Eagle Creek Trail March 31, 2017
Along the Eagle Creek trail is a very old formation that is under the Columbia River basalt flows and dating is not precise. The basalt flows were in the Miocene (23 to 5 million years ago) and came out above the Eocene Eagle Creek formation (55 to 40 million years ago), shown here.
The trail rises above the Eagle Creek formation and is carved out of Miocene basalt
The stump that is along the Eagle Creek trail is in a very old formation that is under the Columbia River basalt flows and dating is not precise, the Eocene Eagle Creek formation is dated at 55 to 40 million years ago.
Trees buried in the Eagle Creek Formation petrified and their leaves fossilized. If you have a sharp eye, you might spot an ancient trunk in a rock outcropping along a trail. http://columbiariverhighway.com/columbia-gorge-geologic-history/
