Soils of RI #34: Poquonock Traditional Geocache
Soils of RI #34: Poquonock
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This is the 34th in a series of caches honoring the 58 different types of soils found within the State of Rhode Island. Soils were a major factor in the settling and early farming of RI, and soils continue to influence our industry, recreation, wildlife, and homes. As you complete this series, please take note of how the soil is determined in-part by the landscape position (summit, sideslope, drainageway), which in turn affects the vegetation.
Another East-Bay soils cache, this time in Jamestown. Jamestown is an interesting island, as it is basically two drumlin-shaped hills connected by some marshy and sandy outwash areas. Drumlins are streamlined hills that were shaped as glaciers passed over them 14,000 - 18,000 years ago. This cache is located within an area of Poquonock soil. Poquonock soils are not particulalry common in RI, typically located only on the eastward and westward sides of the East-Bay points (Popasquash Point, Usher Point, Warwick Neck).
Poquonock soils formed in two parent materials. The deeper soil material is a sandy dense till that was deposited and compressed directly by the glacier. The massive weight of the ice caused this material to become very dense, sometimes almost as hard as rock! Once the glaciers retreated, winds picked up and deposited sands on top of the till. What is interesting about these soils is the dramatic color difference. The dense till material is derived from dark-colored sediment from in and directly adjacent to Narragansett Bay. The sandy windblown sediment is brown in color.
Most areas of Poquonock soil are cleared and used for cultivated crops, tobacco, vegetables, nursery stock, hay or pasture. Some areas are used for community development. A few areas are idle or wooded. Common trees are northern red, white, and black oak, hickory, gray birch, aspen, white ash, and eastern white pine.
Start at parking, then walk down the main crushed stone trail that leads to Battery Park. There is a noticeable trail on the right shortly after the parking area that will lead you very close to GZ. There is no need to bushwhack until you are about 90' from the cache, and even then, there is a slight trail through the open woods. Please be sure to cover well!
High fives to MountainDog129 for the FTF!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Rnfl ohfujunpxvat... fjrrg! Ebpx ba!