-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Welcom to Kiger Gorge, Steens Mountain. Keep an eye on the kids, there are cliffs nearby. Drive to the coordinates if the road is open and walk out to the informational signs. Watch your step.
Steens Mountain rises dramatically above the Alvord desert, a 12 mile long ancient lake bed. The mountain itself, 50 miles long and over 9,000 feet high, is the most prominent feature in Southeast Oregon. The winters cover it with snow, and wildflowers fill its valleys in the spring and summer. It is the largest fault-block mountain in the northern Great Basin.
Pressure from beneath the earth’s surface cracked the crust and thrust it upward between two planes, or faults. The fault on the east side of the mountain is rising faster than the western fault, tilting the block and resulting in the steep slopes on the east side of the mountain, while the western slope is more gentle.
Distinct vegetation zones change as you move up the flanks of Steens Mountain. The vegetation at the desert floor is dominated by Big Sagebrush and bunchgrass. A little higher up the mountain one finds Western juniper and curlleaf mountain mahogany, found in rocky areas with shallow soils. Aspens grow along streams and drainages of the Steens’ gorges, providing an important source of forage for deer and other wildlife. Higher still is the subalpine zone, where smaller shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers such as mountain meadow knotweed and false hellebore grow. At the top of the mountain, limited vegetation grows due to the harsh winds, late snowpack, and rocky soils.
Kiger Gorge Overlook provides a prime veiwing opportunity for one of the most remarkable geologic landscapes in the Northwest. During the Ice Age, glaciers formed in the major stream channels on Steens Mountain. These glaciers dug trenches about one-half mile deep, through layers of hard basalt. The result was four immense U-shaped gorges – Kiger, Little Blitzen, Big Indian, and Wildhorse. The famous notch in the east ridge of Kiger Gorge formed during a later glaciation when a small glacier in Mann Creek Canyon eroded through the ridge top.
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight. Crevasses, seracs, and other distinguishing features of a glacier are due to its flow. Another consequence of glacier flow is the transport of rock and debris abraded from its substrate and resultant landforms like cirques and moraines. The process of glacier establishment, growth and flow is called glaciation. The corresponding area of study is called glaciology. Glaciers are important components of the global cryosphere.
The location where a glacier originates is referred to as the "glacier head". A glacier terminates at the "glacier foot", or terminus. Glaciers are broken into zones based on surface snowpack and melt conditions. The ablation zone is the region where there is a net loss in glacier mass. The equilibrium line separates the ablation zone and the accumulation zone. At this altitude, the amount of new snow gained by accumulation is equal to the amount of ice lost through ablation. The accumulation zone is the region where snowpack or superimposed ice accumulation persists.
There may be two glacial cirques 'back to back' which erode deep into their backwalls until only a narrow ridge, called an arête is left. This structure may result in a mountain pass. The result of this process is visible before you now, with one difference. The formation here was shaped by two separate glacial events, according to some sources
To claim this cache, you must send me an email with the answers to the questions below. Do not post answers in your online log. Logs without emails will be deleted.
1. Looking north, what is the name of the formation in the ridgeline?
2. According to the informational sign, from how far can this formation be seen?
3. Estimate how deep the gorge is.
Although it’s not a requirement, we’d all love to see pictures of you and your group at the gorge and your adventures on Steens Mountain.
As always, cache in and trash out. Take pictures and leave only footprints.
Credit some help from Wikipedia
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Whfg sbyybj gur ebnq gb gur cnexvat nern anq sbyybj gur cngu sbe n fubeg jnyx gb gur tbetr bireybbx