Soils of RI #40: Paxton Catena Multi-Cache
Twohig260: Archiving this dastardly cache. A much friendlier replacement has been hidden and will be hopefully published soon. Thanks to all those that braved the swamp to find this one!
Soils of RI #40: Paxton Catena
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This is the 40th in a series of caches honoring the 58 different types of soils found within the State of Rhode Island. Soils were a major factor in the settling and early farming of RI, and soils continue to influence our industry, recreation, wildlife, and homes. As you complete this series, please take note of how the soil is determined in-part by the landscape position (summit, sideslope, drainageway), which in turn affects the vegetation.
As this cache series is winding down, I felt the desire to round it out with a multicache in the ever popular Big River Management Area. This multi will lead you through what is known as a soil catena. Catena, which is Latin for chain, is a topographic complex of related soils that formed from similar parent materials but differ in their drainage classes (depth to seasonal high water tables).
Several caches in this cache series have been part of a catena. Canton-Charlton/Sutton/Leicester, Enfield/Tisbury/Raypol, and Newport/Pittstown/Stissing/Mansfield have been caches in this series that are considered catenas. Each of these soils go from well drained soils at the top of the landscape to poorly drained wetland soils at the bottom of the landscape. What makes this cache different, is that the 3 parts of the multi are in a fairly straight line going lower in elevation from the northeast to the southwest. Other caches I have placed have been in scattered locations dependent upon available space and hiding spots!
This catena consists of 3 soil map units - the well drained Paxton, the moderately well drained Woodbridge, the poorly drained Ridgebury, and the very poorly drained Whitman. Ridgebury and Whitman are so similar and occur so frequently together that they are mapped together (and also with the somewhat similar Leicester).
Each of these soils formed in dense glacial till that was deposited directly by the glaciers 14,000 - 18,000 years ago. The massive weight of the glacier compressed the deeper soil layers. These deeper soil layers are extremely firm and often feel like bedrock when hit with a shovel. This soil layer is also dense enough to limit the infiltration of water, causing what is known as a "perched" water table (free water in the soil above the true water table).
The multi starts within a long abandoned farm field dominated by Paxton soil, just north of the main trail you will hike. The field is now fairly open pine and oak forest. You will then travel south to the Woodbridge cache. The higher water table causes a dramatic change in the vegetation. The final is located west of the Woodbridge cache in a beautiful wetland area of Ridgebury and Whitman soils dominated by red maple trees. The change in vegetation should be obvious.
As for the caches, stages 1 and 2 are prescription containers. Stage 3 is a medium-sized plastic container holding the log, swag, and official series descriptions of each soil within the catena. Stages 2 and 3 are not snow-friendly. The bushwhacking isn't bad, as most if the forest is pretty open with the exception of a few places where there are young pine trees. You can easily get back to the main trail from the final by walking north through the woods and picking up an old trail/deer run.
PLEASE be sure to heed the orange requirements for all users of state management areas! I did spot a hunter's blind in between stages 2 and 3.
This is my first multi, and I have a greater appreciation for all the work that goes into making this type of cache. Take your time walking through these very peaceful woods and enjoy nature!
High fives to bjm3rd for the FTF (his first multi to boot)!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[Stage 1:] Ng gur fcyvg
[Stage 2:] Ebpx, abg fs
[Stage 3:] Ybbx sbe gur ovt gerr tebjvat ba gur ebpx
Treasures
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