In the early days, the IAFI and National Geologic Trail were mainly good intentions and lacking in ways to communicate how enormous and special this landscape was. Jim Shelden, then Regional Geologist for Region One of the US Forest Service in Montana and now president of the Missoula chapter of IAFI, realized a good map was necessary to galvanize action on the project and legitimize the new group
Jim Shelden had just hired Jeff Silkwood in an open-ended position as a Stay in School Cartographer and Database person in 1995. Jeff had just returned from military service and was enrolled in classes at U Montana. Jeff was assigned to digitizing maps of the Beartooth Mountains and other mapping projects in the states of the Northern Rockies. But he was particularly interested in Glacial Lake Missoula and the Ice Age Floods. And he knew he had the computer skills to use existing data to put a map together. As the maps grew larger, more complex and included features like hill shaded relief and multi 1-degree by 1-degree tiles fitted together that no one else could do, it slowly dawned on Jim that this guy was really something. The only limitations were equipment – no Dept of Ag computer could handle it nor could any plotter manage the print task.
In those early days this involved overcoming computer limitations on the size of files. Combining digital elevation models for multiple tiles and maps resulted in gigantic files for the times and processor’s abilities. Jeff wrote 2500 lines of code linking multiple computers, writing new code to handle the plotter problems to complete this project over about a two year time span, working on this while completing other jobs which had more firm deadlines.
The basic data came from the USGS digital version of topographic maps supplemented with data from NASA satellite images. Google was working with some of the same data for use in its own maps, and there was some back and forth communication with them on how to solve similar mapping problems. Mapping issues that came up for this project included drawing a boundary for the west coast at a time when the ocean level was much lower – which had to be done by hand. And decisions about the extent of the lake and the extent of the continental ice sheet and glaciers – maximum levels and multiple contributors as to extent were used.
Initial drafts were printed on a pen plotter, then the imagery was upgraded to an ink jet printer, which was subject to fading. The final map with photo images was turned into print plates by the Forest Service special Publications group in Washington. Approval for even printing the map was complicated. – it was (and still is) the only map ever printed by USFS which was more than a travel map and identified by author. An initial printing of 2000 copies was authorized – and sold out in 3 days. Another printing of 2500 was done. The USGS ordered a third printing they sold from their Denver and Spokane Libraries. It is no longer available, supplanted by on-line maps, and subsequent versions with different detail (such as highways) done by Eastern Washington University and others.
A few copies of the original map still exist, and Jeff is still working on cartography for a private firm in Missoula. The importance of the original map to give IAFI credibility and as a tool to tell the story and sell the need for a special designation has never been officially recognized…until now.
Thank you Jeff for your personal commitment to this project, and thank you Jim for your support in making it happen.