Pikes Peak Elevation Comparison EarthCache
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Pikes Peak Elevation Comparison
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Pikes Peak, traditionally known for the mountain in Colorado, outlooks the coming together of the mouth of the Wisconsin River with the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River actually forms the border between the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. This EarthCache is easily accessible by car for Waypoints 1 and 3. Waypoint 2 requires a short, easy hike.
As part of the Paleozoic Plateau, Pikes Peak State Park looks different from the rest of the state because it was not affected by the most recent glacial melting. Pikes Peak was created through the water erosion from the Mississippi River that goes through the bedrock. Therefore, the water continues to erode away the rock making the elevation even greater. However, this can be a slow process. This is a reason, however, that there are such distinguished bluffs at Backbone State Park. In addition to erosion, the rock formations were developed into sedimentary rocks that are composed of different layers. The sediments were brought to the park through the rivers and seas that dropped off different sediments (rock materials) in the area. Usually these sediments were left when the water was moving slower through the region rather than quicker. When the waters were quick, that's when the water would pick up sediments and carry them somewhere else. At Backbone State Park, the various types of layers are: sandstone, dolomite, limestone, and shale. Some of these layers were created through the material brought by the seas and river valleys. One can see the different types of layers through the different colors in the rocks. To log this EarthCache, please participate in answering the following questions and emailing the cache owner the answers. At Waypoint 1: 1) Find the elevation at McGregor off of the Riverfront Park. At Waypoint 2: 1) Name the different types of colors that you can see in the rock beneath Bridal Veil Falls. (Do you know what color correlates to which type of rock?) At Waypoint 3: 1) Find the elevation at the shelter. 2) Calculate the height (prominence) of Pikes Peak and email it to the cache owner. How does it compare to the Pikes Peak in Colorado?
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