Whitney Lakes Provincial Park Esker EarthCache
Whitney Lakes Provincial Park Esker
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(not chosen)
Related Web Page
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Approximately 10,000 years ago, glacial melt-water weaved over and under the great sheets of ice. Gravel and sand moved by the water, came to rest in drainage channels leaving the ridge of hills you see today. Whitney Lakes Provincial Park protects the provincially significant representation of a major esker (and kettle) formations, which are one of many landforms created by retreating glaciers.
A hiking trail climbs and follows the spine of the esker, providing panoramic views of Laurier Lake, Borden Lake and several wetlands along the way.
Please restrict your travel on the esker to foot traffic and stay off the steep sides. Scars are visible for many years where the fragile vegetation is damaged and can also result in erosion of the ridge.
What is an Esker?
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America. Eskers are frequently several kilometers long and, because of their peculiar uniform shape, can appear somewhat like railroad beds.
An esker is a fluvioglacial deposit formed inside of a glacier. The ice sheet creeping across the surface of the earth becomes stagnant and the bottom layer has possibly frozen solid to the ground. Upon on the surface, the sun and changing temperatures create melting, and the flowing water creates channels in the ice.
This flowing water carries sediment from the surface and also collects sediment as it carves downward through the ice. This sediment builds up along the bottom of the channel and creates a river bed of glacial deposits.
The important difference is that as the main body of ice gradually recedes northward, the banks of eskers eventually melt away, leaving gravel deposits standing as ridges, in a complete reversal of topography. What had been a valley became a ridge. The landscape has become inverted; it is "upside down" from what it was when it was forming.
~~~Earthcache Logging Requirements~~~
Please post an e-mail with the answers to:
- What is the other glacial landform feature noted along with an esker on the educational sign (Waypoint R2).
- Please estimate the height of the esker between the lake level and your position at ground zero.
- Please estimate the width of the esker (at lake level) from your position at ground zero.
And......
(Optional) Please upload a photo of yourself or your GPSr at GZ, as well as any other interesting photos of the spectacular scenery of this unique Gem of Nature.
Enjoy!
Please, forward your answers for the Earthcache however you do NOT have to wait for confirmation before logging your find and please do not make any reference to these answers in your online log (encrypted or otherwise).
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures