87th Annual Field Conference of Pennsylvania Geologists

RIFTS, OCEANS, AND VOLCANOES - PIEDMONT AND SOUTH MOUNTAIN GEOLOGY IN SOUTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

October 3-5 2024 | Gettysburg, PA

PRE-CONFERENCE TRIPS

Pre-conference field trips will be held on Thursday. See the trip descriptions below. Additional information about these pre-conference trips is available on the Conference Web Map.

1 Bicycle Tour of Gettysburg Battlefield

Leader:

Fred Zelt

Time:

1:00pm - 4:30pm

Meeting Location:

Gettysbike Tours, 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, PA 17325

Number of Attendees:

Safety Gear:

Bike helmet, bike head- and tail lights, and bright clothing

Things to Bring:

a bike (your own or rented), water and a snack, cycling and hiking footwear, and cycling gloves

Difficulty:

Moderate. Plan to cycle about 20 miles in 3.5 hours with walks to points of geologic interest.

Cost:

Free

Description:

Cycle and hike the Gettysburg Battlefield visiting key features of the geology, landscape, and battle including an outcrop of Triassic lacustrine rocks along Willoughby's Run, nearby quarries from the time of the battle, the Railroad Cut, Seminary Ridge, and Devil's Den.

2 Gettysburg; Then and Now

Leader:

Steve Lindberg

Time:

9:00am - 3:00pm

Meeting Location:

Eisenhower Hotel, 2634 Emittsburg Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325

Number of Attendees:

unlimited

Safety Gear:

none

Things to Bring:

lunch and water, bug spray

Difficulty:

Easy. Plan to carpool and follow in cars across the battlefield and nearby sites

Cost:

Free

Description:

Carpool across the battlefield to sites that span the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg to compare present day views to what it looked like immediately or several years following the battle. The trip will incorporate geology, battlefield relics, and lesser-known facts about the Gettysburg Campaign. A short guidebook will be made available.

3 Karst Landscapes of the Shippensburg Area and Black-Coffey Cavern Tour

Leader:

Rose-Anna Behr and Sean Cornell

Time:

10:00am - 4:30pm

Meeting Location:

Shippensburg

Number of Attendees:

Safety Gear:

Hiking boots, hard hats, flash lights

Things to Bring:

Lunch and water. Warm layer - cave will be 52 degree, trash bags for muddy shoes

Difficulty:

Easy. Some short steep walks and steps. No crawling or tight spaces. You will not get particularly muddy.

Cost:

A donation will be arranged by the trip leaders

Description:

Visit the Black-Coffey Cavern, formerly a commercial cave known as Baker's Caverns throughout the 1930's - 1950's. The cave is located in the upper St. Paul Ordovician limestone. Join us for a one-hour guided tour and a possible field trip to look at limestone.

4 Specialty Granules Inc. Charmain Plant Quarry Tour

Leader:

Jeri Jones

Time:

11:00am - 3:00pm

Meeting Location:

Eisenhower Hotel, 2634 Emittsburg Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325

Number of Attendees:

Safety Gear:

Hard hats, safety vest, steel toe boots

Things to Bring:

Lunch/snack, water

Difficulty:

Easy.

Cost:

$35

Description:

The Specialty Granules quarry is the largest exposure of the Catoctin metabasalts and metarhyolites in South Mountain. Metabasalts are used to produce different colored roofing shingle granules and road ballast. The metarhyolites are produced for road use. The geology and relationships of these rocks will be examined.