Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Looking south at the Wallowa Mountains and Wallowa Lake surrounded by glacial moraines. The
community of Joseph lies just at the bottom of the picture on the irregular glacial outwash
plain (photo courtesy David A. Rahm).
valley floors with water spilling over the hard rock lip
to create waterfalls. Minam, Moccasin, Jewett, Wallo-
wa, Aneroid and Echo lakes are just a few of these.
One of the most dramatic of these, Wallowa Lake, at
the foot of Chief Joseph Mountain, is 3 1/2 miles long,
3/4 of a miles wide, and nearly 4,440 feet in elevation.
Fed by the Wallowa River, the lake is hemmed in by
moraines made up of boulders and mud left behind by
glaciers around the edge of the lake when the ice
retreated. The moraines were deposited during differ-
ent glacial periods dating back only a few thousand of
years. Unfortunately, plans are currently being made to
carpet the tops of the Wallowa Lake moraines with a
large housing development. It is difficult to understand
the mentality of a developer that would call for de-
stroying a natural wonder with housing in the midst of
the vastness of eastern Oregon.
Pillar after Major Enoch Steen of the U.S. Army who
explored this region for road development in the 1860s.
However, the name was misspelled so frequently the
incorrect version became official. The pillar stands 350
feet high and 120 feet in diameter.
The pillar had its beginnings almost 44 million
years ago during the Clarno episode when hot ava-
lanches of ash and pumice accompanied by clouds of
volcanic dust spewed out from local volcanic centers
filling an ancient valley. Ensuing flows of the John Day
covered one another before the first had time to cool.
At least three separate successive volcanic deposits
make up Steins Pillar. Upon cooling, the deposit split
into long vertical joints, and erosion over millions of
years progressed along these cracks to isolate the steep
columns seen today. Oxidizing iron from the ash has
stained the pillar's surface yellow-brown.
Officer's Cave
Although the Blue Mountains province is not
known for its caves, among of the most interesting
geologic features is a cave approximately 11 miles
south of Kimberly in Grant County. Named Officer's
Steins Pillar
About 20 miles east of Prineville in Crook
County, picturesque crags have been eroded from layers
of welded tuff. One of the most imposing columns is
named Steins Pillar. The original spelling was Steens
