Charles, you are the only reason I still read Slog AG (after Goldy). Bless you.

Population Density of Oso:

69.0/sq mi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oso,_Washin…

Nice observation, Charles; I've been hoping someone would mention it in passing.

It's probably gray because of the overcast sky—in full sunlight it's Tiffany blue.

In the midst of death, destruction, and misery, there is still room for beauty and wonder.

I haven't set foot in that river for almost 20 years.

That is NOT what glacial flour is. Glacial flour is the product of a glacier slowly moving against bedrock, and really has absolutely NOTHING to do with the silt emplaced into the river by the mudflow.

@7, most of that collapsed hill was glacial deposition:

...During the late stages of the ice age the valley was filled with glacial derived meltwater sediment. River gradients were different at that time due to higher local sea level as result of the mass of the Puget ice lobe having pushed the crust downward. As the land rebounded the river gradients became steeper and the river incised down through the former valley fill creating steep side slopes in unconsolidated sediment - a recipe for landslides...

http://washingtonlandscape.blogspot.com/…

rob!, glacial flour is what is in suspension in fluvium. Once it settles, it becomes silt. There are some glaciers that feed the Stilly, sure, so there is a tiny, tiny portion of the current suspension that is glacial flour (or more correctly - rock flour), but in reality 99.999% of what is coming down that river at this time of year and in the place this picture was taken is silt, not rock flour.

It's entirely feasible that 10,000 years ago a portion of what was deposited in this old terrace had it's origins as rock flour, but it ceased to be that once deposited.

A blue collar beast approaches... he must be preparing to shoot me!

This is great. Thanks.

this is great?
existential rubber necking?
I would of tossed you in the river myself
so you could get a closer look
at the pretentious rubbish
swirling thru yr head
it's called mud
in human
time

I don't know how people can 'process' pulling their friend's arm out of the mud, or people driving up there to loot properties! Can't really blame people who live there being a little suspicious of strangers from the Stranger.