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Biology Students Tour Western National Parks

Heading out west for a scientific meeting with ten Blackburn students in Phoenix, Dr. Zalisko wondered if the trip would be a great opportunity to travel early and tour the desert southwest with a few of his students. Two weeks and 4,600 miles later, they are all smiles as they recalled their adventure.

Dr. Zalisko was joined by students Nino Cavataio, Zach Scribner, and Benjamin Zalisko on December 27 as they packed into a minivan destined for four national parks in the great southwest. Thirteen hundred miles later, the group arrived in eastern Arizona and a chance to explore the Petrified Forest National Park. A recent snowfall had blanketed the area and park rangers noted the group would see the park like few others ever experience. They were not disappointed.

“About two inches of snow from the night before was nestled in the ravines and slopes of the park. It made me think of clouds hanging around mountains when viewed from a plane. Large snow-covered petrified logs emerged from the banks or lay at odd angles after tumbling to the bottom of slopes. At many points along the road, we stood for minutes in silence as the four of us just looked in awe,” remarked Dr. Zalisko.

Grand Canyon. The snow-covered roads required careful navigation through the many turns to the canyon’s edge. The view was as grand as can be imagined and then some. “There is a reason for the name,” said Dr. Zalisko.

Heading northwest again, they traveled to Las Vegas to see the historic Hoover Dam. The lines of vehicles to cross the narrow road at the top of the dam took about three hours to pass just a few miles. Construction of a new bridge is in progress and in a few short years people will pass across the Hoover Dam canyon region and not have a chance to cross the top of one of the greatest human engineering feats. Work on the massive structure was completed in 1936 and Hoover Dam was named a national historic site in 1986.

“When preparing for this trip, I knew the sites would be incredible,” said Cavataio. “However, I did not expect to find myself awestruck as often as I did. The southwestern United States is truly a majestic landscape filled with curious wildlife and plants.”

Death Valley National Park, noted for its heat, except of course during winter. “Initially I thought we’d head to the southwest for some warmer weather. However, the altitudes of western New Mexico and Arizona are typically over a mile high and winter temperatures are often freezing,” said Dr. Zalisko. “So in my planning, I started to think low….and then discovered the lowest point in North America is in Death Valley, at 282 feet below sea level.”

The amazing and diverse geology of Death Valley National Park far exceeded the imaginations of the group. Upon arrival at the visitor center Dr. Zalisko got a detailed map and a scholarly book describing some of the geology of the park. Designated as a national park in just 1994, Death Valley is the largest national park outside of Alaska. The geology is a very diverse, but barren region that includes extensive sand dunes (used as a backdrop in some of the Star Wars movies), broad salt flats that formed from long lost lakes cradled in closed basins below sea level, oddly rounded clusters of small badlands mounds 20-50 feet tall, and recently formed (400 year-old) craters (one a half-mile wide) blasted out when surging lava superheated the groundwater in the region. In addition, the group climbed Marble Canyon with banks of conglomerate rock layered upon a thick, 10-20 foot tall band of softly rounded granite. “The contrast of conglomerate rock, looking like cement with baseball sized rocks thrown in, against the beautiful swirled patterns of granite, were breathtaking,” added Dr. Zalisko.

More than seven hundred photos later, Dr. Zalisko was relieved that some of the beauty and fun was captured in pixels. “The trip was amazing in so many ways. The group got along grandly despite sharing one van and one hotel room for seven nights, the natural beauty was captivating, and the adventure was a life-long memory for us all. In addition, the trip allowed me to finally visit my last two states, finishing up a journey to all 50 states just a year before I turned 50,” Zalisko laughingly said, clearly loving a chance to spend time with his students.
 

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