North Idaho Field Trip 2023

University of Idaho students recently participated in one of the longest-running courses offered at the UI – the North Idaho Field Trip. The course was the vision of the late Dr. Maynard Fosberg in the 1950s, Professor and Head of the Soil Pedology Lab.  Today, the course is led by Dr. Mark Kimsey, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences and Director of the Intermountain Forestry Cooperative.  

The students interacted with faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Natural resources, and the Idaho Geological Survey (IGS) examining the role of plate tectonics, geomorphology, soil formation, and climate on forest and rangeland ecosystems of northern Idaho.  Students received an immersive experience over three days, camping in the field while exploring the diversity of rocks, soils, and plant communities across the beautiful North Idaho landscape. The trip began at the Lewiston overlook showcasing a thrust fault zone amongst massive basalt flows, followed by stops at Tolo Lake on the Camas Prairie, famous for wooly mammoth fossils, and the Salmon River suture zone near Riggins, where ancient island arcs slammed into the North American tectonic plate. The students were tasked with describing soil development across differing rock lithologies and the role of volcanic ash in forest productivity along a geologic-soil-forest transect from the South Fork of the Clearwater River into the Gospel Hump Wilderness.  

Along the way, graduate students took turns presenting a research topic relative to the field trip.  Students took full advantage of the Wilderness by hiking into the Lower Gospel Lake and, thanks to Idaho Geological Survey Hired Hammer Dave Stewart, found a new hobby in (safe) mushroom hunting.   Participants forged new relationships over campfires and cookouts.  

Many thanks particularly to Russ Di Fiori, IGS geologist.  He regaled our students with the fascinating geologic history of our region – one of the most diverse in North America.  Faculty, staff, and students of both Colleges and the IGS look forward to continuing this field trip into the future. By doing so, we honor the memory of Dr. Fosberg and the legacy he established when he developed this course so many decades ago.

Article and Photo by Mark Kimsey, Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences

Published September 2023.