Rhapsody on a Map

Wallula Gap                                                                       © Diane B. Reed

My latest Walla Walla Ponderings column appears in the March issue of Walla Walla Lifestyles, "Rhapsody on a Map" (page 13).

The Twin Sisters at Wallula                          © Diane B. Reed

The western part of Walla Walla County is often overlooked, although it comprises half of Wallula Gap's spectacular scenery and includes the landmark Twin Sisters ).  Take the trail from the parking area on Route 730. The trail takes you to the scabland above the landmarks. As you look back toward the Columbia River, you can see how the landscape was scoured by the Ice Age floods. A word of caution, please stay in the park, do not trespass on the adjoining private property.

Touchet Beds               © Diane B. Reed

Another aspect of the Ice Age floods that can be seen in the Walla Walla Valley are "Touchet beds" which clearly show the layers of sediment deposited by the forty or so floods that washed into the valley and left their mark. There are a number of places where these Touchet beds are clearly evident, particularly in some highway cuts and canyons.

You can learn more about our area's geology by visiting the Whitman College geology department's local geology page.