Sand Cave Waterfall EarthCache

Welcome to Sand Cave Waterfall EarthCache. Scenic vistas, cascading waterfalls, and lush forests excite the senses and provide the opportunity to experience the Southern Appalachians up close when hiking to this EC. The forests and streams of the mountain side provides habitat for numerous species of plants and animals.

With a fairly mild climate, the Cumberland Gap Sand Cave area is a great place to visit any time of year. Summers can be hot and humid, with temperatures commonly in the mid to upper 90's. Winters are generally mild with rain and some periods of snow January through March. Temperatures usually range in the 30's and 40's. Weather can sometimes be unpredictable, especially at higher elevations so be prepared! Please remember with the higher elevation, temperatures are five to ten degrees cooler.

Local legend has it that a young Indian warrior would meet the young daughter of enemy Chief at the waterfall. The two would secretly meet here on moonlit nights. Eventually the father of the young lady learned of her meeting the Indian warrior. One night before she was to slip away into darkness to meet her one love, the chief stopped her and sent two of his best warriors instead to kill the young Indian.

As the moon illumed, the young warrior called out to his love. He heard nothing and became worried. Upon closer inspection he was attacked by the two enemy warriors. The next morning when the chief awoke, he discovered the two warriors did not return. Wondering what happened to his warrior's, the chief assembled a war party and took his daughter with him. What they found was a horrible mess. The two warriors had been savagely beaten and killed. There was no sign of the young Indian. He was never seen again. The young lady died of a broken heart.

It is said you can hear a young woman crying on moonlite nights.

The location of the Earthcache is to the left side of Sand Cave. Lot's of history here. Years ago people would come up here with church groups to sing gospel songs. Children would run about playing in the streams, and old folks would tell stories of ghosts, Daniel Boone, and Native Americans to those who would listen. A very picturesque place for sure!

The Geological Formation of Sand Cave Waterfall.

For many years a stream flows over a large step in the rocks which may have been formed by a fault line. Over a period of years, the edges of this shelf will gradually broke away and the waterfall steadily retreated upstream, creating a gorge of recession. The rock stratum just below the more resistant shelf is of a softer type stone, meaning undercutting, due to splashback, has occured here to form a shallow cave-like formation known as Sand Cave and the shallow plunge pool under and behind the waterfall. Eventually, the outcropping, more resistant cap rock will collapse under pressure to add blocks of rock to the base of the waterfall. These blocks of rock will eventually be broken down into smaller boulders by attrition as they collide with each other, and they also erode the base of the waterfall by abrasion, creating a plunge pool.

Why is the water fall here?

Cumberland Gap Falls is best described as geological formation in a region characterized by sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns. These underground conduits are typically formed by acidic rain water dissolving certain types of soluble bedrock over thousands to millions of years. The ridgeline, or the top of the Cumberland Gap mountains is typically devoid of surface water as all the water is diverted through underground channels. Becasue of this, the water that does not go into one of the sinkhole will travel over a water fall and continue on down the mountain. The main theme for Sand Cave Falls is the surface water flowing into streams and being channeled down stream and creating the water fall before it goes into one of the underground channels.

Sand Cave Waterfall is a seasonal waterfall. What's does this mean?

The waterfall is only active when there has been a recent large amount of rainfall for it to be active. Depending on the time of year you visit, you may see gushing water or only a trickle coming over the side. But when it is flowing you can see a few types of waterfall formations. Listed below are the common types of waterfalls you can expect to see around this part of Virginia.

Block

A waterfall in a Block form occurs over a wide breadth of the stream. The waterfall must be wider than it is tall. A waterfall with this form does not have to be a solid sheet of water across it's entire width.

Cascade

A waterfall of a Cascade form descends over, gradually sloping rocks, a series of small steps in quick succession, or a rugged sloping surface of some kind. Cascades can be both gradual and steep.

Curtain

Curtain waterfalls occur along a wide breadth of stream where the falls must be taller than it is wide. A waterfall of this form often becomes narrower in low discharge periods.

Fan

Waterfalls of a Fan form occur when the breadth of the water in the waterfall increases during it's decent, causing the base of the falls to appear much wider than the top of the falls.

