but too scary for me!
You can support my field videos by going here. Thanks! www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=EWUSLG3GBS5W8
⚠️ Dad Joke ahead ⚠️ “…terra firma that’s not so firma”
LOL! 👏🏻😆
Good joke. Thank you.
I don't get it.
Just found your RUclips channel...!!!.. Love your videos...!!! Love learning about Idaho's geography..!!!
Thanks Shawn, excellent video
Sun Valley born, grown up in Hailey, and shoshone. Lived in Twin for almost a year and a half before boot camp. I have always been fascinated with the outdoors after moving south as a child and seeing the vast differences from the forested part to the lava fields. Have you seen the mammoth ice cave that cinched it for me but my time in the service put a big hold on broadening my education, till just a few years ago. But I digress, I was wondering if you are doing or go could point me in some good info on the snake river hot spring around the boise, mountain home, and Buell, area. There used to be a really good place were as a kid our parents took us that a natural pool were you could swim (they used a log of some kind that was around 1 to 2 ft thick which made it quite different for a local swimming hole. But now I have heard they turned it into an alligator farm but I haven't been able to verify that. well thanks again for all of these very edifying vid's and keep them coming!!
Shawn, is it erosion or is it a spreading ridge that is helping the movement?
A lot of cobbles in the layer above the basalt, so since its a weak layer does the waters you see about cause the added separation?
Good stuff!
Yet another consideration for the mystery "booms" we often hear/feel in the valley?
No. This slide has largely stabilized since the mid 2000s. Even when it was active, it produced no audible sounds.
That looks like a fun adventure!! So interesting, and kind of sad to see the human garbage and the effects of irrigation on the canyon. “Glad they haven’t shot it up yet.” USGS as target practice? Whoa.
very interesting. the basalt here is not part of the Columbia basalts of 15-17 million years ago?
No. Those lavas didn't come this far east. Snake River Plain basalt is much younger than CRB, ranging from about 5 million years to only 2,000 years old.
My guess, this was the edge of the continent back in the Tertiary !
Nice guess, but the continental margin in the Tertiary was hundreds of miles to the west, essentially at the same location as today's coastline.
Rotational slides move along listric faults, which are just spoon-shaped faults at depth where the clay layers impede water flow (aquitards).
From the Latin, 'listron,' spoon.
Yeah keep up your field research it's great I've been living out for a lot of years I won't even take a house because I like being out out in the field is the best place to be it's a lot safer and I'm paying rent and utility bills gas and insurance on a old bus or something you should get live simple keep doing your field research I think God understand that....
Thanks for these fascinating videos, Shawn. I appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making these. Very interesting and a pleasure to watch.
Well, of course, Shawn needs to keep himself fit to wrangle his students through long terms of up skilling (which I suppose encouraged his rock climbing - scaling the many slopes towards higher knowledge).
Do be careful. Looks like a place only want to fly over. Unbelievable what's going on in such a short amount of time. 😳
A fascinating location. Thank you for explaining this. Here in the Wenatchee Valley, there is a location that started slumping on the side of the Wenatchee Heights. There was a big fuss over it for a couple of years. Houses built about halfway to the top of what looks to me to be a very old slump slide. The yards and road up the mountain began cracking and moving a bit. The county had it inspected. They decided that it was no longer moving. They are still allowing the people to live there. In college, I took 18 credits of Geography in Ellensburg. The professors pointed out and explained slump slides in that valley. It was stated that ground water is a factor. The area in Wenatchee is below the huge area of irritating for fruit orchards. It was very interesting in this video to see recent sliding. Thanks for this video.
Awesome info to accompany this video, @Anne5440_ !
"irritating for fruit orchards" = typo/autocorrect of the week. 😂
I live a couple miles away! I checked this place out 2 years ago. It has definitely moved more since! Ground water runs from the side out towards the salmon creek.
There is also geothermal occurrences in that area. One I found a year ago seems to be a new one.
