Retro Trip Report: Palisade Falls, Montana

Surrounded by incredible geology, Palisade Falls drops roughly one hundred feet.

Many millions of years ago, volcanic activity in the west formed what is now Hyalite Canyon, just outside of modern-day Bozeman, Montana. Or was it millions of years? Was it, perhaps, only thousands? How can we know for sure? The debate over origins and ages has not diminished over the years, sadly.

But one thing we can all know and agree on: we all have access to the same rocks.

And the funny thing is, rocks don't talk. Though, they absolutely could if God willed it:

"But Jesus answered, 'I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!'" - Luke 19:40

No, rocks don't say anything vocally. Yet, we're often told that they prove that the earth is billions of years old.

I'm not going to go in depth into the debate here, but I will pose this question: What fits with Scripture? How we answer that, or more precisely, how we view the interpretation of Scripture, will determine how we view the rocks.

If Genesis is mere myth, or not to be taken in any literal sense, then it really doesn't matter how old the rocks are. But if Genesis is truth, and it is to be taken as history, then something is off. And if the Bible is true, then the so-called-science must be wrong.

Columnar jointing forms a cliff-face in Hyalite Canyon. This strange geologic feature happens as magma cools and contracts. It cracks and forms into "efficient" polygonal shapes, often six-sided. This feature is prevalent the world over.

So, something that you can take away from all of this is that Christians and Atheists can agree on the rock layers themselves. We disagree on the timelines assigned to them. They say millions, and even billions of years. We view it in light of Scripture: Creation, Flood, and our history since. We have the same evidence, but different presuppositions.

Why does that matter? Because too often Creationists are accused of being anti-science, as if we're living in some fantasy world where we don't actually use the senses and reason that God gave us.

On the contrary, Christians have plenty of good scientific arguments, and we shouldn't be ashamed of them. I frequently share some of those resources on this blog. Answers in Genesis, the Institute for Creation Research, and others provide much-needed help as Christians confront secular worldviews that seek to answer the questions of creation without God.

Know that you can trust the Bible; that's the takeaway.

An example of possible columnar jointing in Shenandoah National Park. A similar geologic structure to what we find at Palisade Falls, Montana, yet thousands of miles apart. My understanding is that the jointing here in Shenandoah is basalt, whereas the rock in the Palisade Falls columns is Andesite. Both are extrusive igneous rocks. This means they are from lava flows that occurred at, or near, the surface of the Earth.

So what about Palisade Falls? What is the geology of this place? Well, volcanic activity played a huge role in the geology of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho alike. As a result, this tributary of Hyalite Creek cascades over a cliff consisting of columnar jointing; a spectacular view indeed.

One thing I noticed while I was there last year was the clear, distinct line between the "base" of the jointing and what, if my study on this is correct, is called breccia. It may be conglomerate instead. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a geologist, but I think we're in the ballpark. Either way it's pretty cool, and reminds me of a really rough type of cement, natural of course.

I was also amazed that even in this rocky spot, life still hung on.

But all this rock talk doesn't give you many details about what I did there. I was there with my friend to take photos, and what a place to take them.

I, being the slightly mental person I am, decided I'd try to climb up a ways on an unofficial trail to see if I could get to the top of the falls. I made it only so far before I realized that it would be foolish to continue without a rope and a helmet, neither of which I had.

On the way down, I came across a view that I had to photograph.

I tried to use the tree to block the sun and create a Sunstar effect. I intentionally kept the scene mostly dark, highlighting the backlit aspens.

All in all, Palisade Falls is a spectacular location to photograph, explore, study, and seek to understand. I hope to contribute to understanding these places from a Biblical worldview, in some small way. Geology is an incredible thing to photograph and understand. Christians need not fear the disdain of secular views as we seek to honor God through knowing and exploring His creation.