Boulder Creek Falls Hiking Trails
One Way --->
From: South Shore Dr. = 2.75 Miles, 950ft. Elevation
From: Mill Creek Rd. = 1.0 Miles, 80ft. Elevation
The difference between a rock and a boulder can be explained in terms of size and detachment. A rock is defined by geologists as an aggregate of minerals. A boulder is a type of rock, specifically a large detached one. All boulders are rocks, but not all rocks are boulders.
~ The area around Boulder Creek is still moving and changing. Over time these trails will move along with the route of the creek. The soil, rocks and plants will move as well. This, over time will continue to change the rocks and possible the mineral content as describled below.
Rock Defined
The Dictionary defines rock as ''a mass of stony material.'' Rocks come in all sizes, from specks of silt to towering mountains. They are formed over thousands of years by pressures and temperatures in and under the earth's crust. Rocks are made from the crystals of one or more minerals in varying compositions, according to ''Rocks and Minerals.'' For example, quartz, feldspar and mica crystals combine to make granite.
Boulder Defined
The Dictionary defines a boulder as ''a large detached rounded or worn mass of rock. The term ''boulder,'' for example, is one of these common names for rocks. Boulder is used to describe a large rock that is ''taller than a person.''
Rock Sizes
The largest rock is a mountain, which is defined as "a giant rock still attached to the earth's crust.'' A boulder would fall next in the line according to size. Other descriptive rock words are stone (a rock you can hold in two hands) and pebble (small enough to hold with two fingers). Tiny bits of rock can be called sand, grain, dust and speck.
Rock Erosion
Erosion is when rocks and soil are carried away by water, wind, ice, or other natural forces. Weathering and erosion happen simultaneously. Erosion causes land to change shape in different ways. Rocks get weathered and carried away. Some rocks on beaches, rivers, and streams are smooth because water has eroded and worn down the rough edges. Canyons are formed when a river slowly wears down land and the rocks and soil are carried away. As rocks are carried away they can become smaller and smaller.
Rock Types
All rocks and boulders fall into one of three categories--Igneous, Sedimentary or Metamorphic.
~Igneous rocks are solidified from molten lava. Examples are granite and pumice. Spectacular displays of igneous rocks are the volcanoes of Hawaii and the volcanic rocks of Yellowstone National Park. Igneous rocks can be identified by the interlocking appearance of the crystals in them. Typical igneous rocks do not have a layered texture, but exceptions exist. For example, in large bodies of igneous rock, relatively dense crystals that form early can sink to the bottom of the magma, and less dense layers of crystals that form later can accumulate on top. Igneous rocks can form deep within the Earth or at the surface of the Earth in volcanoes. In general, igneous rocks that form deep within the Earth have large crystals that indicate a longer period of time during which the magma cools. Igneous rocks that form at or near the surface of the Earth, such as volcanic igneous rocks, cool quickly and contain smaller crystals that are difficult to see without magnification. Obsidian, sometimes called volcanic glass, cools so quickly that no crystals form. Nevertheless, obsidian is considered to be an igneous rock.
~Sedimentary rocks are formed at or near the earth's surface by the accumulation of particles. They have a layered look, and examples are sandstone and chalk. The Grand Canyon is a colorful display of sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rocks reflects its environment of deposition. For example, wind-blown sand grains commonly display evidence of abrasion of their surfaces as a result of colliding with other grains. Sediments transported long distances tend to decrease in size and are more rounded than sediment deposited near their precursor rocks because of wearing against other sediments or rocks. Large or heavy sediments tend to settle out of water or wind if the energy of the water or wind is insufficient to carry the sediments. Sediments deposited rapidly as a result of slides or slumps tend to include a larger range of sediment sizes, from large boulders to pebbles to sand grains and flakes of clay. Such rocks are called conglomerate. Along beaches, the rhythmic activity of waves moving sediment back and forth produces sandstones in which the grains are well rounded and of similar size.
~Metamorphic rocks result from changes to pre-existing igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic rocks by high pressures and temperatures. Marble and slate are examples. Metamorphic rocks are named for the process of metamorphism, or change, that affects rocks. The changes that form metamorphic rocks usually include increases in the temperature and the pressure of a precursor rock, which can be igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic, to a degree that the minerals in the rock are no longer stable. The rock might change in mineral content or appearance, or both. Clues to identifying metamorphic rocks include the presence of minerals such as mica, amphibole, staurolite, and garnet, and layers in which minerals are aligned as a result of pressure applied to the rock. Common metamorphic rocks include slate, schist, and gneiss. Metamorphic rocks commonly occur in mountains, such as the Appalachian Mountains, parts of California, and the ancient, eroded metamorphic rocks in the Llano Uplift of central Texas.
Email Me The Answers To These Questions Before You Log Your Find. If you do not email me the answers your log Will Be Deleted.
1) Tell me the name of the trail you used to get to the Earth Cache.
2) On either trail, how many ‘Boulders’ do you pass?
3) What Type of Boulders are near the waterfall?
4) What words are written on the rubbing plate at the waterfall?
5) In Short, How do the rocks on the trail you took, change as you get closer to the waterfall.
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*Please Do Not Post Your Answers*
~ PARKING: There are parking fees for the NRA and they are listed below.
***All vehicles are now required to display a use pass. Whiskeytown day use pass costs $5.00, weekly use pass costs $10, annual pass costs $25. The following passes are accepted in lieu of a Whiskeytown pass: Lassen Volcanic Annual Pass, Golden Age and Access Passports, America the Beautiful Annual, Senior and Access Passes. Pass must be displayed on dashboard of vehicle.
~ Text was used from this source.
