You will have to park on the side of the road, but the ditches are not steep, and there is little traffic on this rural road. Also, do not block access to the farmer’s field. The trail used for this cold cache is about ½ mile in length, relatively flat in the farmland portion, and very uneven with numerous ravines in the hummocky (forest) portion. Trail use instructions are located on signage at the trailhead. Special note: gun hunting is legal on both sides of the trail so be very careful during hunting season.
The purpose of this cold cache site is to show how the melting of the Wisconsin glacier approximately 10,000 to 12,000 years ago affects the way we live today. As you are hiking along the trail think about the fact that the land this trail is on is about 11,000 years old or about 150 lifetimes.
The open farmland at the start of the trail is a pitted outwash plain. A pitted outwash plain is created by meltwater carrying the debris on and in the glacier onto the land in front of the glacier. As the meltwater spreads out over the land it also sorts the debris by size and weight, the larger, heavier objects remaining close to the melt edge and the lighter soil-sand particles carried farther afield by the force of the meltwater. The action of the water results in a fairly flat surface that is easily used.
With your back to Krogwold road walk south along the trail, enter the woods and proceed to N44° 33’ 4" /W89° 15’ 54”. The first thing you will notice is the uneven terrain. The uneven (hummocky terrain)of the woods was created when the glacier ice melted out from under the debris on the glacier surface, and all of the debris dropped in place on the land beneath the glacier. Because the ice melted in place and the debris dropped down, there was little opportunity for meltwater to sort the sediment. The result of this is that the land is a collection of glacial till which contains everything from soil particles to rocks, both big and small. It is also interesting to note that the terrain to some extent mimics the piles of debris as they sat on top of the glacier
IATCC is the cache designation to highlight a series of EarthCaches along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail grouped into a special category called "ColdCache."
The Ice Age Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails designated by the National Park Service. This unique trail is entirely within the state of Wisconsin and follows along the terminal moraine of the most recent glacier which retreated about 10,000 years ago.
This project is supported by the Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA). The goal is to bring more visitors to the trail and promote public awareness, appreciation, and understanding of Wisconsin’s glacial landscape.
The IATA has created an awards program to encourage visits to the trail and ColdCache sites. This awards program is separate from, and in addition to, any other Geo- or EarthCache awards program.
A current list of approved ColdCache sites can be found on the “IATCC Bookmark List”. More information on the Ice Age Trail Atlas, the Companion Guide, the ColdCache Project and Awards Program can be found on the “ColdCache Webpage”
A coldcache Placement authorization has been approved by Rhoda Brooks of Weeona Lake Trust 859 Excelsior Road, Excelsior Mn, 55331> r.
Resources
Geology of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail; by David M. Mickelson, Louis J. Mahler Jr., and Susan L. Simpson
In order to log this cold cache, complete the following questionnaire:
What object is located at the cold cache waypoint?:
As you are hiking the trail and you observe that the land is flat or nearly flat what form of glacial melting took place?
- Meltwater flowing off the glacier and leveling the glacial debris?
- The glacial ice melting from beneath the glacial debris giving the meltwater little oppurnity for movement.
If you were a pioneer looking for farm land what form of glacial melting would you look for tp start your fields?:
- Meltwater flowing off the glacier and leveling the glacial debris?
- The glacial ice melting from beneath the glacial debris giving the meltwater little opportunity for movement.