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GCZTY8

Earthcache Geological Potpourri: Downtown Asheville
A  cache by OzGuff       Hidden: 12/12/2006  
Size: Size: Not chosen (Not chosen)      Difficulty: 2 out of 5      Terrain: 1.5 out of 5 (1 is easiest, 5 is hardest)

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N/S ? ??.??? W/E ??? ??.???  []
In North Carolina, United States

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This short walking tour will expose you to fossilized bryozoans, stylolytic limestone, and many of the rocks/gems/minerals found in the area. The three stops are within a quarter mile of each other and can be completed in 30-45 minutes. The stops can be visited in any order. Bring a camera!

STOP ONE: THE COLBURN EARTH SCIENCE MUSEUM N 35° 35.691 W 082° 33.080

The museum is the legacy of Burnham Standish Colburn, engineer, bank president, and rockhound. His collection of rocks, gems, and minerals has been on display at various locations around Asheville since 1960. The collection has grown and expanded over the decades, and now includes exhibits on astronomy, gemology, geology, meteorology, mineralogy, oceanography and paleontology. It has been located at the Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center since 1992.

The Colburn Earth Science Museum is open to the public from 10am-5pm on Tuesday-Saturday and 1pm-5pm on Sunday. A nominal admission fee may be required, though there are times/dates when this is waived. Take your time and check things out.

Required task at this stop: At the mine explosion demonstration use the dynamite exploder/blasting box and enter the mine. Email to me the names of the four gems/minerals/rocks mentioned.

STOP TWO: THE CITY BUILDING OF ASHEVILLE N 35° 35.724 W 082° 32.923

Designed by internationally known architect Douglas Ellington, and constructed in 1926-1928, the City Building of Asheville (aka "City Hall") is a great example of Art Deco architecture. As you approach the building make sure you check out the many different colored marbles used on the exterior of the building.

Entering the elevator lobby you will see grey marble along the walls. Pay close attention to these York Fossil slabs as they are examples of stylolytic limestone. This occurs when a large section of limestone dissolves leaving much of the non-limestone material in place. You are looking for lines that look like they were produced by a seismograph during an earthquake. [Click here to see an example.] (You should also be able to see examples of fossilized clam shells -- dark, curved shapes -- and crinoids -- dark, circular shapes.) The elevator lobby is only accessible during normal business hours.

Required task at this stop: Take a photo of yourself including your GPSr and the stylolytic limestone. Load this photo to your online log for this EarthCache.

STOP THREE: THE CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH N 35° 35.632 W 082° 33.199

Built in 1902, this imposing limestone church presents Romanesque Revival style massing and forms, but the detailing more closely reflects the Gothic Revival style. As you look at the main entrance, make sure you check out the limestone block (parallel to the ground) just to the left of the left steps (in between the walkway and the garden).

If you scrutinize that limestone block carefuly you will see a great example of bryozoans -- tiny colonial animals that generally build stony skeletons of calcium carbonate, superficially similar to coral. There are about 5,000 living species, with several times that number of fossil forms known. It is only a few square inches in size and looks like a small piece of lace. [Click here to see an example.]

Required task at this stop: Take a photo of your GPSr and the bryozoans. The bryozoans need to be recognizable. Load this photo to your online log for this EarthCache.


I hope you enjoy your short walking tour of some of the geological phenomena found in downtown Asheville! If this EarthCache gets popular I may be able to come up with a few more stops for a second Geological Potpourri tour...

For more information on EarthCaches please click here.

I would like to thank Phil Potter, Curator of the Colburn Earth Science Museum, for his help in developing this EarthCache.

Online logs that do not fulfill all three requirements -- email answer to question and two uploaded photos -- will be deleted.

FTF HONORS GO TO OxSling!!!

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 Attributes
no stealth required not 24-7 stroller accessible scenic view kid friendly parking available access/parking fees wheelchair accessible blank blank blank blank
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NC EarthCaches by Edgar Allan Gump
Earth Caches - 1 - Active USA by txoilgas
Asheville Area by onthehunt2

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Cache Logs
 October 28 by Snoopinaround (4248 found)
#4173 - I was on a route targeting the last 4 counties I needed for the county challenge and some virtuals between Blowing Rock to over in the Asheville area. I love earth caches and never like to pass one up, so I made time for this interesting urban one. It was like a mini tour of downtown. Thanks for setting it up. Answers have been emailed.

[view this log]
City Bldg's Marble
Limestone at the church
Central United Methodist Church Steeple

 August 13 by Team Weathergirl (2312 found)
Nice day to walk around downtown Asheville. People were very nice in both buildings. Elevator man and security guard even helped point out the fossils in the City Building. Fee at the museum is $4 for adults. E-mail sent...will upload photos when we get home. Nice buildings...great earthcache for urban area.

[view this log]
itsy bitsy fossils in there
Close up of church stone
Asheville symbol

 June 28 by tdbad (171 found)
This was the perfect way to spend the morning in Asheville! Thanks

[view this log]
Asheville City Building-NC
Methodist Church-Asheville, NC

 May 29 by RhinoTrekker (206 found)
Very nice little walking tour of downtown Asheville, thanks!
Answers sent.....

[view this log]
Kaboom!
City Hall "seismograph"
extreme closeup of me and tiny colonial animals

 May 16 by TamariskBasher (1648 found)
Toured the museum this fine Saturday afternoon. very quiet there. some really nice stones. I didn't know that the local area had so many gemstone mines.
But it was not a good day to visit municipal buildings, because it's closed on Saturdays.
At the church, not sure about the bryozoans. But the church is a great architectual piece. Since it was built in 1902, I was wondering if it was originally a methodist-episcopal church, sure enough over the side entrance doors in the stained glass was United M.E. Church.


[view this log]
Asheville City Hall on Saturday
Bryozoans in the limestone at United ME Church Ash


There are more logs. View them all on one page

Current time: 11/21/2009 11:27:33 PM
Last Updated: 11/6/2009 9:39:34 PM
Rendered: From Database
Coordinates are in the WGS84 datum

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