Grounded at Red Pine EarthCache
Hidden : 11/1/2007
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

This earthcache will bring you to an amazing area that has been protected for the future by the Maine Nature Conservancy. The lesson will help you understand why the area has a different appearance from the rest of Maine’s landscape.

The last glacial episode in Maine began about 25,000 years ago, when the Laurentide ice sheet moved south overspreading New England and Eastern Canada. During its peak development, this ice sheet was centered over Maine and eastern Canada flowing to the east to southeast into the sea. The ice itself was several thousand feet thick, with its massive weight shaping the land as it slowly traveled. Climatic warming forced the Laurentide ice sheet to stop and begin to recede as early as 21,000 years ago. The ice continued to recede until 11,000 years ago when it finally ground to a halt. The glacier stopped moving and finally melted leaving behind all that it was carrying. This section of the St John River was where the glacier finally stopped moving and melted.

Once you reach this area there are two things that you will notice, first the land is relatively flat and the terrain is only very gently rolling. The second thing that you will notice is the Black Spruce forest, which is unlike most of the forests of the rest of Maine. As the glacial ice melted it formed a ground moraine where all the materials that were carried by the ice were simply drop to the ground. Ground moraines are a low aspect ratio feature that is consisting of a veneer of till (10 to 20 meters) covering the underlying bed rock, and reflects the topography of that bedrock. It has a general morphology of low relief rolling features and lacking any ridge or linear features. The ground moraine is usually in the form of undulating plains having gently sloping swells, sags, and enclosed depressions. The gravel in this area it has acted much like a giant sponge holding the water for much of the year. Due to the terrain and its location the area receives a great deal of snow in the winter. The land is flat with only a few shallow lakes to hold the spring runoff so when the snow begins to melts the river rises quickly often the river flows faster then the channel will allow causing extensive damage to the riverbanks. This ice often piles up causing ice jams that slowly push the river valley deeper. So even with the flat terrain the river has steeply sloping riverbanks, which are usually associated with groundwater springs and gravelly soil left by glaciers. These riverside areas are frequently scoured and eroded during the ice break-up of the spring melt, and may be denuded of vegetation in places, if you look carefully at the older trees along the river banks you can see scares from past ice damage. When there are heavy rains during the summer or fall the ground once again quickly fills with water causing the river to quickly rise with the excess water, but it will drop just as quickly. The wet gravelly ground in the area is very conducive to the growth of the black spruce giving the forest a unique appearance. In this location the terrain has a slight rise that has been used by man for a unique purpose in this wilderness setting. There is a campsite here and a trail down to the river.

To log this Earthcache: You must visit the area and answer an earth science question. There is no container or logbook for you to sign just a unique location in the wilderness. This will give others something to look forward to when they visit. You must send an e-mail a description of how the glacial till has been sorted as you walk down to the river from the posted coordinates. Please include why you think it has been sorted in this manner. Please begin your email with the name of the earthcache and make sure your log includes the number of people in your group. If you do not answer the question and post a photo of the canyon your log will be deleted. As you look at the boulders you will see the classical angular edges of the ground moraine materials showing that the materials did not travel very far in the glacier. But if you look carefully you will also find a few plucked boulders that can be identified by their round smooth edges and various colors. It also would be nice if you would post a photo so others would know what they have to look forward to at this earth cache.

This earthcache is located on the lands the Maine Nature Conservancy has worked hard to protect. They have worked to protect one of our nation's most outstanding rivers and the forests through which it flows. Their vision is to work with landowners to increase protection along the river for future generations to enjoy. They are taking a forward step in the protection of this free-flowing river for all to enjoy.

If you enjoy this earthcache you may want to check the Maine Geological Survey located at (visit link)
They have developed a number of information sheets or field localities giving a great deal of information about geologic features. They also have a number of books and maps about Maine’s natural history/ geology that you might find interesting.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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