Washington Pass Geology w/ Gary Paull

Nick Zentner & Gary Paull | June 14, 2024
Scouting and brainstorming for a new 'Nick On The Rocks' episode.
'Nick On The Rocks' playlist: • Nick on the Rocks

[@pathorgan8643]

Two good guys doing interesting things, benefiting many others. Thanks gents!

[@Luke-hs3bf]

I was 8 (born in 67)when my dad took us on a road trip from Wenatchee up and thru those mountains to the west side of the state. I was gob smacked!! It was almost unreal how majestic and intimidating those mountains were in my young eyes. Will never forget that trip.

[@Luke-hs3bf]

Have been to mountain ranges around the world. But nothing is better than the majestic Cascades in my home state of Washington. Thanks guys! Great view today👍

[@pamelapilling6996]

Morning Everyone 👋 Thanks for taking us along Nick and Gary.

[@blakeroberts4140]

You bring these locations to life. Scenic grandeur on any level of viewing but your dive into the geology adds a great spark. Thanks to you both.

[@Sailblue7]

It was great hearing Myrl's name. I helped him drill some of those holes back in the 80's. Great times in the WWU geology department. Still in touch with Ned, I'll send him this video. Thxs!

[@formerastronaut]

What a couple of distinguished and towering monuments to Washington State. The mountains are impressive too.

[@complimentary_voucher]

More Gary yay!!!

[@dancooper8551]

Absolutely love this video! The scenery, geology, and banter is unsurpassed.

[@cyndikarp3368]

Amazing to see. Baja BC, 90 Ma granite. Right beside local granite, rising very quickly from Siletzia collision of 50 Ma magma.

[@peacenow4456]

More exquisite WA Alpines location scouting, so love it thanks Nick and Gary!! Keep sharing these scouts...

[@frankr2246]

Fun fact: Okanoganite, a rare-earth containing borofluorosilicate, occurs in one of the phases of the Golden Horn Batholith. It was named after Okanogan County.

[@bosco4890]

Still searching for a one.

[@UncleBildo]

My favorite drive in the state. North Cascades Highway. Always have to stop and gawk. Just a jaw dropper.

[@melaniehefner948]

That area is one of the most beautiful sites.

[@SCW1060]

This is extremely breathtaking. I think that the North Cascades are so very interesting to study

[@lorirolley5365]

Washington does have it all.

[@JackMorningstar-nm8gc]

Beautiful place!!!

[@MtBakerlife]

Hi Nick and Gary, another area to explore and interpret would be, between Mt Shucksan and Baker. The signage up at Artist point, shows where Fijian mountains migrated to that area. We were pretty blown away by this, and would appreciate your expert interpretation! Many thanks, Julie and family

[@annanderson9825]

Stunning visuals- Gary sure knows a lot of primo spots!

[@rwaitt14153]

That was quite the adventure just to find Gary's lost pair of glasses.

[@garypaull9382]

Is this Richard? If so, you were my most cited author when at UW doing undergrad papers for Porter. Was fascinated by Methow terraces, etc at the time. Still am.

[@Rocket39Smoke14]

Blue Lake is a majestic place. Bring a kayak or rubber raft. Memories of a lifetime abound.

[@swirvinbirds1971]

And go during the fall when the larches are in full color. 👍

[@jenniferlevine5406]

Beautiful. You take us to some wonderful locations. Gary and Nick work together so well! This is a great treat to watch. Thank you both so much!

[@chiefJohnWright]

Wouldn't it be cool if Brady could do some post-processing with the drone video and overlay a dashed line on the contact between the Golden Horn and Black Peak granites.

[@hestheMaster]

Gary knows all the best spots in Washington state. That is such a great overview of the mountains there.

[@myrachurchman5013]

Cannot thank you enough for doing this Nick and Gary. Gratitude.

[@user-wk1mw9nj3i76]

Minnesotan here. I’m embarrassed to say I am very unfamiliar with the Cascades or the Scablands. Thank you for bringing your viewers to this surplus of beauty and adding the geology talk. Love Gary’s personality. I wouldn’t have liked the road going in, either. Wow! Is this a geology video or tourism video? Haha ❤

[@jimrf1137]

Thanks again.

[@farmermark2067]

Just another Friday morning to watch a fabulous video from Nick and Gary. Absolutely stunning mountain views and the geology talk is not too bad either. Hey Nick I see that Dr. Rob Thomas now has his own KZbin channel called "Montana Geology with The Rock Doctor". So glad to see another channel focusing on geology with another long time geologist. Looks promising so far with only his first few videos. I remember Rob from the Rocky Mountains episode of the Crazy Eocene A-Z series. Hope he gets some of your viewers to subscribe to his channel. All the best to you (and Gary)!

[@Steviepinhead]

Not only do I love the exciting geo-intellectual interplay, but you two are hilarious together. And Gary's intimate ground knowledge only enhances the results!

[@dippyanddakota]

What a beautiful day for blowing my mind.

