Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
Just looking for info about the Muddy Fork landslide that happened in the mid-1800's (probably from the eruptive activity of 1859, possibly the activity of 1865). I guess this was something of a whopper of a landslide, but Google and my usual reference books aren't giving any info. Anyone able to add anything? Super thanks!
Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
Chase - I came through there yesterday and the area sure seems rather unstable! There was also a mudflow (?) some years back that moved the Ramona Falls TH a mile or two downstream. I look forward to reading any responses you may get.
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Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
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Last edited by payslee on February 9th, 2015, 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
Time for a follow-up on this thread.
I emailed Payslee's friend, Scott Burns, and he had this to say:
My interest in there is the forest buried under the Muddy Fork (near the present day PCT crossing, I believe). If it is from the Old Maid Flats eruption, Splinty has covered this in his blog regarding the White River side of the volcano.
http://wyeastblog.org/2011/09/18/white- ... ed-forest/
So the rumblings in 1859 and 1865 were probably not responsible for the Muddy Fork forest being buried. When I started this thread, I was under the impression that it might have been a later landslide that buried the forest-- something post Lewis & Clark. Thanks for putting up with my self-indulgent need to know this stuff. I already knew quite a bit about the Sandy River becoming "sandy" from the Old Maid Flats eruption, but thought the Muddy Fork stuff might be independent of that.
I emailed Payslee's friend, Scott Burns, and he had this to say:
I believe he had a typo in there and meant 1772.You are probably talking about the "Old Maid Flats" Eruption that occurred in 1872. It was the last eruption of Mt. Hood. It had a large lahar (debris flow which you called a mudslide) that originated in the Muddy Fork and came down the Sandy River to Troutdale.
My interest in there is the forest buried under the Muddy Fork (near the present day PCT crossing, I believe). If it is from the Old Maid Flats eruption, Splinty has covered this in his blog regarding the White River side of the volcano.
http://wyeastblog.org/2011/09/18/white- ... ed-forest/
So the rumblings in 1859 and 1865 were probably not responsible for the Muddy Fork forest being buried. When I started this thread, I was under the impression that it might have been a later landslide that buried the forest-- something post Lewis & Clark. Thanks for putting up with my self-indulgent need to know this stuff. I already knew quite a bit about the Sandy River becoming "sandy" from the Old Maid Flats eruption, but thought the Muddy Fork stuff might be independent of that.
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Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
Hey Chase. You sparked a geology interest. How far, would you estimate, is that forest under the earth? And, would it be buried? Wouldn't a landslide push the existing forest in outward directions? I would think that the only way a pre existing forest would be covered is if it was submerged with a flood, covered with an eruptive nature, or covered with an Ice Age nature, then resubmerged by any of the latter processes. Wouldn't a landslide, in contrast with an avalance, destroy whatever is in it's path? It would be fun and interesting to do a small dig to discover what plant and animal species are down there. Please post your findings.
Will
Will
Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
A lahar is really an entirely different scale than we normally envision when we think of a landslide. And it's less viscous, too, so it wouldn't naturally mow something over as much as it might just flow right around and over it. Sort of a "mud flood," I suppose.
That all said, I have no idea about this one in particular. I've heard it said that Spirit Lake Lodge is 300 feet underground, right now, though, for a gauge of what's possible.
That all said, I have no idea about this one in particular. I've heard it said that Spirit Lake Lodge is 300 feet underground, right now, though, for a gauge of what's possible.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
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Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
There's a little nature trail at the Lost Creek Campground and it has interpretive signs describing the geologic activity in the area. It's actually pretty cool and informative.
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Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
This week in the course of printing a picture of Mt. Hood from the Muddy Fork, I came across a photo that appears to show four buried trees near where the PCT crosses the Muddy Fork.
Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
Yes, that's what I was a'talkin' about!
Re: Muddy Fork landslide of 1859?
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Last edited by payslee on February 9th, 2015, 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.