BOULDERSTASH EarthCache
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Cache location is the Bear Caves State Natural Area west of St. Hwy 55, 3.5 miles north of Langlade, Wisconsin. Access is by a walk of approximately 700 ft. on an unimproved road and through an open wooded area with a gently sloping terrain. ((Disregard any "private road" signs as this is a legal public access.))
An amazing area for anyone to visit but especially for persons with geological interests and a knowledge of the effects of glaciers on the land features that developed as a result of the ice ages. The site is owned by Langlade County and is completely undeveloped and no sign or explanation of the area exists at the site location. When visiting the area you may wish to explore beyond the listed coordinates but please tread lightly, don’t collect any plant life or mineral matter and be sure not to leave any trace of litter that would despoil the beauty of this special place. To verify that you have found this Earth Cache please email us the answer to the following questions: 1. What are the names of the two lobes of the Wisconsin Glacier that resulted in these rocks being concentrated in this area? 2. What do you notice about these stones now that they have stopped "rolling"?
Suggested parking coordinates are: N45° 13.675’ / W 088° 45.970’ on the east side of St. Hwy 55 near the entrance to the recycling center.
More information can be gained from the following description on the Wisconsin DNR website at: (visit link)
Description: Bear Caves State Natural Area is an outstanding geologic feature composed of a boulder train with a complex maze of ridges that contains a diverse lichen and bryophyte community. Located between the _____________ and ____________ Lobes of the Wisconsin Glacier, the constant movement and jousting between these two lobes may have resulted in fierce runoff causing a concentration of material to be deposited in the maze of ridges that we see today. Formed from pitted gravel outwash and flanked by rounded boulders of pink granitic gneiss piled up on the steep esker-like ridges. The glacial ice and runoff that transported them to the site shaped the round boulders, which average about 4-6 feet in diameter. They are the largest rocks known in Wisconsin to have been concentrated by glacial action. The northern portion is now forested with second-growth sugar maple, birch, and aspen while the southern area is covered with hemlock, sugar maple, and yellow birch. The entire area is covered with a rich blanket of ground vegetation and the boulder train along the southern edge encloses a small sphagnum-tamarack bog. The name “bear caves” stems from local legend which maintains that bears live in the small “caves” found scattered through the boulder train. Bear Caves is owned by Langlade County and was designated a State Natural Area in 1995.
Geocache Placement Notification form 2500-118 has been submitted to Mr. Thomas Meyer, Conservation Biologist with the WDNR State Natural Areas Program.
Approval has also been granted by Mr. Steve Jackson, Langlade County Forester.
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