FTF: El Nimrod & Trailmaker 62
Halifax Harbour is a major inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean within the province of Nova Scotia, approximately midway along the southeastern provincial coast. It extends inland for over 28 km to the northwest and is composed of outer and inner divisions; two projecting arms, the Northwest Arm and Eastern Passage; and a very deep and large bowl-shaped basin at its head, Bedford Basin. It has four islands from north to south: Georges, McNabs, Lawlor, and Devils. The Sackville River is the major river that enters the north end of the harbour in Bedford Basin.
Halifax Harbour is home Canada’s Largest Military base, two container ports, a Canadian Coast Guard base, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, a grain elevator, a gypsum terminal, seven marinas, an oil refinary, the autoport, a cruise ship terminal and the area is home to 40% of the population of the province.
The history of Halifax is defined by the harbour, including such notable places such as the Halifax Citadel and Pier 21, and events such as the Halifax Explosion.
Geology
The location of Halifax Harbour is controlled not by faults within the bedrock, but by the distribution of the hard granite to the west of the harbour. It confined the location of early river systems to weaker rocks in the east. A large channel to the east of the granite occurs beyond the mouth of Halifax Harbour that connects with the harbour.
Much of the orignal shore line of Halifax Harbour has been developed for warves and ports, rail lines, oil refineries and ocean terminals. One area where the true harbour shoreline is visable is Point Plesant Park , where rock ourcrops can be seen starting at Black Rock Beach, and extend around the shore of the park.
Earthcache
This is not a simple park & grab earthcache, you will be required to visit a spot on the shoreline of the harbour at Point Plesant Park, as well as venturing into the middle of the harbour to log this earthcache.
Logging requirements
1. Photos - you need to take two photos: As per Jan 1, 2011 guideline changes, photos are now optional.
a) take a photo of yourself and/or your group with a GPSr at the Rock Ourcrop on the harbour shore in Point Pleasnt Park.
b) take a photo of yourself and/or your group with your GPSr somewhere near middle of the harbour. The photo must clearly show you and your GPSr near the middle of the Harbour – any part of the Harbour, Basin or Arm. Post the photo with the coordinates of exactly where you took the photo.
- There are lots of ways to do this: walk or bike across the MacDonald Bridge, take a boat (the ferry, a navy ship, a kayak, a cruise ship or Theodore Too!), get on a plane, helicopter, an oil rig, or try something else original?
- Please do not try to use a photo taken while driving in an automobile across the bridges or by swimming in the harbour. These activities are not safe, and I will delete any of these logs.
- Photos taken from the islands, wharves or piers are not eligible. You must be near the middle of the harbour, over the water.
2. Questions – You will need to visit Point Plesant Park and do some research and to the following questions.The answers can be found in one of the linked pages. Send me an email with the answers. Do not post answers in your log, even encrypted!
- Give a brief description of the rock that makes up th outcrop at the posted coordinates in Point Plesant Park? (color, texture, etc). Based on this, what type of rock do you think it is?"
- Answer these two questions (Google is your friend for these questions, information is not available in Point Pleasant Park):
A - What is the name of the river system that eventually became Halifax Habour? or
B - There is a group of 20-30 cars dumped in Bedford Basin in 1969. What make are these cars?
You do not have to wait or confirmation from me to log your find. However, any logs that DO NOT meet ALL requirements will be deleted.