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Forks, WA, Olympic Peninsula
Toe of Undi Road Looking South
NWGS Leaders: Kathy Troost, Jim Miller, Tom Badger, Elizabeth Davis, Jessie Delight
Topics: Landslides
Cost: Estimated $425 to $500 (depending on lodging option)
Includes: All meals (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners), lodging at the Olympic Natural Resources Center (ORNC) in Forks, Coach transport from Kingston ferry to ONRC, outcrops, and return to ferry.
Not included: Walk-on ferry fee, transportation to/from Edmonds ferry or parking at ferry terminal
Join us for a field trip to Forks, Washington to visit two major landslides on the Bogachiel River and a rapidly eroding low elevation terrace at Rialto Beach. We will meet at the Edmonds ferry terminal on Friday afternoon April 10 to walk on to the 3:15 ferry. A coach will pick us up at the Kingston ferry terminal at 3:45 and we will proceed to the ONRC in Forks. Lodging will be at the ONRC for 2 nights (bedding and towels provided).
After arrival at ONRC on Friday evening, you will be entertained with short presentations about the upcoming field stops. Saturday’s activities will include two landslide stops: Bogey 101 and Undi Road. The Bogey 101 landslide (off Highway 101 and an essential access for the Olympic Peninsula) is a complicated active landslide that has undergone many stabilization efforts. Tom Badger, formerly the lead engineering geologist for WSDOT, has been involved with this site for nearly 40 years of investigating, monitoring and designing mitigation measures to help curtail movement and safeguard the highway. It is a fascinating story, and Tom will be able to share information about the slide history and failure mechanics. Recent movement this winter has again reduced traffic to a single lane, and new remedial repairs are currently in design. We will be able to see parts of the stabilization components (soldier-pile tieback wall, horizontal drains, etc).
The second stop on Saturday, Undi Road, is an active landslide where the failed ends of the former road can be seen with attempts at repairs using fill. The Bogachiel River is undercutting the toe of the slope. Jessie Delight will describe her research on channel migration.
Sunday will be spent at Rialto Beach viewing the terrace and discussing monitoring efforts. Elizabeth Davis will describe her research into the origin of the terrace, erosion rates and debris flow deposits. The coach will take us back to Kingston to sail on the 4:00 PM ferry, which will arrive at about 4:30 at the Edmonds ferry terminal. NOTE: Ferry times aren’t set yet for the Spring sailings so ferry times are approximate.
Mobility Note: We will be doing a lot of walking on uneven surfaces and on a sloping cuspate cobbly beach. Most of the walks will be long, with a few of them over 2 miles in length roundtrip. We will also do some scrambling on loose colluvium at both sides of one of the landslides. Wear comfortable footwear (preferably waterproof hiking boots), rain gear, water bottle, and trekking poles (if needed).
To simplify complexity on the form, you will be charged $425 when you register and use a credit card (you can also pay via check during the field trip). Please indicate your preference for rooms. If you end up in a more expensive room option, you can pay the difference via check or credit card when the room assignments are finalized.
You can bring a check made out to NWGS or pay online with a credit card. When housing is finalized you may need to pay a small additional amount.
Contact NWGS Field Trip Coordinator Kathleen Goodman at ksgeo2014@gmail.com or 425-301-2700 (voice or text message)
If you are running late or need help with directions contact Heather Vick: 206-850-9248, heatherk@seanet.com
Please ensure your membership is current before submitting the form.
Please log into the website (https://nwgs.org/membership/) in order to sign up for this field trip. Only members are eligible for signups.
We are organizing a trip to Wales, UK with our wonderful British field trip leaders, Chris and Colin, from the 2016 Scotland trip and the 2025 Cornwall/Somerset trip. Details of the trip and itinerary are being worked out now. The trip will be in September of 2027, which seems like a long way off but to arrange a trip like this it takes a year in advance to arrange lodging and keep the costs as reasonable as possible. With that in mind, we will need to have people sign up by September 2026 (yes, this year!) once the details have been firmed up.
Many NWGS members have gone on Chris and Colin’s trips before. Kathleen has been to the Scottish Highlands in 2016, Ireland in 2022, NE England/Scottish lowlands in 2023, Cyprus in April 2025, and Southwest England 2025. Other folks in the NWGS have been on their Norway, Canary Islands, Iceland, and Outer Hebrides trips. Chris and Colin are very skilled at running these trips and making sure that the accommodations are comfortable, all meals are included, and travel during the week is by a comfortable coach with an expert driver. Extra expenses would be the oversees flight and incidentals.
