South Range Kame EarthCache

Kames are stratified hills of cobble, gravel, sand, and silt. Streams flowing on the top of the glacier or in a tunnel within sort the glacial debris. If the stream fell into a moulin hole in the ice, sometimes called an "ice well". As the ice well waters swirled their load of rock waste into it, building up a conical deposit of sand and gravel. Where meltwaters, flowing over the surface of the glacier, plunged into a crevasse or crack in the glacier or fell over the ice front in a waterfall onto the accumulating moraine, conical deposits of debris were left resting on the edge of the ice. Kames are recognized by their "knob-like" structure and by their common occurrences in areas of interlobate moraines.

Over a period of 20 million years starting about one billion years ago. A fracture in the earth running from what is now Oklahoma to Lake Superior generated volcanic activity that almost split North America. Lava intermittently flowed from the fracture. This geomorphic age created mountains covering this region of Michigan. Over time these mountains eroded, while occasional volcanic activity continued. Molten magma below the highlands of what is now Lake Superior spewed out to its sides, causing the highlands to sink and formed a mammoth rock basin that would one day hold Lake Superior. Eventually the fracture stabilized and, over time, the rock tilted down from north to south.

After this hot period the cold down came as well as the glaciers. The ice sheet that covered Michigan was the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The glaciers would decrease and increase over time. With this large lobes made up these glaciers. This kame came to be from the meltwaters that flowed between the Octonogan and the Keweenaw lobes. It was about 7,000 years ago that the glacier receded from this area leaving behind this kame.

To complete this cache you will need to be prepared for a strenuous climb of the kame. It is very steep but has several trails that can be use to the top. Remember the shortest is not the easiest. I found that the trail to the east of the direct route was a good way to go. This trail heads up on an angle and weaves its way up which made the walk much better.

Before you can log this find you will need to make some discoveries and e-mail me the answers.
1. Go up to the posted co-ords and take an altimeter reading from this area. You will not be going to the highest point of the kame just a spot with a very nice view.
2. Observe the exposed earth on the trail up, you will find it to be the same top to bottom. Then in your e-mail describe in detail what you see along the way. I am looking for the size of glacier debris that makes up this kame.
3. Take a photo of yourself near the posted co-ords and post it with your log.