No Fault of Your Own
Hoffmans Fault displays a broad outcropping of rock
that traverses the Town of Glenville from the Mohawk River through
the Town of Charlton. A significant part of the Fault is Wolf
Hollow, a mile long ravine that was created by a massive geological
displacement of 1000 feet in the earth's surface. The geology of
the Hollow is responsible for its diverse plant communities given
the differing bedrock material and differing sunlight exposure
along its steep slopes. Its geology is also responsible for
creating a natural cleft through the Glenville Hills that Native
Americans used as a shortcut to the upper Hudson and Atlantic
coast. Today the lands that make up Wolf Hollow, including
Chaughtanoonda Creek that flows along its base, and Hoffmans Fault
are of great beauty and are significant for their natural and
cultural resources.
http://www.mohawkhudson.org/index.htm
Noun 1. geological fault - (geology) a crack in the
earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with
respect to the other;
Noun 1. Ravine - a deep narrow steep-sided valley
(especially one formed by running water)
dol·o·mite
- A white or light-colored mineral, essentially CaMg(CO3)2, used
in fertilizer, as a furnace refractory, and as a construction and
ceramic material.
- A magnesia-rich sedimentary rock resembling limestone.
sandstone
A medium-grained sedimentary rock consisting of fine to coarse
sand-sized grains that have been either compacted or cemented
together by a material such as silica, iron oxide, or calcium
carbonate. Although sandstone usually consists primarily of quartz,
it can also consist of other minerals, and it can vary in color
from yellow or red to gray or brown.
shale
A fine-grained sedimentary rock consisting of compacted and
hardened clay, silt, or mud. Shale forms in many distinct layers
and splits easily into thin sheets or slabs. It varies in color
from black or gray to brown or red.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com
This area is also the site of the last great battle in 1669
between the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois Indians and the Algonkian
nation. Wolf Hollow Road runs along the lower portion of the fault.
The Wolf Hollow Extension runs along the higher road. Make sure you
take the low road but even if you do go the wrong way; don’t
worry! Once you make your way to the IP, pull off the side of the
road, park the car, and enjoy this area by foot. Please be careful
to watch out for vehicles. Enjoy the hunt for “High Road or
Low Road?” as well as a new multi cache I recently
placed.
Now for the cache and how to earn that smiley:
- Travel to each end of where you perceive the fault to begin/end
and take a waypoint for each end. What is the distance (length of
the ravine) in feet or meters between these two points?
- On the high road, at what looks to be the highest point, take a
reading to discern the height at this point. On the low road,
parallel to the waypoint that you took on the high road, take
another reading to discern the height at this point. Give me the
difference in elevation.
- Using the description of some of the different types of rock
found throughout the area, email me the type that you see the most
in this location.
- Take a photo of you or your GPS somewhere along the fault
area.
- For bonus points, try to locate some fossils in the East or
West walls of the ravine.
Disclaimer: You, and all members of your party must read and
agree to the www.geocaching.com disclaimer. In addition, you all
must agree to hold the cache owner, www.geocaching.com, and the
land owners harmless from any and all causes for action. You and
all other members of your party must individually and collectively
determine your/their physical fitness and outdoors/hiking skill
levels, decide whether or not to visit the various cache locations,
and whether or not it is safe and prudent to do so under the
conditions that will be encountered. Cache seekers assume all risks
involved in seeking these cache locations.