If you go to balance rock park on the other side of the road(private property) inbetween the old pump house and the right top corner before the canyon wall. There is a spring of hot geothermal water. Different type of gravel which is red and just in that small spot.
If you look on google earth, there's what looks to be a somewhat older slide section about 2000 feet north of this slide as well. I really enjoy these videos that show that geological processes are something that is continuously happening, not just something that happened some indistinct time in the past.
Yes, the older slide to the north (and another further south) were what led this to be called "Sinking Canyon" by locals.
Wow, this was just a fascinating video. Very well explained too. Even for a layman cum auto didact like myself. I'd never know about this, or be able to appreciate it without Shawn having put so much effort into making and posting this video. So thankful.
I trust your judgement regarding walking up to the edge of the cliff. It still makes my toes tingle! 😁 Thanks for sharing this amazing place.
Makes my stomach clench, my knees knock, and chills go down my spine!
As a lifelong climber, I feel very confident at the Bluegill Slide. Plus, the camera/selfie stick always makes it look spicier than it really is. Dramatic effect!
I've come to realize that the "fear of heights" really isn't a fear of heights...it's a "fear of falling from heights".
I have no proof (No one will admit to it. LOL!) but I think my brother dropped me when I was a baby.
Thanks
Thanks Shawn. Well done. Thoroughly enjoyed it and your other videos. Wish I could role back the clock 45 years and taken your classes…I might have become a geologist instead of an engineer. Again Thanks!!
First 25 years of my life in southern Idaho and acutely interested in geology and yet I missed so much. Thank you, makes me want to go back and just hike these areas, Could almost smell the sagebrush and feel the poke of dried junegrass seeds against my ankles. I'm a bit old now though.
Wonderful video Shawn - thank you! This may be my favorite one so far. It is amazing to realize just how quickly a major landscape change can take place when a landslide is involved.
I agree, one of your best!
Thanks for the kind words and glad you enjoyed it.
great video. I had to take a TUMs before it was all over. I learned. It made me wonder about the huge chunk of cliff that fell at lake Whitney, but looking at that aerial after watching your video made me think that the entire "hill" was slowly rotating into the lake, probably for some similar reason of a weaker plane eroding away under the huge limestone cap. Thanks for making this video.
Ha ha, don't make me angry by panning too fast, Shawn. Another crazy good video sir! Appreciate the explanation of the likely factors involved in these ground movements. 10 cm per month or 120 cm per year seems significant enough to me.
❤🔨❤🇺🇸What more could I say about this brave and smart professor Sham? Nothing. He is the best in all he has done about Geology. Thank you teacher once more time for this fenomenal job. God bless you in all.🔨🇺🇸👍🙋📙
Dramatic example of landslide thank You again!
As someone from another part of the world, southern England, I am fascinated by the geography and geology of the USA. Your presentations are informative and interesting and have watched your videos with fascination. Some slow pans of the surrounding scenery would be good too. Thanks for uploading and the clear explanations
Thanks for watching and learning with me.
Great video.
Super cool. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Cool. Idaho sure rocks and rolls. There is lots of interesting stuff going on down there along the snake with the history of yellowstone.
Super interesting. Your explanation of this event is clear and easy to follow. Amazing processes and nice looking country also. Thank you for the outing.
Abandoned Urbex Canada RUclips channel published a recent video on a land failure near Vancouver, BC that is slowly destroying a housing subdivision.
Explore #111 - Devastating story of the Abandoned Subdivision (14 Luxury Houses)
PS - Thank you. We normally don’t think about the ground as having motion!
That is scary terrain I would avoid if I encountered without knowing the context. It looks dangerous.
I've been there several times and even took students. It's pretty safe if you stick to the small trails and use common sense.
Shawn, what were those rounded cobbles that you place your clipboard on. why were they on top of the basalt? just something that looked out of place to me. thanks, really enjoy your videos, like the shorter format, fits my short attention span.
