"Gorge"ous Cane Creek Earthcache
A
cache
by Diggin' Up Bones, Platinum Earthcache Master
Hidden:
9/25/2009
Size:
 (Not chosen)
Difficulty: 
Terrain:
(1 is easiest, 5 is hardest)
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Welcome to the Fall Creek Falls State Park where you will find
and view this amazing gorge as you stand on Milliken’s Overlook
(also called Buzzard’s Roost). Here you will learn how this gorge
was formed.
If you look northward from this vantage point you will be looking
across the Cane Creek Gorge. Although this vast expanse has also
been referred to as a canyon, we will use gorge from the guidance
provided by the park rangers. This deep Gorge is an exceptionally
impressive example of a southern canyon that was carved by Cane
Creek. The Gorge consists of numerous waterfalls, caves and other
geological formations. When you look to the left you will be
viewing the Piney Creek Gorge. Cane Creek flows into the Caney Fork
River which has formed the gorge known as “The Grand Canyon of the
Cumberland’s.”
The Geology of Cane Creek
The Cane Creek Gorge presents as a large gash in the western
edge of the Cumberland Plateau, stretching for many miles from the
Cane Creek Cascades to Cane Creek's mouth along the Caney Fork
River. The Cumberland Plateau is compsed of several types of rock
including large expanses of sandstone and shale.
This rock dates back to the Pennsylvanian Era of the late
Carboniferous Period which lasted for approximately 34 million
years. When the plateua was forming long ago, this area was a vast
muddy deposit of back beach lagoons and swamps. The organic matter
of the swamps eventually became coal deposits which can also be
found in this area. Much of the Cumberland Plateau is characterized
by thick layers of very hard sandstone that forms the caprock of
the plateau and can be seen along the walls of Cane Creek
Canyon.
Caprock is a geological term for a harder rock type
overlying a weaker or softer rock type. Where a crack or crevice
develops in the caprock, erosion can begin. As runoff from rain,
melting glaciers, springs and other sources travels through these
cracks in the caprock, a valley begins to form. As more erosion
occurs, the valley gets deeper, and in the case of Cane Creek, this
valley erosion eventually created a gorge.
Just What Is A Gorge?
A gorge is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the
landscape by a river. Most gorges were formed by a process of
longtime erosion from a plateau level. The cliffs form because
harder rock strata that are resistant to erosion and weathering
remain exposed on the valley walls.
Sometimes large rivers run through canyons/gorges as the result of
gradual geologic uplifts. A gorge may also refer to a rift between
two mountain peaks. Usually a river or stream and erosion carve out
such splits between mountains. Cane Creek gains strength as it
absorbs Meadow Creek and several smaller streams. As the creek
enters the gorge, it drops several hundred feet in less than a
mile, including 45 ft. over Cane Creek Cascades and 85 ft. over
Cane Creek Falls. A few hundred yards north of Cane Creek Cascades,
Rockhouse Creek spills 125 ft. over a waterfall into the same
plungepool as Cane Creek Falls. Just imagine, as Cane Creek
continues to tumble over the various waterfalls, it is still
eroding the softer rock below the capstone, and the gorge continues
to get deeper. Just imagine what the gorge might look like in
another million years or so?
Enjoying Your View
Over the next three to four miles, Cane Creek absorbs Fall Creek
and Piney Creek, both of which enter from smaller gorges to the
immediate west. During this stretch, part of the creek disappears
underground into limestone sinks. One large resurgence occurs at
the "Crusher Hole", located downstream from the convergence of Dry
Fork and Cane Creek. Cane Creek continues to lose elevation before
steadying near its confluence with Dry Fork. Beyond Dry Fork, the
creek eventually empties into the Caney Fork.
In order to claim this earthcache you will need to go to the
coordinates and have your picture (face included, no hand just
holding a GPS) made at the Overlook with a view of the gorge in the
background. In an email to the cache owner (use the profile listed
above) please answer the following questions to the best of your
ability:
1. The Cumberland Plateau contains large deposits of what two
types of rock?
2. In your own words, give a simple explanation of how this
gorge formed?
3. Fill in the blank: Much of the top layer of the plateau is
composed of very hard sandstone called _________ which protects the
softer rock underneath.
4. What is the elevation at the overlook?
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 October 28 by Lostnspace (1036 found)
Wow, what a beautiful day to grab a FTF at one of the prettiest places in Tennessee! I saw this last night when I was running a new query for Tennessee and had to wait until the end of the work day today to make a trip. Traffic wasn't bad, and since this is at one of my favorite state parks, I knew exactly where I was going. Email sent with the required answers and photo posted. Not real sure what that flash of light was in the sky but I think I might have captured it in the photo. Thanks for giving geocachers another reason to visit an incredible spot in middle Tennessee, and thanks for the great geography lesson on how this place formed. TFTC!
[view this log]
|  October 27 by geoaware (38 found)
Published
[view this log] |  September 30 by Diggin' Up Bones (1473 found)
"Gorge"ous Cane Creek Earthcache was transferred from geoaware to user Diggin' Up Bones
[view this log] | |
Current time: 11/21/2009 9:32:55 PM
Last Updated: 10/30/2009 2:42:00 AM
Rendered: From Database
Coordinates are in the WGS84 datum
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