Harley and Missy's Field of Rocks EarthCache
Harley and Missy's Field of Rocks
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(not chosen)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Missy N and I wanted to go for a walk in the park at Estero Bay Preserve State Park. It encompasses over 10,000 acres of land bordering Estero Bay, hiking trails lead to the interior. The trail takes you from slash pines , cabbage palms and grasses into salt flat and tidal marshes with low - growing succulent plants. All this in one park and more.
During the rainy season ( summer) , parts of this trail are under water . Plan on getting your feet wet and muddy ! During the dry season ( winter) , you will encounter sugar sand on the trail.
The hike for the series of caches and the earthcache is approximately 4 - 5 miles total . Bring water and bug spray. Parking may be found at N 26 26.520 W 081 50.170.
Please remain on marked trails. There is no need to bushwhack for the caches or the earthcache. All caches and earthcache has permission from the Estero Bay Preserve State Park.
Missy N and I asked Pair-A-Doxes and Garyskydive1 to walk the trails with us. Garyskydive1 has a backpack that we can carry all of the things we need for our walk on the trails. Then if Missy N gets tired walking on the trails then Pair-A-Doxes can carry her the rest of the way.
When on the salt flats you will see tree stumps that were cut when the lumber company were cutting down trees in the area , coral limestone rocks with fossil marine animals embedded in the rocks. The red trail will take you to the earthcache and most of the other caches in the park. On the trail you will also see hard round dome coral reefs that stick up out of the sand, the land is like you were on the moon.
Florida geologic history begins deep benearth its surface where ancient rock indicate that Florida was one a part of Northwest Africa . The sea was favorable to the existence of shell life , the remains accumulating to form shell rock ; hence in the early history of Florida in particular a large amount of lime and shell rock accumulated . In Florida , sedimentary rock is the most common type of rock . These rocks are made up of cemented mineral particles . One example is shell fragments ( the mineral arrgonite ) that are cemented together by calcite to form the sedimentary rock coquina . Since Florida is relatively a young terrain , its basement rock is composed of carbonate remains of marine algae and shells deposited in an ancient sea . When the sea level was lowest , the land area of Florida was much larger than it is now . Florida was as much as three times the current land area as it is today during the last ice age .
BRACHIOPODS:
Resemble clams , but their top and bottom shells are not identical ; the top shell rises in the center , and the bottom shell is indented . The shells are wing - shaped , and have deep ridges .
MOLLUSKS:
Are most often represented by two members
PELECYPODS:
Are similar to modern clams with two identical shells , their fossils may include an impression of both shells , just one shell , or just the nut - shaped interior of the clam
GASTROPODS:
look similar to modern snails.
CEPHALAPODS:
Are most often shaped like long cylinders wrapped in coils.
BRYOZOANS:
Were tiny individual animals that formed colonies often shaped like small twigs.
CIDARIANS:
Are best represented in limestone by the horn corals , are shaped like a bull's horn .
There are two main types of coral : hard coral , the major reef - building species ; and soft coral , such as sea whips and sea fans . The coral that you see in the salt flats is " HARD CORAL " that can form "MOUNDSHAPED STRUCTURES " that can create masses of limestone that stretch for tens or even hundreds of miles .
This is a " EARTHCACHE " you do not have a container to find , you will have to answer the question below to be able to claim a find for this earthcache. All answers to this earthcache is in the published pages.
To log this earthcache , you must search the area & find one fossil specimen :
1. Identify your specimen : THIS IS A STATE PARK ,
DO NOT TAKE HOME ANY FOSSILS.
YOU CAN TAKE HOME TRASH AND PICTURES OF
FOSSILS AND THE FUN YOU HAD WHILE
WALKING ON THE TRAIL. LEAVE ONLY FOOT
PRINTS TO SHOW THAT YOU WERE HERE.!!!!!
2. Tell us a little about your fossil adventure
3.Post a photo of your adventure if you like to do so,
you " DO NOT HAVE TO POST A PICTURE ".
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)