White Horse Bluff EarthCache
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White Horse Bluff is the volcanic formation overlooking the
Clearwater River. It rises 325m and is an impressive site from any
direction. Layers of lava lie on the surface of the cliffs in
columns, in broken geometric blocks, and in exposed pockets among
the dikes.
The Clearwater River was dammed by a lava flow at Hemp Creek
downstream and the river backed up to form a lake about half a
million years ago. The volcano that erupted at White Horse Bluff
was under the lake. As the lava flowed it was quickly cooled by the
water and water seeped into the dikes causing large eruptions. Lava
piled up in broken layers on the sides of the dikes and more lava
flowed building up the height of the bluff. Erosion by glaciers and
the river has exposed the dikes and has left us with unusual lava
formations around the sides of the bluff.
An interesting spot can be reached by scrambling down a gully on
the left side of the bluffs to the bottom, then along the base and
scree slopes to a feature called the Rock Roses. These are a
collection of columns which are shorter and tipped horizontally.
They are the result of a new lava flow from the dike to the east
meeting an older and harder set of columns.
To get to White Horse Bluff, you can take one of two trailheads.
The Wells Gray Provincial Park site
Wells Gray has lots of information on this trail. The
coordinates listed are the general location of the edge of the
bluff. As you come to the start of the "snout" of the bluff, follow
the trail, but stay well back of the edge.
. To log this cache, you must:
- Take a photo with your GPSr unit of Clearwater River below and
post it to the site.
- From farther up the trail find viewpoints of the sides of White
Horse Bluff. In an email to the owner, describe the shapes, colors,
and overall impression of the lava flows. You may have to research
lava flow processes, including formation of columns, dikes, and
underwater volcanic eruptions.
Additional Hints
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Treasures
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