The posted coordinates will take you to the parking lot for the Look Rock Tower, where the trailhead for a .5-mile hike to the top of the knob begins.
Also available at the posted coordinates is a scenic overlook where you can view the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. [Note: There is no food, fuel or lodging facilities nearby. The road is closed to commercial vehicles, and during winter weather PLEASE exercise extreme caution.]
What is a knob? In geology, a knob is defined as "a rounded hill, mountain, or elevation on a ridge". While peaks, ridges and points may be pointed or have sharp angles; knobs are inherently rounded in appearance. Look Rock is an example of a knob. As you approach Look Rock, you will be traveling along Chilhowee Mountain, a low ridge that stretches for 35 miles. Chilhowee Mountain is a very narrow ridge, rarely reaching a width of more than 3 or 4 miles. The middle of Chilhowee Mountain is bisected by the Little River, dividing it into eastern and western sections. When you arrive at Look Rock, you will notice it is the highest point on the western section of Chilhowee Mountain.
During the winter months, Look Rock has less tree cover and it is easy to see it’s rounded feature; remember, this is a defining characteristic that makes it a knob. When the tree canopy is full, you can still see that this knob is rounded. If you aren’t sure about Look Rock’s exact location, I am sure you will notice the observation tower located at it’s top.
Look Rock was created by the protection provided by it’s sandstone cap. Over millions of years, the surrounding earth was eroded, but this cap prevented the Look Rock area from suffering the same erosion. Now Look Rock is a knob, the highest point along this mountain ridge. It’s cap has eroded into its rounded shape, and now parts of the cap have broken down into numerous "rock islands". These pieces of rock are evident at the top of Look Rock as well as along the hillsides in the immediate area. You will even see some of the rock pieces across the parking lot as you begin your journey to the Look Rock Tower.
The hike to Look Rock is .5 miles one-way, and there is a considerable change in elevation. The path is paved but it can be slippery from leaves, rain, etc. Temperatures at the tower can be several degrees cooler than in the parking lot, and during cold weather the wind chill can also be significant. Please dress appropriately. No water or bathroom facilities are available on the trail to the tower.
Travel west of the Look Rook parking lot ~150 yds. along the Foothills Parkway you will see a large sandstone wall that is a continuance of this erosion process. The larger rock is crumbling into smaller pieces. These small pieces are called “talus”.
According to Wikipedia, "Talus, (another name is scree), is the accumulation of broken rock that lies on a steep mountainside or at the base of a cliff. If you're writing a geologic paper, talus is the preferred term, but scree is more fun to say." Eventually these smaller pieces will work their way back into the earth as clay and sediment.
In order to complete this earthcache as a find and collect your smiley, you must complete all requirements below. Failure to comply will result in your log entry being deleted without notice. Please complete the following:
When you log your visit, post a photo of your favorite view of the mountains. while you are at the Look Rock Tower. (For those unable to complete the hike to the tower, a photo of you at one of the Look Rock Trail signs will satisfy the requirement)
Immediately after logging your visit and posting your photo, please send an email to Lostnspace with your best answers to the following questions:
1. Give the approximate dimensions of one of the “rock islands” that was created from the original sandstone cap? (You may use either the dimensions of the rocks at the base of the Look Rock tower or those visible across from the parking lot.)
2. What is your elevation at the Look Rock parking lot coordinates?
3. What is a defining characteristic of a knob? (hint: see the info above)
Congratulations to Beanes and Jeanes for First To Find!
This cache has been approved by the Geological Society of America.
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