Purgatory Chasm
A
cache
by BomberJjr
Hidden:
11/20/2006
Size:
 (Not chosen)
Difficulty: 
Terrain: 
(1 is easiest, 5 is hardest)
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The listed cordinates are to the parking for this EarthCache in
Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, MA. The Chasm is about one-fourth mile
in length, with sheer rock walls rising as high as seventy feet in
some places. The walk is very rocky, so be careful.
Purgatory Chasm is a geological wonder that has puzzled scientists
for over a hundred years. For many years, the origin of the Chasm
was attributed to wave action or the trauma of earthquakes. Most
geologists today, however, agree that the chasm was formed when
large volumes of glacial ice melted and were suddenly released near
the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 14,000 years ago.
Purgatory Chasm was an escape route for ice fed torrents from
Ramshorn Pond, Singletary Pond and Casey Brook on the western part
of Sutton. The force of the sudden release broke away large blocks
of granite and deposited gravel terraces further to the south in
Whitinsville.
Another theory suggests that tectonic forces caused a weakness
in the rock but not the great fissure seen today. Water seeped
between the cracks in the rock, and over 200 million years of
freezing and thawing, it chiseled the granite apart.
In order to log this as a find you must:
1. Send me an e-mail with the names given to two of the handful
of rock formations found in the park and explain what they
are.
2. On the information sign near the parking area, there is a map on
the bottom right entitled "Map of Purgatory (according to the
glacial theory)". Include in your e-mail the three terms that are
defined and explain what they are. DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH THE
THREE THEORIES.
3. Post or e-mail a picture of yourself or your team somewhere in
the park with at least one GPSr in hand.
Additional Hints (
No hints available
)
(Decrypted Hints)
Find...
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4 user(s) watching this cache.
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Logged Visits (
163 total. Visit the Gallery (191 images)
)
Warning.
Spoilers may be included in the descriptions or links.
Cache find counts are based on the last time the page generated.
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 October 17 by OxSling (6467 found)
There were a lot of visitors here when we stopped by. It was quite windy and cold but folks were enjoying the day and exploring the chasm trail. Thanks for the Earthcache.
Cajun Lucie and the Wandering Hrmit
[view this log]
| October 9 by 81flyboy (592 found)
log to be edited shortly...
[view this log] | October 9 by lorriebird (3088 found)
What a fabulous Earthcache!81Flyboy and I are on a 3000 mile driving tour of the Northeast states on a Cache Across America tour. We are also choosing Earthcaches to do as well and decided that this one looked interesting. And boy was it ever! Our conditions were not ideal, as it was lightly raining making the rocks quite slippery and it was also at the end of the afternoon and we were rapidly losing daylight We explored much of the chasm but had to turn around before the end as we were nearing the sundown closing time of the park. We are so glad that we decided to visit this place. And then the best part of all. I was totally surprised to see that we found this Earthcache right after my dear friend, TinSparrow! Neither of us knew the other one had plans to do this cache. And this is even more amazing because TinSparrow came from Colorado and I came from Florida! And right next to each other on the log page. How cool is that? Thanks for a terrific afternoon.
[view this log]
| September 30 by TinSparrow (5829 found)
After work today, I decided to head down here and investigate this Earthcache. This was a stunning trail to walk, and the early fall colors made it all the better. I spotted three and maybe four of the formations, and email is on it's way. Thanks for bringing me here.
[view this log]
| September 15 by diamond-01581 (1069 found)
Have sent info. Great area, and thanks for the geology lesson.
[view this log] | |
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Current time: 11/21/2009 10:11:32 AM
Last Updated: 11/5/2009 3:31:47 PM
Rendered: From Database
Coordinates are in the WGS84 datum
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