Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 25, 1994)
Feature Pg. 4 The Clackamas Print Wednesday, May 25.1994 Weekend trip results in 'wild' time H Students venture on a Geology field trip to Malheur, by Andrea Smith The Print Staff and Tammy Markwell Contributing Writer Malheur-TheFi nal Frontier. These are the voyages of the geology task masters, whose four-day mission was to seek out new birds, new basalt flows, to boldly drive where many have driven before... Thursday, May 12 - 9:00a.m.-Wepacked the trailer with sleeping bags and luggage, packed the vans with bodies and headed toward that elusive place known as Harney County. 1:05 p.m. - We spot ted the rare Cropus dustus in flight. Our fearless van leader, Botany Bob Misley, declared: “It’s a male!” P.S. Wilbur put your teeth in! 3:30 p.m. - We en tered the Great Basin, not ing that if one urinates to the west, it will eventually pollute the ocean. An east ward flow will remain in the Great Basin until it evaporates and urinates back on you in the form of rain. 6:45 p.m. - Black Muslim Rancher Biker Downhill Skiers. ‘Nuff said. 7:00 p.m. - Saw 12 different species of birds in cluding several kinds of ducks, Canadian geese and Sandhill cranes. At the top of Wright’s point, Marianne Frahm spotted, through her binoculars, the remarkable Great White Long-faced Four-hoofed Horsebird. 8:15 p.m. - We FI NALLY reached our luxu rious four-star accommo dations, also known as the Malheur Field Station, a set of multi-colored dorms with a dead mouse provided in each closet. The service was, in a word, divine! v Friday, May 13 - 9:15 a.m. - Got out the spotting scopes to view a Great Horned Owl mommy and her two widdo baby chickies (that’s the technical name). 10:00 a.m.- Went to the Museum at Refuge Headquarters. Saw lots of stuffed birds to help us hone our birding skills. It’seasier to identify them when they’redeadand have name tags. 11:45 a.m.-Decided on some names for the graz ing species not indigeflbus to the pluvial lake zone: The Rufus-sided Grass Catcher; Long-faced Biscuit Maker, Woolly Pellet Pincher; White Faced Pie Maker; collectively known as Grass Maggots. 1:15 a.m. -Stopped atBuena Vista Point. Sunny Ward, Geolo gist extraordinare, gave one of her many interesting and informative talksaboutrockformations. Sunny can’tlecture withoutsome form of visual aids, which is a good thing because some of us can’t learn without some form of visual aids. Give the blue-bellied lizards some privacy, for goodness sake! 2:00 p.m. - Misley “It’s not the squirter, it’s the squirtee.” 2:45 p.m. - Went to Page Springs Campground where we saw the biggest Junipers and a big snake. Fortunately, it was not poisonous Saturday May 14 - 8:45 a.m. - Saw some beetles. Looked at a stream valley cutinbedrock(twist,twist). Thank you, Sunny. Decided that “the committee” was creative beyond Geology students take a field trip to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge where they explored the country-side for the weekend. ol’ fashioned bam bash, complete with guitar, banjo and fiddle-play ing fools. Song books in hand, we rivaled the gathering at Woodstock. Sunday, May 15 - 4:00 a.m.t- “What?? Four o’clock? You mean in the morn ing?!?!”, exclaimed Sharon Scheel. Some brave souls struck out in search of the elusive sage grouse, which performs a mating I didn't want to stop at the edge of nowhere; I wanted to go to the middle. -Anita Cate __ _ ___________________ u repair. 10:15 a.m. - Learned every thing one could possibly know about Crested Wheatgrass. Stopped to find some “hideable behindables” and located Rattlus roadkillius (Mmm, Mmm, good). We skinned the snake and took the meat home for some good old- fashioned Roadkill Helper. 12:30 p.m. - Arrived at the Alvord Desert It was basically a big, flat salt pancake called a “playa”. In the poignant words of Anita Cate, “I didn’t want to stop at the edge of nowhere; I wanted to go to the middle.”' She got her wish... 1:30 p.m. - The Alvord Desert Hot Springs was an inter esting experience. Have you ever spotted the Tan Double-Breasted Mattress Thrasher? > As John Barichello said, “I met the bird of my dreams.” 2:15 p.m. - Found our way to Pike Creek where a large tree was growing out of a large boul der. Some beautiful pieces of rock in the creek. The water was very cold (ask me how I know). Botany Bob (shroomer par excellence) found some choice edibles (Mo rels) to add to the snake stew. 9:30 p.m. - After dinner and an enjoyable slide show, we gath ered in the meetin ’ hall for a good, dance at sunrise. “There could have been hundreds of them!” proclaimed Monique Szedelyi. But,alas, there were zero of them. The writers of this ar ticle were snug in our beds until 6:30, and must, therefore, ridi cule those who did arise so early. Too bad! (Yeah, right.) 8:30 a.m. - Load em up, move em out. In the immortal words of Don Conn, “We came, we saw, now let’s go,” to which Richard Marx (not the singer) re plied, “Zzzzzzz...” The trip home was less eventful than the previous three days, nevertheless, a pleasant jour ney. Some of the taskmasters told of their wanderings: Richard Marx: “I always love to see the big wide open East ern Oregon Country; the diversity of its life, farms and the communi ties they compose is truly a source of wonder.” Bob Misely: “I never want to see another gummi-bear: ever.” (Note: He was eating AN OTHER one pound bag soon after this comment was made.) Sunny Ward: “Yes, this IS a big pluvial lake!” Lilly Mayer: “We had a wonderful, enthusiastic group this year. They’re always enthusias tic.” Will Stitt: “The as tronomy was especially cool. There was some awesome view ing. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” BradZinn: “Itwasexcel- lent. I learned a lot more in three days than in two terms [at school].” Karen Crouchley: “An extraordinary opportu nity to expand on our knowl edge... in an environment of clean air and warm sunshine, seeing, hearing and smelling the real thing.” Greg Anderson: “I saw a cow with one milker. It was not a female.” Laurie Hoffman: “You can see forever...” Kelly White: “Lake, ...big lake.” Char Quinones: “...we learn a little about our selves and gain a deep respect for true natural beauty in its original habitat.” Ann Johnson: “Check out the nice pluvioids!” Noelle Sander “No doubt, Ann.” Julee Barton: “...it was an awe-inspiring, rip roaring roller coaster of a ride...” Marianne Frahm: “Quit spittin’ your innards at me!” And finally, from the guy whocoUected a few quills in his hand, John Barichello said, “Porcupines suck!” photo contributed by Andrea Smith Bob The Botanist* Misley describes desert life to the students who attended the Malheur trip.
