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By Dave Tucker

The Schreibers cone from Railroad grade. No, we didn't have this view on the trip! Click to enlarge

A successful and fun fundraising field trip was hosted by Mount Baker Volcano Research Center on November 7, 2010.  A van load of hardy folks braved the terrible weather forecast signed up for a MBVRC’s first ever guided geology trip. We visited deposits of the Schreibers Meadow eruption. The proceeds after van rental and insurance went straight to the MBVRC research grant fund. We hiked to the 9500-year-old  (ca 8800 14C BP) cinder cone in Schreibers Meadow (see an earlier field trip description on this website here) as the snow flakes fell, as well as a number of exposures of the Sulphur Creek lava flow. Some of the lava exposures were along roads, but another required a bushwhack to the terminus of the flow front in Rocky Creek. This particular field stop was a highlight- no field trip has ever visited this newly discovered locality, the only place I know of where the base of the lava can be seen to directly overlie the associated ash.

The weather was generally pretty good- we didn’t really get very wet,  and all made it back to the van alive.

The cross-country hike to the Schreibers cinder cone. Neil Gilham photo.

The orange SC tephra underlies the Sulphur Creek lava at the flow terminus in Rocky Creek. The lava probably postdates the tephra by days to months only.

The ‘Baker Lake’ field trip is a follow-up to this one. It visits part of the Sulphur Creek lava that flowed into, and crossed, a glacial lake 9500 years ago.

Examining flow structures in the Sulphur Creek lava. Neil Gilham photo.

The SC tephra forms conspicuous orange deposits along the road to Schreibers Meadow. Neil Gilham photo.