The Devil's Tollgate EarthCache
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PLEASE READ ENTIRE DESCRIPTION! Failure to answer the questions below will result in deletion of log.
The Devil's Tollgate: Mass Wasting
To reach the Devil's Tollgate, park at the Mina Sauk Falls Trailhead, and walk to the T in the road. Make a left to the Ozark Trail Connector, and follow the trail to Mina Sauk Falls, and continue on the Ozark trail down into the valley. Follow the trail and it will be hard to miss. Basically, trust your gps once your on the Ozark Trail.
The Devil's Tollgate is a monolith on the Ozark trail where a large amount of rhyolite (or any rock, soil, etc.) toppled off the mountainside into the valley below. This is an example of Mass Wasting.
The cause of this particular example of mass wasting is twofold. First, these mountains were formed under immense pressure and over the millenia, pressure on them has slowly decreased, causing the rock to slowly expand. This expansion can occur unevenly, causing cracks in the rock. Excellent examples of this can be seen at The Elephant Rocks, where sheets of rock are slowly breaking off the boulders. Secondly, as these cracks form, water and roots of plants find there way in them. Once the water freezes, it expands, causing the cracks to expand. Roots only compound this and eventually, the rock completely breaks and pivots off the mountainside. Whether the rock tumbles down or just falls and stops is dependent on many things, in this example it fell quickly and tumbled to the forest floor. To me, it would seem the Tollgate was at one time one large boulder that had a crack in it, on its journey down the mountainside it broke completely and both pieces settled here, eight feet apart.
The tollgate blocks part of the old Arkansas Road, it gets its name because wagons had to be unloaded and tipped on their side to get through. Its also been told that this area is haunted by a great demon, which will steal the souls of travelers.
Permission was granted by Jeff Ayers, the superintendant of Johnson shut ins/Taum Sauk Mountain state park
In order to log this Earthcache, two questions must be answered:
1)About how tall is the tollgate on the side furthest from the creek (as indicated by the picture)?
2)What color rock is the tollgate made of?
IF YOU WANT AND ONLY IF YOU WANT post a picture of yourself with the tollgate in the background. REMEMBER! This is only an option, if YOU DONT want to do it YOU DONT HAVE TO! IT IS OPTIONAL!
Once you have the answers, click on toadfrommars at the top of the cache page, then click send message and send the answers to me. I will only reply if there is a problem. You may log a 'find' right away.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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Treasures
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