On June 12, 2014, IATNL executive members Paul Wylezol, Arne Helgeland and Kevin Noseworthy took Hugh Barron, Marketing Sector Manager with the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, Scotland, on a day-hike into Simms Gulch on the north side of Serpentine Valley. The 24 km (15 mile) trek was under ideal conditions, including clear blue skies, good visibility, mid-teens temperatures, and few black flies and mosquitos!  

The day began with a 1.5 hour drive on Logger School and Serpentine roads, gravel logging roads that get rougher and narrower the closer one gets to Serpentine River. Once at the river, the quartet paddled around the western end of the pond at the “running out” of the river.  From the north side of the river, the quartet followed the IATNL Blow Me Down Mountain Trail to Simms Falls, which also provided a scenic view of the Lewis Hills.  From there they hiked to the entrance of Simms Gulch, a nice place to stop for lunch before heading into the narrow 2,000 ft (650 m) ophiolite valley of earth’s mantle and oceanic crust.

For more on the story, go to the IATNL Website