Photos by Tim Vick, Bill Titus and Gabe Nelson '04

This year the Structural Geology class took a mid-term break field trip to Painted Canyon, California, between Indio and the Salton Sea. Field work isn't so good in Minnesota in January.

The geology was great and the exposure was 100%.

We started out the first with an introduction to the area.

Gabe and Kristin examine a sample of the rock.

Cam gets us to look carefully.

We had to figure out the new GPS's

and brush up on taking strike and dip readings.

We had to make a careful description of the rock units

and then we spent the rest of the afternoon on our own to begin mapping.

Next day, it dawned cold and clear. Tim emerged from his tent with a bottle of new water and a bottle of used.

Breakfast at the group campsite in Joshua Tree National Park.

Back at Painted Canyon, Leah wasn't takin' no guff from this bunch of pebbly sandstones.