Horsetail

Horsetail waterfalls are characterized by the constant or semi-constant contact the water maintains with the bedrock as it falls. Horsetail waterfalls can be almost vertical, as well as very gradual.

Plunge

The classic and overly cliched waterfall form, where the water drops vertically, losing most, or all contact with the rock face. This waterfall form has also been referred to as a "Cataract" and a "Vertical" form waterfall.

Punchbowl

Punchbowl waterfalls, coined from the famous Punch Bowl Falls in Oregon, occur where the stream is constricted to a narrow breadth and is forcefully shot outward and downward into a large pool.

Segmented

Segmented waterfalls occur where the stream is broken into two or more channels before descending over the cliff, causing multiple falls to occur side by side.

Slide

Similar to a cascade, a Slide type waterfall descends a smooth, gradual bedrock surface. Slide waterfalls maintain constant contact with the bedrock, and are often associated with the granitic family of bedrocks.

Tiered

Tiered waterfalls are characterized by multiple distinct drops in relatively close succession to one another. Whether or not a waterfall with two visible drops counts as a tiered waterfall is up to the beholder. I typically require tiers to be visible together and within a given distance of each other.

Sand Cave waterfall is located in the Cumberland Mountain Ridge, north of Ewing, VA. This is one of several mountain ridges running from the east to the west.

The Ewing Trail provides access to the EarthCache. It's a 3.9 mile, one way to the EC. Be prepared for an 8 mile round trip.

The elevation gain on the Ewing Trail to Sand Cave water fall is 2,000 feet, but there are numerous switchbacks, so the hike isn't too difficult.

It takes 90 minutes to reach the Ewing Trail from Knoxville. Take Interstate 75 North to the LaFollette exit, and follow State Route 63 all the way to Harrogate. At Harrogate, turn left at U.S. Highway 25E, and take a right onto U.S. Highway 58 East at Cumberland Gap.

Follow Highway 58 for 12 miles to Ewing, Va., and take a left onto State Route 724. The Ewing Trail starts at the end of Route 724, which is also marked as Sand Cave Road.

Permission for this EarthCache is allowed by the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. Always ask for permission before placing an EarthCache in the park.

To get credit for this EC, post a photo of you anywhere near the EC site with the Water Fall in the picture (no photos of just a hand) and please answer the following questions.

1. What is the height of the sandstone cliff the water fall cascades over?

2. Using the provided chart, tell me what type of water fall is this?

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Why do I ask for a face in the picture of the EarthCacher finding any of my EarthCaches? A face shot is the same as a signature in a log book. Many geocachers feel in order to get a find you must sign the log book, period. EarthCaching is special and a human face is the same as a signature in a log book. I do not accept hand shots (pictures of a hand with GPS) because it does not show who’s really visiting the ECs I set up for all to enjoy. Besides, there is no log book for you to sign at a EarthCache.

For anyone who doesn’t want to post a picture of their face, then log the find as a note or don’t do it at all. Nobody is forcing anyone to come and visit any of my EarthCaches. I could argue that signing a log at a traditional cache is violating my personal rights because I have to sign a piece of paper. Maybe someone will forge my signature and steal my identity!

An argument that a photo violates a persons identity is foolish. Geocaching is a social activity. Eventually someone will meet you and know you are geocaching. If you want to live a secretive life then geocaching is not the place to do so. Cache on!

Do not log this EC unless you have answered the questions and have a picture ready to post! Logs with no photo of the actual cacher logging the find or failure to answer questions or negative comments will result in a log deletion without notice. Exceptions will be considered if you contact me first (I realize sometimes we forget our cameras or the batteries die). You must post a photo at the time of logging your find. If your picture is not ready then wait until you have a photo.

Sources of information for the EarthCache quoted from the Cumberland National Historic Park. I have used sources available to me by using google search to get information for this earth cache. I am by no means a geologist.. I use books, internet, and ask questions about geology just like 99.9 percent of the geocachers who create these great Earth Caches. I enjoy Earth Caches and want people to get out and see what I see every time I go and explore this great place we live in.