Welcome to Antelope Valley !!
As you drive along through this valley along Hwy
395 you would not normally ask “How was this valley
created?” Most would
guess that this depression between the mountains was forged by the
Walker River as it runs into Topaz Lake at the northern end of the
valley. Over time, the
river whittling away at the rock and carrying away sediment, making
the valley deeper and wider over the centuries.
Nope!!
That is a good theory but this valley was actually
created by fault line
activity. Fault lines
are where two or more tectonic plates on the earth surface meet and
are moving, ever so slowly, in two different
directions. Everyone
knows that when you rub two objects together in opposite directions
they will “give” when the pressure reaches a
threshold. Earthquakes
are often the result of releasing the tension between these plates
as they “slip” by each other.
There are three main types of
Faults. Dip-Slip Faults
where the movement, or “slip” between the tectonic plates is
vertical, often with one plate moving up while the other
down. Horizontal faults
are where two plates run in opposite directions across a horizontal
(flat) plane. The third
type of fault is a combination of the first two.
In the case of this valley, it was formed by a
Dip-Slip Fault that runs through this mountain
range. The valley
(East) is on the sinking side of the fault while the cliff face
(West) is the edge of the rising side of the
fault. The beautiful
cliff that you can see to the Southwest of the posted coordinates
is one of the visible geological results of this change in tectonic
plate elevation. The
meadow in this valley was ultimately created by with sediment
deposits from the river over thousands of years to create a fertile
plane in this high desert area.
The cliffs, meadows and the area around the
plaque at the posted coordinates are on the property for
“Meadowcliff Resort”.
The owners of the resort and restaurant were gracious enough to
give permission for this Earthcache to be
developed. There is an
interesting history linked to this particular property if you wish
to do a quick internet search for “Meadowcliff.”
To log this
Earthcache:
-
From the posted coordinates make an observation
of the cliffs. Describe
them and compare them to the land features on the opposite side of
the valley. How do the
two sides compare in relation to vegetation growth and
sustainability?
Why do you think that
is? Email me your
observations. (You are
comparing the West side of the valley to the East)
-
In that email also include the name(s) of who
donated the plaque at the posted coordinates.
-
Lastly, post a picture of you in front of the
cliffs. (You can do
this from a few roadside stops over the mile in front of the
cliffs)
Some other
interesting notes:
-
If you turn around and look across the highway
you will see a “water wheel” or Pelton Wheel in the lot in front of
a house. This wheel is
part of an old mining stamp mill located up in the mountains not
too far from here.
Along with the stamp mill is a historical
marker. Just behind
that marker is another of my
caches. Take Mill
Canyon Road , about 1.25 miles south of here, up the
hill. This is a dirt
road that is accessible by most
vehicles. Drive few
miles up to visit the stamp mill & historical
site. Cache
Name:
Golden Gate Mine Cache
-
Also, sometime back in the 30s the Meadowcliff
parcel was surveyed and the property markers were driven into the
ground. They actually
got to the back side of the cliffs, all the way up there, on
horseback with survey
equipment. Recently,
sometime between 2000 and 2004, another survey was taken using GPS
equipment. The old
marker is still there and only off by about 11
feet!!
Remember, Practice "Cache In Trash Out"
While out geocaching, bring a bag with you to
pick up trash along the way.
Visit the Cache In Trash Out page to learn more
about CITO.
CITO Logo use granted
3/28/08 by Groundspeak BTG-708616