This 5-night workshop will dive deep into the dramatic landscape surrounding PLAYA and reveal the geologic history and forces that shaped it. Daily field trips to places like Crack-in-the-Ground, Fremont Point, Slide Lakes, Paisley Cave and the Chewaucan River will provide first hand experience with the rocks, processes and landforms. Participants will learn to recognize a wide range of volcanic rocks, stand on active earthquake faults that are still building the landscape, and see the evidence of enormous landslides and ice-age lakes. Evening presentations will use dramatic 3D graphics and imagery to explore the wider context of Oregon geology and to show the connection between landscapes and the rocks and forces behind them. Instruction will be accessible to anyone, with in depth content available for those with more geologic background. Participants will receive a detailed illustrated field trip guide.
This workshop will provide a field-based exploration of the rocks and landforms that make up the landscape surrounding PLAYA. Attendees will learn how to recognize various types of volcanic rock, and understand their varied origins. They will learn how to look at the landscape analytically to understand the processes that shape it. They will learn how to view and interpret detailed 3D topographic imagery to understand geologic features that cannot be encompassed in the field. They will learn about the 20 million year geologic history of the area.
Details and Agenda
Instructor: Ian Madin
Dates: Wednesday, August 19 – Monday, August 24, 2026
Arrival: Wednesday, August 19, 2026 1:00-4:00 PM
Departure: Monday, August 24, 2026 11:00 AM
Skill Level: All knowledge levels welcome.
Mobility Level: Most levels of mobility can participate. We will carpool to sites of interest and take short walks. Ability to hike short distances over rough ground and some scrambling over rocky slopes is needed for field trips. This will include walking on dirt, gravel, and uneven terrain. While PLAYA is accessible, the sites off campus are not.
Materials List to Bring:
- Clothing for hiking in hot weather and intense sun; sunglasses, sunblock, hat, long sleeved sun-block shirts and pants are recommended
- Binoculars
- Water bottle (cooler will be available to keep water bottles in between stops)
- Sturdy shoes or boots for walking on rough ground
- (Optional) Trekking Pole
- (Optional) Geologists hammer and hand lens
- (Optional) Art supplies to work in the media of your choice, (e.g. photography, painting, writing, sketching)
Agenda
Day 1 // Wednesday, August 19, 2026
1:00 – 4:00 pm: Arrival
6:00 PM: Meet and Greet (BYOB and snacks)
7:00 PM: Short hike across highway for landscape overview.
Day 2 // Thursday, August 20, 2026
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM: Field Trip to Crack in the Ground, 4 Craters, and Shotgun Pass (bring lunch).
6:00 pm: Group dinner provided by PLAYA
Day 3 // Friday, August 21, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Field trip to Paisley Cave and Chewaucan Canyon (bring lunch).
Day 4 // Saturday, August 22, 2026
7:00 PM: Evening presentation on plate tectonics and volcanic rocks
Day 5 // Sunday, August 23, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Field Trip to Fremont Point and Slide Lakes (bring lunch).
7:00 PM: Evening open topic discussion, Q and A.
Day 6 // Monday, August 24, 2026
Depart by 11:00 AM
Instructor Bio
Ian Madin grew up spending summers backpacking in California’s Sierra Nevada, and in later years rafting and kayaking rivers in California, Oregon and Idaho. His love of the outdoors led him to study geology, earning a BA from UC Berkeley in 1980. Ian received an MS in geology from Oregon State University in 1986, with a course of study that included field work in active tectonics in the Pakistani Himalaya and South Island of New Zealand. In 1987, Ian began a long career at the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) that included work on earthquake and landslide hazards, geologic mapping and mineral resources and lidar topographic imaging. Ian spent 13 of his 34 years at DOGAMI as the Chief Scientist, with stints as interim Director and Assistant Director, and retired in February of 2022. Along the way Ian was designated as the 2018 Oregon State University Alumni Fellow for the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, was named a Fellow of the Geologic Society of America in 2019 and a member of the OSU College of Earth, Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences Advisory Board in 2024.
Ian has always enjoyed sharing his love of geology and landscapes with others and since 2013, has been the ride-along geologist for Cycle Oregon. Since retirement he enjoys running field trips for the Geological Society of the Oregon Country, and is working with the Oregon Origins project, which puts on visual art and music programs inspired by Oregon’s geologic wonders. In 2018, Ian discovered a passion for stone carving and now spends way too much time in his studio, messing about with rocks that he collects from the wilds of Oregon.
No pets allowed. Thank you.