Great to hear you enjoyed this. the rounded gravels are called Tuana Gravel and are thought to be older deposits of Salmon Falls Creek before it began to incise the modern canyon.
@@shawnwillsey , I thought they looked like a river had been there. thanks.
"terra firma without the firma"....how about terror firma!
Sad to see people dumping their junk in this area , what's wrong with them ,besides stupidity ?
Why should we have to look at others mess ?
Hey chief, watch your step on terra-not-so-firma! We’ve all grown accustomed to these field reports. Hate to suffer a disruption on a misstep!😂Great stuff as usual. Thanks.
Thanks for the concern. I've visited this site several times, even with students, so I feel OK there.
Great video,
For those of use who can't get out it's especially welcome to be taken on the geological walking tour.
More so when I've no chance ever of visiting the USA
Many thanks!
Great video, it would be interesting if you could get updated information from the USGS on the current movement. Thanks for the informative video.
I put out some feelers to some colleagues who can check and see if it is currently being monitored.
Thank you, Shawn! Your videos are, as always, great!
Glad you like them!
How are those little lakes fed? Are they spring fed due to the land movement and "opened up" due to this movement? Thanks for your geological expertise. I've been to this area several times and its great to have explanations of what is going on.
Yes, small lakes are fed by groundwater. I think the slide created lumpy, irregular topography, including low areas that filled with groundwater.
And maybe some of these ponds are underlain by a rotated layer of a more waterproof clayey deposit that can help to sustain their contents. Just below your first location there was a small pond at the bottom of a wedge-shaped crack that looked a bit big for just a rain fed puddle but also seemed higher in elevation than the new stream channel's path nearby it, so probably mostly from groundwater making its way down and through the slump's sand and gravel layers from precipitation and the water table sourced above.
How did the gravel layer form? It's hard to believe how far that has dropped in 25 years. Amazing.
Gravel layer above basalt is the Tuana Gravel and thought to be stream deposits from ancestral Salmon Falls Creek.
@@shawnwillsey The time it would take to lay down that layer over such a huge area is mindboggling. Thanks so much for taking the time to explain that.
Significant geological movement in the eye-blink span of 15 years is mind-boggling. Fascinating place I wouldn't have even known about. Thanks.
Awesome! I can apply what I've learned here to many features I've noticed here in Central Oregon, especially crooked river canyon!This video made me smarter!Thank you!
Win win.
Such a cool thing to see. Reminds me of places where people have built homes too close to the edge near a river.
After which a tremendous rainfall then tragedy ensued.
A very good illustration of successional transformation.....Nature at work, and how our efforts to make change, are absorbed, and altered to fit Mother Nature...Wonderful Video. Thank You.
Is the Sinking Canyon at the northern tip of the Basin and Range Province? It's clear from G. Maps that it's on the southern edge of the Snake River Plain, itself an artifact of the Yellowstone Hot Spot. If the Canyon is within the Province one might speculate that the long term crustal thinning process would contribute to the creation of these landslides and escarpments.
Thanks for this great video tour. Be safe!
Your way too close at end for ground that's moving and splitting.
The slide stopped moving in the mid 2000s so I feel quite safe and comfortable visiting.
Thank you for taking the time to show us these geological formations. The Earth is fascinating and a pleasure to see. It’s better when you have an idea of what you are seeing.
Shawns first camera angle is from 42°37'19.17"N 114°54'18.99"W I really am curious if minerals from fertilizers are making the potash/soil change composition? The overall surface pressure across the plain = surface soils are vulnerable to slumping to the lowest point available by default, no? Second Camera 42°36'41.18"N 114°53'21.10"W I think what you see here is a really good example of how recent a geological story can be. This is not a state of low entropy....................yet.
I grew up in Twin and was always fascinated by the geography. I’m enjoying the education, as revisiting the area vicariously.
That's some pretty rough ground....what they called "badlands" in the old days? Beautiful....
Shawn Wilsey,
'BLM ground'?!?
