Roc Doc Travel

  Watkins Glen State Park, New York Google Earth view looking upstream, eastward, from Watkins Glen. Geology of Watkins Glen State Park Surficial geologic map of the Watkins Glen area. Glen Creek cuts across glacial gravels and down through the ancient bedrock.        Glacial deposits are orange, light pink, purple, and brownish orange, and are made of gravel.  The red pattern is the bedrock seen in the canyon. The olive color around Seneca Lake is river deposits.      During the last ice age, this area was covered by the continental ice sheet flowing southeastward out of Canada.  Where the ice was able to carry sediments and loose bedrock away, it carved out the 11 Finger Lakes.        Contrary to popular thought, glaciers are not like "bulldozers" -- they are not dense enough to push large amounts of sediment and rock.  Instead, they are very effective conveyor belts that drag material along their bot...

  Durango & Silverton Railroad, SW Colorado Take SW Colorado's iconic narrow-gage railroad along the spectacular Animas River!

Northern California Coast & Redwoods Discover the geologic story that shaped this scenic wonder from Oregon to Fort Bragg.

  Gallatin River Canyon near Big Sky, Montana Explore one of the West's most beautiful river canyons!

  Big Sky, Montana Discover the unique bedrock that shaped this northern Rockies treasure!

Take a geologic boat trip down Germany's Romantic Rhine River Cruise by castles from Mainz to Koblenz in this UNESCO World Heritage area!

Canyonlands National Park, Utah - part 1 Featuring Dead Horse Point and Mineral Bottom Road

Dinosaur National Monument, Utah Discover this truly unique, phenomenal geologic site!

Wyoming: Thermopolis & Wind River Canyon Explore the extraordinary hot springs and colorful strata!

Grand Canyon Rafting - part 3 Blacktail Canyon to Havasu Creek

Mouth of the Columbia River "Graveyard of the Pacific" Explore the biggest river on the Pacific Coast, the goal of explorers for two centuries, and the graveyard for over 2000 ships! The Columbia River is a major shipping route, and as such is lined with industrial facilities all the way to Portland. But in these green hills, even docks and warehouses look pretty good!

Yellowstone Lake to Cody, Wyoming See some of the region's best scenery and geology!

Central Salmon River, Idaho: Autumn From Stanley to Salmon, Idaho Discover the varied scenery and why I call this America's strangest river!

Upper Salmon River, Idaho: Autumn See America's longest undammed river in its Autumnal splendor!

20 (or so ) Awesome  Places in  Idaho and Montana Sometimes the places I explore don't fit into one particular field trip, so I put them into a post like this. Enjoy! Eastern Idaho The Snake River where it enters its namesake Snake River Plain in eastern Idaho. The river here is a hybrid braided and meandering -- meandering because of the low topography, and braided because of its seasonal heavy sediment load. The current is fast enough for terrific fishing and boating, but slow enough to be easy. Location: between Rigby and Ririe, Idaho.

Salmon River, Idaho Early Spring Tour North America's longest undammed river, the Salmon in Idaho, from its headwaters to the canyon where Lewis and Clark had to give up and turn around. In this trip, we'll see it in early Spring when the snow has just melted off the lower valleys but still caps the peaks. I'll take you there in Summer and Fall in later trips.

Yellowstone Region -- Island Park and Mesa Falls, Idaho Some of the best things to see at Yellowstone -- especially Geology -- are just outside of the park.