CHEC: The Salt Marsh Spur EarthCache
CHEC: The Salt Marsh Spur
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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CHEC: Cape Henlopen Earth Cache
Start Coordinates: This cache requires a 1 mile hike along hard
packed sandy trails, not including the hike in, see total distance
to cache from parking below. There are two ways to get to the
coordinates. The first is to park at Parking A and walk straight in
for about 0.6 miles until you reach the posted coordinates. The
second way is to park at Parking B and walk in, following the
trails the whole time. This way in a little more open and it’s
approximately 0.9 miles one way. I’ve included my tracks as an
image from the times I’ve been back there.
At the posted coordinates, you will begin your walk along the Salt
Marsh Spur to the end of the trail (coords in additional waypoints
section).
The forest you are walking through was once a beach. Although
beaches always look the same, geologists know that they are
constantly changing. Three thousand years ago, this was open ocean.
Over time, the shoreline has moved north, creating land where none
existed before. If the same processes continue to operate as they
have in the past, Cape Henlopen will join the inner breakwater of
Lewes Harbor within the next 50 years.
This narrow ridge of sand running into the marsh was once a sand
split, a finger-like extension of the cape. About 1500 years go,
when this split was formed, the marsh was a shallow bay. Native
Americans camped on the spit in order to collect the clams which
grew in the bay. The hundreds of thousands of discarded clam shells
have protected the sand spit from erosion, allows the forest to
grow. The shallow bay on the other hand, has silted in, leaving an
extensive marsh.
You’ve just learned how some spurs are formed.
To log this cache, please do the following:
1) Post a picture of yourself with your GPSr (or just your GPSr) at
the “End Of Marked Trail” sign.
2) Along the way, you will see many informational signs. Please
e-mail something you found interesting on the sign marked “Ancient
trash”, “Tide Marsh” or “Marsh Plants”.
3) Finally, draw a picture of Delaware’s changing shoreline. Make
sure you include a guesstimate on where we are today. (There is a
sign that will help you with this along the way.) Post this picture
in your log.
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State Park Info:
These trails will be closed for firearm deer season. Check here
for dates.
The park has an entry fee from March 1st through November 30th.
$4.00 for residents $8.00 for
non-residents. |
Sources:
http://www.destateparks.com/chsp/chsp.htm
http://www.beach-net.com/Oceandunes.html
http://www.wikipedia.com
http://www.beach-net.com/lighthousech.html
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)