Please be aware that the path down to the natural land bridge is
technically closed right now. I say technically because Makoshika
State Park is open hiking, so you do not have to stick to
designated trails. You can make it down to the land bridge anyway
you see fit. However, hiking here is dangerous so be careful. That
is why there is a medium difficulty for this earthcache.
Makoshika State Park is Montana’s largest state park,
encompassing over 11,500 acres. Makoshika is an alternate spelling
of a Lakota phrase maco sica meaning land of bad spirits, or
“badlands” as it is well known. The badlands of
Makoshika expose rock older than the badlands in the Dakotas.
Brownish gray sediments of the lower Hell Creek Formation date back
65 million years when the Rocky Mountains were forming in the west.
The Cretaceous Period, or age of reptiles, was a time when this
area had a sub-tropical climate and vegetation. Rivers draining
from the western mountains deposited layers upon layers of
sediments, which over millions of years compacted to form the
sandstones, mudstones, clays, and shales that form the badlands
landscape.
Above the Hell Creek Formation are the sediments of the Fort
Union Formation. The upper 100 feet or so of the highest formations
in the park are from this era. These Paleocene-age strata mark the
beginning of the “Age of Mammals” that began about 64
million years ago.
The most amazing views of the surrounding land can be found atop
the high ridges in Makoshika State Park. There are few places were
you can see so much history in the layers of rock that surround
you. One of the most striking features is the “cap
rocks” that can be found everywhere in the park. Cap rocks
occur when the clays and shales of lower sedimentary layers erode
away from the harder sandstone layers. Over time, the sandstone is
left to balance on the spires of eroded material. In some cases,
this erosion can cause natural land bridges.
In an effort to make an EarthCache that can be found by anyone,
I am setting up three levels of difficulty for logging this
EarthCache. Please pay attention to the descriptions so you may
choose the best option that matches your physical condition. The
landscape can be dangerous here and it is easy to get hurt.
Makoshika has a laundry list of hazards including: sink holes,
rattlesnakes, mountain lions, badgers, cactus, fire ants, and
slippery slopes. Even the most sure-footed hiker can easily loose
their balance here.
The three levels are difficult, moderate, and easy. You only
need to fulfill the requirements of one level to log the cache, but
you can certainly do all three if you want a fun filled day of
hiking and sightseeing. The difficult and moderate levels are
located at the same area and the easy is located elsewhere. Please
pay attention to Coordinates. The posted Coordinates will take you
to the difficult and moderate levels. The easy level coordinates
will be provided in that section.
To log the difficult level
you must do the following:
1. Upon arriving at the posted coordinates, you will find some
informational signs about the formations and landscape before you.
Please answer the following questions. Please email answers to
cache owner, do not post them in your log.
A. The colors of these deposits are caused primarily by their
mineral composition. What colors does iron produce?
B. Wind erosion causes diagonal marks on formations called
what?
C. The dark gray layers in the formations around you were once
ancient what?
2. From the information signs, you can see the cap rock directly
to the right of you. You can also see the large natural land bridge
below you.(Note: As of 1/1/11 taking pictures for earthcaches are
optional, not manditory to log the find) Carefully hike down to the
land bridge and get a picture of you or your group with GPS in hand
and the land bridge. As an alternative to hiking to the land
bridge, simply take a picture of any cap rock formation with you or
your gps. The formation can be large or small. This will make it
more exciting when you can pick the spot for your picture. Post the
picture to the cache page then email the cache owner with the
answers to the questions, do not post them in your log.
To Log the moderate level
you must do the following:
1. Upon arriving at the posted coordinates, you will find some
informational signs about the formations and landscape before you.
Please answer the following questions.
A. The colors of these deposits are caused primarily by their
mineral composition. What colors does iron produce?
B. Wind erosion causes diagonal marks on formations called
what?
2. From the informational signs, you can see the
“caprock” directly to the right of you on the top of
this ridge. It is a very easy walk across the top of the ridge to
the cap rock.(Note: As of 1/1/11 taking pictures for earthcaches
are optional, not manditory to log the find) Take a picture of you
or group with gps in hand at the cap rock.
A. Estimate how tall the cap rock is from the top of the
sandstone to the bottom of the pedestal of shale and clay it rests
on. Post the picture to the cache page then email answers to the
cache owner, do not post them in your log.
To log the easy level you
must meet the following condition:
you or someone in your party must be wheelchair bound, or have a
disability making it impossible to do the difficult or moderate
levels. If you meet this condition, please continue.
Parking for the easy level can be found at the Makoshika
amphitheater. Follow the road signs to the amphitheater. There is a
smaller parking area located at (N 47 03. 792, W 104 40.491) below
the main parking for the amphitheater. These coordinates are the
beginning to a wheelchair accessible path. Follow the path across a
bridge until you reach the amphitheater stage. To the north are two
very large caprocks that are known as the two sisters.(Note: As of
1/1/11 taking pictures for earthcaches are optional, not manditory
to log the find) Take a picture of you and your gps with the
capstones in the background.
Also answer the following questions:
1. What color are the capstones?
2. How far apart are the two capstones? This is a simple guess
since it would be impossible to measure with practical means.
Post your picture on the cache page and send the cache owner the
answers to the questions. Makoshika State Park has a visitor center
right when you enter the park. There is a $5.00 park entrance fee
for non-residents. The visitor center is open everyday from 10:00am
to 6:00pm everyday from memorial day through labor day and 9:00am
to 5:00pm everyday from labor day to memorial day. The park is
separated into the upper level and lower level. The lower level is
open to car travel year round. The upper level is closed during the
winter to car travel but you are welcome to hike up there when the
gate is closed. All information provided by Makoshika State Park
visitors brochure, visitors center displays, informational signs
around the park, and park rangers.