[@user-ld7dd6in8i]

Fred Beckey with the first ascent of Liberty Bell. Two of my uncles climbed it in the 70's. I am old enough to remember when the North Cascade Highway opened and Winthrop didn't have false fronted buildings.

[@MarkRenn]

Wow. You can even see it from satellite via Google Maps. You can see where the gold color gives way to a darker gray color.

[@davidhaugen9966]

Thanks, that is really bringing geology to life. What a land.

[@davidpapazoni3398]

WOW just WOW.

[@bosco4890]

Found many smokey quartz crystals around the Washington pass area throughout the years. The backcountry skiing is epic as well, i consider this area my backyard, just beautiful!

[@denisee9966]

My son and I stood on that very same spot last August - we were on our way to Alberta and decided to take the North Cascades HWY (even though it added some time onto our trip) which was my first time across that gem of a highway...........wow!

[@geoffgeorges]

My favorite climbing playground. I went up there with Fred Beckey and he made it up SEWS in his late 80’s. I have climbed all of those many times and a traverse of them all in a day.climbed Black peak , kangerroo , Silverstar a couple of times, skied down Silverstar. Love that place

[@tysonpetreny1160]

It's always a pleasure watching your videos, Nick. Osoyoos BC.

[@raenbow66]

It is such a blast to see you guys together; I love it! You seem to know all of the mountain peaks and I'm trying to learn them myself so thank you, Gary. What a wonderful day and the scenery is stunning. Nick, pulling the information of the last several years together is really cool. I can't wait to see the episode. Thanks so much. Again.

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

Spectacular location, great explanation. This works for me. Thanks guys, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it. And in hope you catch a marmot too. Because they are cute.

[@kenwin5845]

You guys really bounce well off one another. It really helps with learning about what is going on. Great video!

[@dannyhartline2648]

Did the Ride Across Washington c. 2001 from Anacortas (sp) to Sand Point, ID via US 20 and the North Cascades. (Bicycle) with a group of 50. Absolutely beautiful ride and experience.

[@isaiahryan661]

Love these videos so much! Super fascinating! The Cascades are awesome!

[@juliewake687]

Great video Nick! Gets me excited! You both inspire me.

[@lindsaymalone9371]

Love this area! FWIW The peaks "in front" of Black Peak, to the north, right above Hwy 20 are called Lewing Peak and Crooked Bum.

[@norecuerdomisueno3468]

As someone from Winthrop, this is such a nostalgic and comforting sight! Great views.

[@lizj5740]

I think it is a goer for a Nick on the Rocks episode. You'll be able to cram so much info into a short time thanks to that great geological set-up visible from one spot. Glad I stopped by. Cheers from Liz and Ginger (pic left) in Australia.

[@richardbatistelli7280]

Beautiful location for a great video, Richard from SoCal

[@halley8890]

We live in the Methow Valley and this is our backyard:) Have been up to the cirque right below Cutthroat and the other peak. Just gorgeous:) Been up Early Winter's pass and so many other amazing hikes. We also road our e bikes up Hwy 20 when it is closed to the pass...no cars...amazing. Thanks for the geology lesson. Love the idea of a long ago super volcano forming all of this and plates smashing into each other. Too bad, we didn't have a speed up of what actually happened.

[@clydechristensen9685]

Does it get any better thank you for all that you do

[@joanneadahk124]

I love these videos! Thank you Mr Z! And Mr Paull 😉

[@whitby910]

These teasers are making me anxious with excitement!! Thanks.

[@sharonseal9150]

Thanks for the hike and entertaining brainstorming session Nick and Gary - the North Cascades at their finest! We are all madly "brushing up" to prepare for the next AtoZ series,. Gary talks about those peaks like they are old friends and companions, which I am sure they are to him. 💚

[@leestamm3187]

To those of us familiar with them, they are indeed like old friends.

[@kevsk22]

A stunning video! Thank you Mr Zentner. 👏 even without all the information. I really wish I get the opportunity to visit one day. It along way from the UK though 😔

[@ericsarnoski6278]

I'm blown away by Gary Paul's ability to just rattle off location names like water off a ducks back.

[@sueellens]

I am really enjoying these videos. I’m not able to comment on all of them, but I’m watching them all! It is amazing and very interesting to get a glimpse of the thought processes that go into geologic ‘mapping’. Thank you both! 💋💋 😊

[@anaritamartinho1340]

Always beautiful places with Gary and Nick...i like trees also but that mountains are awesome❤

[@GlassEyedDetectives]

What stunning scenery! thank you!.....Gary's face just gazing on the spectacular geology made me smile!😁

[@101rotarypower]

The "base level" details Gary can add for us novices are Appreciated, like being able to see the change from the Golden Horn to Black Peak! Even if obvious to the experienced, those of us still learning and new really appreciate pointing out those details to Look For and recognize.

[@birdman5jh]

Love that place and love you two showing us interesting aspects, at least I never knew. Thanks!

[@101rotarypower]

Just think if Gary wanted to condense all the vast interwoven connections and knowledge of this area on YT episodes, I know future people would appreciate the wealth of knowledge passed on, and I would watch every one of them!

