The Yankee Springs Recreation Area houses a few interesting
geological features as well as multiple campgrounds, lakes and
hiking trails. Trails are relatively easy and well marked. Some
contain loose sand. The hike to the edge of the Soup Bowl is
relatively easy, but hiking to the bottom and back out would rank a
3+ on the difficulty scale because of steepness (although some ride
mountain bikes down it). This Earthcache is located in the Yankee
Springs Recreation Area. With a Michigan Parks Permit, you can park
within 0.15 miles of the cache. Without the permit, the hike is
significantly longer. This park is surprisingly under-utilized most
of the time. There are a couple of campgrounds nearby and a
significant trail system connects them all to the numerous features
and lakes in the area. Many of the trails support horses and
mountain bikes.
Kettle formations occur when portions of the glaciers that use
to cover Michigan detach from their parent glacier. These smaller
pieces of glacier grind cone or "kettle" shaped depressions into
the ground as they melt. The Devil's Soup Bowl is an example of a
kettle formation. Although kettle formations can be relatively
common in areas that were once covered by glaciers, the Devil's
Soup Bowl is somewhat unique because it is not filled with water.
Most kettle formations fill with water and become lakes (often
named Kettle Lake or Round Lake). This formation is dry because the
grinding glacial movement broke and distorted the bedrock beneath
it. It is one of two known "dry" kettle formations in Michigan.
Glacial activity in this area was extremely high and has left
behind numerous formations and features. The local water table is
at drastically different depths across a given area because of the
effect of the glacial movement distorting the bedrock in the area.
While one water-well may be 80 feet deep, another nearby may be
400+ feet deep.
To get credit for the find you must do 2 things:
1. Take a picture of yourself, and either the Soup Bowl or one
of the signs denoting the Soup Bowl in the background, and post
them with your log. Any entries that don't post the photos will be
removed.
2. Estimate the depth of the formation and e-mail me your
answer. Please do NOT post it, or your entry will be removed. You
must complete both steps to keep your entry from being removed.