Rivers in Stone EarthCache
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This earthcache will bring you to the Katahdin plateau and a geological feature called the tableland. Here you will find smaller unusual feature that are formed due to the arctic cold weather and lingering effects of the last glacier.
Welcome to the 209,501-acre Baxter State Park, a wilderness area that was a gift to the people of the State of Maine by former Governor Percival P. Baxter and established as a park in 1933. While the Park’s main attraction is Katahdin, there are many other natural features within the Park’s boundaries. Gov. Baxter expressed the spirit of the Park when he said, “Man is born to Die, His Works are Short-lived, Buildings Crumble, Monuments Decay, Wealth Vanishes, but Katahdin in All Its Glory Forever Shall Remain the Mountain of the People of Maine.” The first recorded climb of "Catahrdin" was by Massachusetts’s surveyor Charles Turner in August of 1804. In the 1840s Henry David Thoreau climbed Katahdin; his ascent is recorded in a well-known chapter of The Maine Woods. Because "Katahdin" means "Greatest Mountain", "Mount Katahdin" means "Mount Greatest Mountain", which local people maintain is incorrect.
Katahdin is part of a laccolith (an intrusion of magma underground) that formed in the Acadian orogeny, when an island arc collided with eastern North America approximately 400 million years ago. On the sides of Katahdin are four glacial cirques carved into the granite by alpine glaciers and in these cirques behind moraines and eskers are several picturesque ponds. Katahdin is one of the best places to view glacial features in the Eastern States. Above 4,000 feet elevation on Katahdin, the mean annual temperature is below 30°F and the climatic conditions are comparable to those found in the Arctic zone, 400 miles north of Katahdin. This severe climate has resulted in several interesting geologic features.
The Baxter Cut-Off Trail traverses the Tableland at the 4600 feet elevation level. Along this trail you will find curious rings of stones and bands of stones that occur in the alpine all along the Tableland. These stone rings and stripes are called patterned ground and are formed by the expansion and contraction of the soil by freezing and thawing. Large stone rings, 20 feet or more in diameter, with boulders and cobbles on the margin, occur on the Tableland of Katahdin. It is likely that these crude rings formed during the severe climate when valley glaciers existed in the cirques below the Tableland. As you look up the boulder-strewn slopes on the Tableland you realize that they are not completely stable. The irregular streams of boulders indicate some slow movement downhill has occurred in the past and perhaps is still occurring on an even smaller scale. Movement of boulders in these rock streams is a result of the steep slopes and is aided by the expansion and contraction of water as it freezes and thaws. These rocks stream to the steep cirque headwalls where rockslides and rock falls can occur carrying some of the material down the side of the mountain.
Due to the fragile nature of the plant environment in the Tableland alpine zone you should never leave the marked trail. The plants along this trail are sensitive indicators of climate and the plants, which live on the Tableland, are native to the Arctic zone and exist on Katahdin because of its severe climate. As such walking on these very small plants can destroy something that will never recover.
To log this earthcache you will have to hike along the Baxter Cut- Off Trail on the Tableland. While hiking to this earthcache make sure to follow the trail and be well prepared as the trail is completely above the treeline. Make sure that you do not leave the trail. The posted coordinates will bring you to one of the boulder streams along the Baxter Cut- Off Trail. Remember this is an earthcache, so there is no container - just an earth science lesson at a beautiful natural feature. To log this cache, you must answer an educational question and post a photo of yourself or your hand with your GPS showing the boulder stream. Email me through my profile your estimate of the length and width boulder stream including where it starts. You will be able to follow them up the mountain as they look relatively recent. Please include the name of the earthcache and the number of people in your group in your email. Then post your photo with your log taking the time to describe why you find this location special so that others might have the same experience.
Please remember that this park is maintained primarily as a Wilderness and recreational purposes are regarded as of secondary importance and shall not encroach upon the main objective of the park, which is to be "Forever Wild." The park personnel strive to carry out the provisions of the trust, created by Percival P. Baxter. So please make sure to follow all regulations carefully and register before you begin any hike. Remember that forethought and a little preparation are the key elements to a successful and enjoyable outdoor experience. Do not leave the trail and make sure to practice “Carry-in-carry out" to keep this park special for the future visitors.
More information about the Baxter State Park can be found at: (visit link)
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.
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