Picture (280x30, 2.2Kb)

Picture (787x53, 3.5Kb)

Picture (350x230, 23.5Kb) Hiking up to Gunsight Pass, you cross one large snowfield. The slope is quite steep, and there is no clear path to follow. You can hear water flowing beneath the ice, and farther downslope you can see the stream coming from under the snowfield. The snow is a bit rotten, so you find a stick to check the snow with and to help maintain your balance as you cross.

Time for a short rest. Although the altitude is only about 6500 feet, your body is not used to the thinner air and tires more easily. Besides, the view is spectacular, and there's no sense hiking without taking time to enjoy the view.

Lunch outside the cabin at Gunsight Pass brings uninvited guests: a marmot, some squirrels, and more goats. Elevation: 6946 feet.

You finally cross the pass, and below you lies Lake Ellen Wilson.

 Picture (350x229, 19Kb)
Picture (350x232, 29.2Kb) Picture (350x230, 17.3Kb)

Picture (135x35, 637 bytes)

Picture (88x31, 712 bytes)You must print two Adobe Acrobat PDF files to answer the questions below. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, download and install it now. This link will open a new window. Follow the instructions at the Adobe site. When you are finished, you can close the extra window.

Once you have the Acrobat Reader installed, print the topographic map showing the Lincoln Creek Valley, and print the graph for your profile.

Picture (163x51, 972 bytes)

  1. Draw a topographic profile of the Lincoln Creek Valley, where Lake Ellen Wilson is located, using the 1:24,000 topographic map you printed. Use the online version (which is NOT the same as the Acrobat file) to read elevations from, but use the printed copy to actually do your profile. Even though the printed version is not exactly to scale, assume it is accurate. The online version is NOT to scale. Note that the profile line drawn on the map is not perfectly straight; it has a slight bend in it. The hatch marks along the profile line show where the contour lines cross the profile line. Assume the elevation of the continental divide at the end of the profile line has an elevation of 6946 feet. Use a 5-times vertical exaggeration.

  2. Look at the surficial deposits map. What type of material do you find surrounding Lake Ellen Wilson?

  3. Since the material surrounding the lake is not glacial in origin, do you think this valley was carved by glaciers? Why or why not?

When you're finished with these questions, you should close any extra windows you have open before moving on.

Home | Introduction | Trip Itinerary | Hike 2

Created February 26, 1999 by Karen A. Lemke (klemke@uwsp.edu). Last updated March 15, 1999 by KAL.
The URL for this page is http:/www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/lemke/gnp_vft/stops/stop2.html