Black Mountain Earthcache EarthCache
Black Mountain Earthcache
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Black Mountain is unusual for this area in that it is formed from granite. This earthcache is placed so you can explore this natural area and learn about what makes this mountain top different from other high points in southern Vermont.
The trail to the summit is a difficult 1.5 mile climb. Park at The Nature Conservancy's trail head on Rice Farm Road in Dummerston.
To earn credit for this earthcache you must visit the summit of Black Mountain and complete the items below. Send me your answers through my profile above in order to claim a find. Keep in mind that there is no physical container at an earthcache site.
1. At the coordinates, you will find a particular feature. What does this feature remind you of? How did it get the way it is?
2. Examine the shape of the mountain top and what the stone looks like. Think about how this mountain summit looks compared to other mountain tops you have visited. Describe the characteristics of the summit of the mountain. What does it make you think of? Give an example of how this summit is different from others that you have seen. Send your answers to me in a message or an e-mail through my profile above. Brief answers are fine. Please don't post your answers with your log.
3. Optional. Take a photograph of you or a personal item with some part of the summit granite in the background.
4. Go ahead and post your log on-line. If I have any questions, I'll contact you.
From The Nature Conservancy's Web-site: Black Mountain rises abruptly from the West River in Dummerston to a horseshoe ridge with a summit of 1,280 feet. The mountain originated as a mass of molten rock deep beneath the surface of the earth between 345 and 395 million years ago. Magma rose from beneath the crust of the earth and intruded into the native rock, forming a granite dome. Over the past 350 million years or so, erosion has exposed the granite that forms the core of the mountain.
An interpretive brochure is sometimes available in the trail register, 1/4 mile from the trail head. From the brochure -- This peak is rare in Vermont, an isolated 1,280-foot tall granite dome topped by a Pitch Pine - Oak - Heath Rocky Summit natural community. Each June, the natural area boasts a fine flowering display of mountain laurel.
Nature Conservancy Trail Use Guidelines
Hiking, birding, photography, nature study and other non-motorized uses are welcome. Please follow signs and stay on designated trails. Please leave pets at home (except guide dogs). Use designated parking; don't block private property or public roads. Keep group size small. The trail crosses private property. The landowner allows the public to use the trail, but at their own risk. The remainder of the private property is not for public use. Visitors use the natural area at their own risk.
This earthcache has been placed with permission of the stewardship manager of the Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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