Logging requirements
In order to log this EarthCache, please email the cache owner the answers to the following questions (binoculars are not required, but may be helpful). Please do not include your answers in your online log.
1) From the coordinates given, count how many columns, if any, still have capstones. The hoodoos at the Pinnacles are not as well defined as with other hoodoos, so there is a range of acceptable answers.
2) Count how many columns no longer have capstones.
3) Write a sentence of two, comparing and contrasting the erosion of the columns that still have capstones with the ones that don't.
4) Optional: Upload a photo of you and your GPS in front of Pinnacles.
5) Optional: Upload a photo of one of the many volcanic rocks scattered in the area.
This EarthCache brings you to Pinnacles Provincial Park, where a very unique formation, called hoodoos can be seen. The walk to the viewpoint is about 15 minutes from the parking lot along a wide trail, which is suitable for Bob-type strollers. Caution: As with many other caches in this area, please watch out for bears. It is recommended you go with a group. For safety reasons, remain behind the fence, keep small children close and keep dogs on a leash.
The coordinates given provide a good spot to view the hoodoos, as well as to enjoy picturesque views of the city of Quesnel and Baker Creek.
About Pinnacles Provincial Park
Pinnacles Provincial Park protects a very unique formation of hoodoos. These hoodoos began their formation 12 million years ago, when molten lava flowing over the earth's surface cooled in flat basalt layers over older layers of ash and rock. Along the trail to the Pinnacles, you may see pieces of volcanic rock which are remnants of ancient volcanic activity in this area. The nearby Nazko Cone volcano began erupting a relatively recent 340,000 years ago and, as such, is much younger than the volcano whose volcanic ash formed the Pinnacles. During the Ice Age, ice blanketed this region. When the ice receded, melt-water streams eroded the landscape, forming the valley which Baker Creek cuts through. During natural erosion and weathering, the volcanic rock (basalt) was eroded, revealing the more resistant ash layer which forms the hoodos, often producing vivid bands of color as individual basalt layers are removed. The hoodoos at Pinnacles Provincial Park are fragile, as they are still undergoing these forces of erosion and weathering. Climbing on the hoodoos is prohibited for safety reasons and to prevent accelerated errosion of the hoodoos. The Pinnacles viewpoint provides an spectacular view of these impressive geological formations.
General information about hoodoos
Hoodoos consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone (called caprocks or capstones) that slow the process of disintegration of the column. Hoodoos typically form in areas where there is a thick layer of tuff (consolidated volcanic ash) covered by a thin layer of basalt or other volcanic rock, which is more susceptible to erosion. Cracks in the much softer basalt form, causing it to be eroded and washed away. A column forms when a cap of the original basalt remains, protecting the underlying tuff from erosion. The name "hoodoo" comes from the word "voodoo" and was given to these geological formations by the Europeans. In the Blackfoot and Cree traditions, however, the hoodoos are believed to be petrified giants who come alive at night to hurl rocks at intruders. Naturally shaped by wind and water, these hoodoos (also known as fairy chimneys) have been carved over millions of years into pillar-like shapes.
Examples of hoodoos
Hoodoos, Turkey, photo credit: Wikipedia
Hoodoos, Drumheller, photo credit: Wikipedia