Just like that it’s rock season once again! This year we will be returning to the rolling hills of the Western Piedmont for Clifton’s annual Geology of the Piedmont Tour. We will start on the eastern limb of the Blue Ridge Anticlinorium, right here at the foot of Pignut Mountain and head west. This route takes us right into the heart of a warped and folded thrust sheet that contains some of the oldest rocks in the state. From here we will be travelling up to the foot of today’s Blue Ridge Mountains, making stops along the way.
This route takes us right through the igneous core of a chain of mountains that rose along the edge of a barren continent long before the evolution of land plants. We will see lava that flooded across an ancient valley, and the cooled, crystallized remains of huge magma bubbles that never quite reached the surface. This route also takes us across the sands and pebbles of rivers that flowed across these inhospitable lands more than half a billion years ago.
In addition to telling the story of these long-ago landscapes and how they changed over time, we will look at the processes that continue to shape the Virginia Piedmont today. How do creeks and rivers find their particular paths across the landscape? How do today’s forests and savannahs help shape the rocks underneath? Why do the hills and mountains continue to rise without getting any bigger?
We will meet at Clifton at 9:00am where we will check out some of our greenstone outcrops then head out toward Little Washington, making about 5 or 6 stops along the way. We will eat lunch along the way and wrap up around 4:00pm. Many of the stops will be the same as our first tour in 2022 but there is no limit to concepts to cover so this will be a unique adventure.
Cost:
Children 18 and under – Free
Adults – $30 ($25 for Friends of Clifton.) All proceeds from our programs go directly to funding our education programs, restoration work, and research projects. Thank you for your support!
Age: Adults and children accompanied by an adult.
Weather policy: Date and time subject to change dependent on weather. Please check your email for updates on the morning of the event.
Please bring: A lunch, snacks, a water bottle, warm clothes, and comfortable walking shoes.
Travel Information: We will be trying to carpool as much as possible due to limited parking at some sites. Please do not attend if you are experiencing or have experienced in the last two weeks any symptoms associated with flu or COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
Registration is REQUIRED.
Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can open your spot to someone else. Refunds not given for participant cancellation. Refunds will be given if Clifton cancels.
By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to our liability release policy.
We look forward to seeing you at the Clifton Institute!