The geology of the earth is divided into four distinct lengths of time: Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic time zones. The Precambrian time zone occurred before there was life on Earth. The Paleozoic era had early life in the form of bacteria. The Mesozoic time zone featured what is known as middle life that consisted of dinosaurs. The Cenozoic, or late life era, our era, is known for mammals. These divisions of time were designated according to the fossils found within the rocks; life forms from the simple to the complex. For example: Precambrian bacteria, Paleozoic fish, Mesozoic dinosaurs, and Cenozoic mammals. These time capsules are all represented on the Colorado Plateau and can be examined very closely with your keen powers of observation. Getting to the exposures is what is difficult and it requires a commitment of time to walk about the landscape. The mountain formation to the East of Earthcache represents an area that has been eroded away and reveals the layers of the mountain that were formed during the four time zones.
Think of the Colorado Plateau as a big, multi-layered, multi-tiered wedding cake that is being sliced, piece by piece, and then consumed until it is gone. If this process is allowed to continue unhampered and given another 20 million more years of time, this mountain will be reduced to sea level.
Cenozoic rocks are mostly deposits formed in large, continental fresh water lakes. These rocks erode into buttresses and castle-like towers. Mesozoic rocks are mostly terrestrial rocks comprised of soft, colorful sandstones and shales that erode into slopes, mounds, ledges, and very pronounced escarpments. Paleozoic rocks are usually hard limestones that formed in marine environments. They erode into sharp, hard and resistant ledges and cliffs. Precambrian rock is basement rock and is very old-1.8 billion years old-and very thick-25 miles thick. Precamrian rock consists of hard, black metamorphic rocks called gneiss and schist that were intruded by veins of molten rock (igneous materials).
This Earthcache is located on the Lake Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Park at 41 13.600 and 111 55.845, at the top of 22nd street in Odgen. Trailhead starts there, prepare for a 1/2 mile hike to the cache location.
To claim this Earthcache take and post a picture of you or your group holding your GPS with the exposed rock in the background (optional) and email me which type of rock you think you see in the eroded mountain (not optional).