This Land is Your Land, this Land is my Land, this Land is Our Land.
Unless It belongs to someOne in particular Who Owns It 'privately'.
It is wonderous to see the Landscape changing so rapidly. Such a 'National Treasure' We've got.
🙂
Rick Bonner Pennsyltucky
I have hiked and sport climbed for over 50 years in Southern Arizona, and I have to say based on my experiences some of your locations were sketchy and your confidence level may have been too high. Tough to say without being there. Be safe. I know you are an experienced climber and in your line of work you have to be fearless. Thank you for showing us this. Between you and Nick Z I feel like I have a strong understanding of eastern Washington/Idaho. Beautiful land.
Shawn, there is a metallic looking square at 12:06. Is that garbage or a GPS measuring device? Just curious. Thanks for the video!
Hello from Maine! I’m in a graduate program in Trauma Informed Emergency Management at UMaine Augusta. This semester we are learning about natural hazards. Thanks for the field trip is mass wasting!
The "plank" made me smile. Right out in the middle of nowhere. Do you see "the slide" as an exciting natural process or as something caused by us humans and the watering of crops? Would this have happened anyway? Also, it was sad to see the things people had dumped, car, mattress etc. I live a few miles away from a landfill site which has been badly/illegally maintained and the odour from it often reaches out into a 4-5 mile or more radius, depending on the weather and direction of the wind. Many locals feel it has ruined our town and surrounding countryside and people who live nearby are desperate. Sorry to go off topic, but seeing the rubbish dumped in the video reminded me of it.
Oh, Shawn, my heart was in my throat as you navigated the holes and fractures! (Knew there would be trouble when you ignored the fence up top.) Had to keep reminding myself that the camera was extended beyond your feet. But what amazing terrain and geological history in this area. Great field trip!
Thank you for sharing the beauty of the world 🌎 stunning views - your Blessed to be among the rocks and earth - sending you and yours positive energy from Sunny Florida 🌞🌞🌞thanks for a truly educational video
From what I've seen of the topography of the Snake River basin (while on a vacation trip to Craters of the Moon) is that the aquafier in this region is very high. Now you say that there was a large lake over this area eons ago. The slumping of this land mass makes sense then, noting the make up of the soil layers also. The entire area looks to be pretty unstable. (glad you noted staying away from the edges). Too many edges to take my grandkids to view...ha,ha. As you walked , I see some shear areas on the side walls. What was that material makeup? Clay mix? (would have liked to seen that up closer). But, thank you for this interesting "adventure".
Geological changes in our lifetimes! And it's helpful to see this with a climber. Thanks
I just found these videos, I love them! Always been a bit of a rock hound, and am learning a lot. Thank you!
Thanks for an interesting field trip. So glad I don't own that chunk of land. Basically unusable and quite hazardous.
is that snake river canyon, i remember when evel knievel tried to jump snake 🐍 river canyon and his parachute opened up on lift off. Actually I have jumped snake river canyon but i did it in a boeing 737 as a passenger on a flight from salt lake to anchorage. jumped it with room to spare
I live in Idaho. Never knew this. Thanks for the lesson. I live near "Hell's Half Acre". I'm sure you're aware of the area. Thanks, again.
That lake will lubricate the footing nicely! Very interesting location. Nicely explained...
Feel like I’ve attended the most informational class ever - you have a wonderful speaking voice - makes it easy to learn , thank you for sharing your knowledge , just stunned - I found your channel threw RUclips recommendations- your a kind human for sharing your intelligence with others for free , some of us can’t afford university 📚thanks for all you do to share with others 🗿🪨🌋🌵🏜️🌞🐎📚👨🏫🦖🦕
Glad it was helpful!
This is such an exciting video. I was out exploring this area recently and it was a phenomenal experience. Finding this in depth explanation of this geological wonder makes it even better!
