Shin Falls EarthCache
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This is a series of water falls formed on Shin Stream. A classic
example of a falls formed on steeply angled rock.
Shin Falls has three major drops and a number of smaller ones. The fall is about ten meters wide and the final drop is the largest part. The falls is in a wilderness setting that is heavily forested. What makes this fall special other than its wilderness setting is that it is a classic example of a falls formed across the cleavage of the bedrock. The bedrock in this area is dipping downstream at a very high angle. Since large blocks cannot fall freely away from under the lip this falls tend to be a series of falls that increase in size. The final drop is where the bedrock type changes. The rocks in the stream are small and well worn. If you look at the fall the drops start very small and increase in size until you reach the final three drops. Each of these becomes progressively large. Viewing from the top of the small drops above you can see the valley drop away after the last falls. Viewed from below it appears to be a stream coming off a steep hillside into a flat valley. The rock is made of bands of green shale with small amounts of red shale in between. The falls is located at the end of the trail. The trail is reached by traveling along route 159, the road to the North Entrance to Baxter State Park to Shin Pond. From Shin Pond you will travel west for almost 5 mile where when you reach the top of a small hill there will be a dirt road on the left side. This is the Shin Falls Road where in about .25 miles you will find a parking lot and trail head. There is a great deal of evidence at the falls of how loggers made changes in the falls to make it easier to run logs down the river. In the Shin Pond House in Shin Pond there are a number of photos on the walls from this area.
To log this Earthcache: You must send an e-mail of the estimated height of the drop in the river as it goes over the last drop or the width of the river at the posted coordinates. Please begin your e-mail with the name of the earthcache and make sure your log includes the number of people in your group. It also would be nice if you would post a photo so others would know what they have to look forward to at this earth cache.
If you enjoy this earthcache you may want to check the Maine Geological Survey located at (visit link)
They have developed a number of information sheets or field localities giving a great deal of information about geologic features. They also have a number of books and maps about Maine’s natural history/ geology that you might find interesting.
Additional Hints
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