FEATURE
100 YEARS OF RMAG FIELD TRIPS By Laura L. Wray
The Cadillac of trips was in 1980 and again in 1994, when two Aspen Airway turboprop aircraft took trip participants to Jackson, Wyoming with overflights of the Wyoming-Utah Overthrust Belt and the Bighorn Basin (Kellogg, 1997). Available corporate sponsorships at the time defrayed the cost of these trips, but today, air travel for RMAG field trips is almost unimaginable due to cost. As road conditions improved, bus travel became popular. In the mid-1950’s, trips to the Raton, North and Middle Park Basins attracted up to 200 participants, with accompanying trucks to haul the luggage and gear. Large numbers of geologists could be recruited if trips were run in conjunction with annual meetings. On some occasions, camping was arranged when necessary (RMAG Outcrop, 1956 and 1957). In 1961, “Do it yourself field trips” were advertised for the “foothills monocline” and Clear Creek Canyon (RMAG Outcrop, 1961). Today, as in the past, some trips involve camping; pre- and/or post-convention excursions are popular (though not with anywhere close to 200 people); and both existing and new road guides allow extensive options for “Do it yourself field trips”. Through the 1970s and early 1980s, joint field trips were planned with the New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming Geological Surveys; Grand Junction and
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IELD TRIP—THE CLARION CALL OF ALL GEOLOGISTS! As students, we rev-
eled in the freedom of an outdoor classroom, seeking to understand the messages within the outcrops. As professionals, we sought out field trips to network and to better design our analogs for depositional environments and structural developments. We soaked up the knowledge of field trip leaders and fellow participants. In our retirement years, we continued to be drawn to new geologic locales and evolving interpretations, enjoying the comradery of all who joined the expeditions. One hundred years of RMAG field trips clearly showcases the extensive and impressive geologic expertise within our community, past and present. It’s true that the objectives of field trips have remained the same over 100 years. But the logistical and implementation details have changed substantially.
CHANGING TRAVEL MODES
In 1926, a train trip was organized to Rifle, Colorado to visit the oil shale operations, known as Naval Oil Shale Reserves 1, eight miles west of the town. Train travel was rare for field trips because it offered very limited access to Colorado’s geology.
OUTCROP | June 2022
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Vol. 71, No. 6 | www.rmag.org