Have they done more research on causes living in Australia I don’t know much about the US geology so very interesting thanks
While on a vastly smaller scale both in space and time this looks quite similar to the topography changes occurring behind a recent beaver dam where the thick alluvial horizons on the edge of the erosional scouring canyon from excessive urban hard surface cover. A much smaller scale analog of a slump slide complete with a multi level escarpment. Probably not going to last remotely as long as this landslide given that this has all happened within the past month busy beavers indeed.
Some interesting places over there. Thank you for sharing and this very educational video.
I'd just watched a video on Chicago. Seeing a formerly buried car after watching that, I wondered if the driver was still in the car.
That was cool!
Got the vertigo when you xd the bridge
Very interesting, but I'm not sure I would want to explore there! What if a sinkhole opened up somewhere in there while one was exploring! I never even knew about sinkholes a few years ago but our water table is disappearing under earth's surface and sinkholes are happening and its scary!
Shawn. From what I have seen in your video, it's a like the way the Grand Canyon was formed. That's what I am seeing 👀
“pore pressure buildup” - Shawn, you sound like an engineering geologist!
From Google Earth you can really see the scale of the irrigated crops and the effect of the drainage causing or accelerating the slides. Another great field class!
You have more guts than me sir... thanks... i'm 74... too old for hiking. Be careful sir.
Funny, I was just feeling more and more scared when he starts talking about staying away from the edge so no one gets scared……I’m already freaking out and I’m sitting in my living room 😳
Edit….holy cow, it even gets worse…..I’m so scared !!!!
I sure hope you are not out there alone !!!!!!
The camera/selfie stick always make things look a little scary. I've been out there several times and am comfortable on the terrain.
Some similar formations in the Rio Grand rift between S Colorado and Albuquerque
You should have a drone to help you show this in more detail/depth safely. It would allow us to be the “bird”with the eagle eye view. 😊
Thanks for this awesome video, Shawn. There are similar, albeit older, landslides in many canyons within central Arizona.
Home sweet home! Finished my PADI certification just a few miles from there.
Impressively detailed and explained. Clarity of the videos is excellent. Thank you for posting. I felt that I was wandering through the slide myself. I look forward to following your adventures.
Thanks and welcome aboard. Remember I am a geologist and educator first, and a very crudely developing videographer second.
There really are some other places that really blow your viewers away and your students seeing more and just that area....... There's some other ones I don't dare mention to you yet
Awesome. I like geology and traveled to a lot of places. Never made it to bluegil. Thanks
Everybody who is considering buying a house near the edge of a cliff or at the bottom of a steep hill should see this video.
Let's ignore the petrified tree trunk growing 55' through millions of supposed layers of soil
Quite appalling how little americans care for nature, environment pollution or recycling!
Interesting…
outstanding--my reclusive retreat is the Owyhee county creek drainages. in 50 years I have found endless treasures ---from Oregon to the highway to jackpot and in the north near Homedale to the Nevada boarder is heaven. Sinners welcome to the chapel of the ineffable force of the universe. Would be wonderful to hear the geological specifics on Balance Rock.
ME WHY
Nice but glad I played on 2x. Thanks for the share
Rock climbers knew more about the geology than geologist's?
Great interesting educational video. Terra firma not so firma.😂
Thank you for the detailed history lesson. Interesting to say the least!!
Wow that’s some size incredible and scary
Kind of scary! Thanks Shawn!! ❤❤ watched two times
No great mystery, it’s obvious that irrigation is the cause.
Holy Smokes! Do be careful...that looks like a very sketchy place. Don't get complacent, please. The "bridge" looked like it had saw cuts in it. In fact, seemed that one part had broken off. Just when you said "don't worry" the first time I was thinking, "no Shawn, please don't step there." Could not watch all of it...bailed at 20 mins.... Interesting indeed but too scary for me!
Thanks for your concern. I've visited this site several times and feel very comfortable there.
It all reminded me of a glacier, its bergschrund and related crevasses. But not as cold.
Yes, I've made that same comparison before. Very similar.