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bringing
April 13, 2005
Featin
DEATH VALLEY“»
which have eroded over mil
lions of years, not to mention
The Clackamas Print
the warm springs that host the
nearly extinct Desert Pup fish.
On the canyon hikes the
Spring break this year for class was able to stand atop
most college students was a mountain peaks and overlook
week of non-stop partying and the desert in its natural state
fun in the sun, but for 20 and really observe beauty in
Clackamas students, the break the purest of forms.
was literally the beginning of
“The hikes were unbeliev
spring term.
able; just being able to discov
On March 17, science stu er things that I may never see
dents and instructors were able again made the trip worth it,”
to venture off to Death Valley, student Jaime Wilson said.
California in a three-credit
Death Valley is a land of
course offered by Clackamas. extremes, making a home for
Even though the field trip took, the lowest point in the United
away a “true” spring break, it States at Badwater, which sits
opened students’ eyes to one at 282 feet below sea level.
of the most fascinating natural In addition to Badwater,
phenomena in North America. high mountain tops such as
“This trip allowed students Telescope Peak, which stands
to learn about something that at over 11,000 feet high, give
they may never see again ... tourists a chance to see the
it was an invaluable experi desert in a Northwest-type
ence,” said Science Instructor atmosphere. It’s amazing that
Jen Bown.
in a matter of two miles a per
Bown, who has made this
trip 15 times now, along with
Geology Instructor Sarah
Hoover; supervised Clackamas
students on a 10-day journey
to the desert, but supervis
ing wasn’t their main preroga
tive. These two science gurus
taught Clackamas students
the evolutionary trends that
formed what we know today as
Death Valley.
“We wanted students to
observe firsthand the world
around them; to take in what
they were surrounded by and
to work as a team,” Bown said.
“Those were the main focus
points of the trip.”
2004-2005 has been a wet
year by Death Valley stan
dards, with nearly seven inch
es of rainfall since July of last
year. Because of the unchar
acteristically wet year students
were able to observe what
some called the “bloom of the
century.” In the 15 years that
Bown has made the trip she
has never seen so, many flow
ers, as well as expressing that
no two years had ever been
the same.
On the valley floor, flow
ers such as the Desert Gold
and Phacelia illuminated the
national park and made a scene
for tourists from all over to son can be sitting in 90-degree
observe Death Valley in a way weather and then climb atop
that some may never see.
a peak and be standing in the
“It was an experience like snow. No where else can an
no other,” student Anthony experience like that be taken
Brown said. “I plan on com in.
ing here again for a vacation
One of the sites that inter
with my friends ... the trip was ested students greatly was the
simply amazing.”
salt rock floor of
In addition to the bloom of the Devil’s
the century, students were able Golf
to hike and learn about the
numerous canyons
Michael McCormack
All photos contributed by Maxi
ABOVE: Geology Instructor Sarah Hoover (far right)
explains a type of river rock called strained ellipsoids
to the students at a site along Wild Rose Canyon. LEFT:
Biology Instructor Jennifer Bown (left) and student Amaro
Brookshire enjoyed exploring Scotty’s Castle in Death Vail
Course. This particular natural
formation isn’t really a golf
course, but if it were, Satan
would be. the only to score
below par. Devil’s Golf Course
sits ori the valley floor and
was formed by the evapora
tion of salt-laden groundwater
that draws out to
make large rock formations camper’s tents making aj
from the ground. It’s a sight night’s sleep for some v
that words don’t do justice to. ally impossible.
Aside from all the natural
“That rain sucked. I hi
history that was taught on the get out of my tent and slei
trip and the gorgeous views the van; I’m just happy it
from mountain tops, students on our last night in the des
were able to walk out of this Brown said.
class with friendships that
Despite the final night,
might have never been made. class experienced so n
The enthusiasm of Bown and in just a matter of a w
Hoover to take the initiative Without the tutelage of B
allowed students to observe and Hoover the trip w
life outside of Oregon City.
have just been another i
On the voyage, the class out. Both instructors kept
camped out in Furnace Creek, dents actively involved in
which lies on the valley floor. learning process of how fl
After each day of learning Valley formed and mad
was done students and fac memory that will last in
ulty would retreat back to the students’ minds forever.
camp site and spend the night
Unfortunately, budget
under the desert sky hunting have taken away other schi
scorpions and listening to the chances.to take a trip like!
coyotes howl.
but Clackamas. Comma
On the final night of the trip College needs to know th
a monsoon hit Death Valley trip like this allows stud
hard and fast. The soil in to learn in an active stafi
Death Valley is made of clay mind that makes learning
and with the combination of Death Valley was a trip ti
rain and that clay, mud began will always remember, and
to run through many of the just because it was fun,
because I learned things
I never thought I could t
prehend.
« 1SÊ
Devil’s Golf Course, found at the bottom of Death Valley, is a natural phenomenon created by the evaporation of salt-laden groundwater
which carves out land formations. This was one of the many sites the group went to see during the spring break trip.