[@liliannison6262]

Wonderful landscape, hike and explanations!

[@susanwymer6912]

Wow to see those two granites that are so different is mind boggling! Thank you so much!

[@deborahartis5969]

I'm very excited to learn about the north cascades! I was very surprised about a possible super volcano!!?

[@frankr2246]

The Cooper Mountain Batholith is almost as large as the Golden Horn. It would be interesting to study its origin as a possible supervolcano, as well. Tephra from its overlying volcano would be further south, and thus also possible candidates for the Chumstick tuffs.

[@philodendron6]

Another unbelievably beautiful place.

[@pmgn8444]

Nice video. The distance from the Great Blade to your meadow is about 90 miles (145 km) as the vulture flies.

[@hjumper8238]

Great video with a different perspective that is fundamentally very interesting! Great stuff! Thank you!

[@dd-jm1md]

such a spectacle and in the bed of Gary's truck too: ah he...

[@GARRYBENNETT-qp3wy]

5X5 in Bixby Oklahoma

[@wiregold8930]

There is a nice tuff deposit just North of Rob's mine at Liberty. It's on a claim that is (was) owned by Ed Levec. He exposed it 20 yrs ago making a 30 ft deep cut to expose ancient stream bed. I've wondered where the tuff comes from; long-gone super volcano sounds plausible. Thanks for an exceptional episode.

[@danidaskam1027]

Interesting. Hope we see an episode on this.

[@EShelby2127]

Thank you guys! I would love to see a map... maps, included in at the end.

[@droppindeuces6981]

Speaking of tephra layers in the Chumstick (area); last year I was riding my motorcycle on Chikamin Road (62100), near Minnow Ridge in the Chiwawa River drainage. I noticed deep tephra layers in the cut bank of the road. I assumed that tephra came from a Glacier Peak eruption. Yes/no/maybe?

[@wendyspicer8588]

Great ending.

[@keyscook]

What an awesome beautiful day you had. I always gain appreciation for living in Western Washington by Nick's gestures of how very wonderful our natural world we have here on the west side of the Cascades. Indeed, one of the best places on our planet. I am liking how your observations are tying-in to the 'Baha series'! Kind regards from Stanwood!

[@datobaggu]

OH BOY DOUBLE FEATURE!

[@leverman7517]

You would have to shut your eyes to NOT see a picture postcard!

[@skyecooleyartwork]

A diagram would be helpful - one showing the geometry of the "sills" and their vertical feeder conduits envisioned for the Golden Horn batholith, now tilted. Was it a cumulate, layered intrusion like at Stillwater mine or Isle of Rum or Laramie Range? Evidence for fractionating melts? Any wallrock xenoliths? How deep was it emplaced - middle crust (15-20 km) or deeper? How do geometries of the two neighboring intrusions - Golden Horn and Black Peak - differ?

[@garypaull9382]

Some incredible xenoliths of Midnight Peak volcanics on and south of Blue Lk Pk. You seen those?

[@pdriot9424]

100/50 million years old contact zone.. wow

[@chiefJohnWright]

It might get a bit confusing to include the cascade volcano story with the batholith story other than to say "before there were cascade volcanos, there were these two enormous bodies of magma called batholiths..." Especially when you consider Oligocene volcanos in Washington (are there Oligocene volcanos north of Snoqualmie Pass?) probably got pushed around by CW rotation relative to the later Quaternary volcanos like Glacier and Baker. The North Cascades are confusing enough as it is...

[@joanneadahk124]

What caused the peak to move? Was it because of the tectonic weight from the glaciers?! Oooo and was it a mountain when it moved??? 😀 such a strange thing

[@freeaolcd]

That's an effin headline, 🤣

[@richardbatistelli7280]

A combination of Yosemite Valley and Mount Rushmore

[@williamosmith8162]

34 minutes in two chapters with similar stories, Siletzia,48 and Wrangelia,m 98 mya. slab break off? yup.

[@silveramenesiahaze]

PT

[@gregrymelnechuk4791]

The pointed mountains with the snow. Were the points above the ice during the ice ages? cheers, love your work :)

[@Steviepinhead]

My understanding is that the higher Cascades Peaks would have been projecting above the ice, but only as rock islands or nunataks. Some of the surrounding ice would have been the Cordilleran ice sheet, but the much more extensive mountain glaciers would have also been involved.

[@skyecooleyartwork]

Climb the Lithuainian Lip route!

[@garypaull9382]

no thanks!

[@bruceweirich3733]

Question: is it possible be part of Baja BC?

[@williamosmith8162]

and then ya did it.

[@chrisstorment1123]

Have any geos been to Mexico to collect samples.?

[@frankbarnwell____]

Can glacier lilies grow in zone 9b Texas? I'll wiki it.

[@Lynxswild]

Interesting to note that view is NOT in the National Park. That needs to be corrected.

[@SCW1060]

@90 ma could this area be part of Baja to Bc?