The Grand Tetons are a magnificent range of mountains located in northwest Wyoming in Grand Teton National Park. The park is not too far south of Yellowstone National Park and is well worth the visit. Steep jagged peaks, glaciers, and snow filled crevasses make the Teton Range a spectacular sight.
PLEASE NOTE: All vehicles and individuals entering the park must pay an entrance fee that is valid for seven days. The entrance fee provides entry to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Fees are $25 for non-commercial vehicles, $12 for hikers and cyclists, and $20 for motorcycles. A National Parks Pass ($80 and valid for one year) provides free entrance to all national parks and monuments. From December through mid-April a winter day use pass is available for $5 per person (Grand Teton National Park only.)
ALSO NOTE: The Teton Park Road from Taggart Lake Trailhead to the Signal Mountain Lodge is closed to motorized vehicles from November 1st through April 30th. Since the posted coordinates to the Mt. Moran turnout are along this road your only access in the winter months would be to park at Signal Mountain Lodge and hike, bike or snowshoe to GZ (about 3.5 miles – flat terrain). Snowmobiles are NOT ALLOWED on this section of road.
To make it easier for those of you looking at the description on your GPS screen, I’m listing the logging requirements first with educational info following.
In order to log this earth cache please email me the answers to these questions:
1. What is the black stripe you see on the face of Mt. Moran and how was it formed? What type of rock is it and what is that rock called?(This featured is circled on the image of Mt. Moran on this cache page.)
2. What is unique about the layer of rock found at top of Mt. Moran and why is that geologic feature present on the mountain’s top? What type of rock is it? Does the rock type hold part of the answer to the question about the flat top?
3. What erosional forces are still at play today? Do you think the top of Mt. Moran will ever become a jagged and pointy peak? Why or why not?
4. After studying Mt. Moran from the posted coordinates and reading the information on this cache page, what it YOUR theory about why Mt. Moran is flat-topped instead of pointy and jagged?
Educational Information
As you drive through Grand Teton National Park you can't help but notice the stunning display of mountains along your route. If you look at the first of two photos posted on this cache page you’ll see the steep, jagged peaks of Grand Teton (13,770 feet), Mt. Owen (12,928 feet), and Teewinot Mountain (12,325 feet). These are three of the highest peaks in Teton Range and the three are sometimes called The Cathedral Group. This collection of mountains features classic alpine peaks, with pyramidal shapes caused by glacial motion. At the base of the Cathedral Group, several glacial lakes can be found, including Jenny, Bradley and Taggart Lakes, all of which were formed when the glaciers of the last ice age retreated, leaving behind terminal moraines, which acted as natural dams. A few high altitude lakes can also be found scattered among the peaks.
At the posted coordinates (and also in the second photo on this cache page) you will see the nearby, flat-topped mountain known as Mt. Moran which is 12,605 feet in height (the fourth highest peak in the Teton Range.) WHY is Mt. Moran sporting a flat top while its neighboring mountains are steep and jagged? That question brings me to create this EarthCache.
Thomas Moran, was a famous landscape artist who accompanied the Hayden Survey expedition in 1872. Moran created watercolors and sketches of the mountain, which were later instrumental in drawing attention to the beauty of the area for people in the east. The mountain is named after him. Mt. Moran is actually one of only 2 peaks of the Tetons which is flat, the other being Bivouac Peak. Mt. Moran is still capped by the remains of the ancient sea bed which existed in this area before the upheaval that occurred about 9 million years ago.
Another piece of important history regarding Mt. Moran is the sad tale of a tragic plane crash occurring on Nov 21, 1950. A DC-3 plane with 21 people aboard (including four women and seven children) crashed on the northeast ridge of Mount Moran, killing all. The people on board were members of the New Tribes Mission and they were flying from California to Montana. The crash site lies just north of the top of the handle of Skillet Glacier, and you can sometimes see a glint of the wreckage to this very day on a sunny summer afternoon when the light is just right. The wreckage was never removed and the site remains a resting place for these lost souls. All who pass this way are expected to show their respect by leaving this mountain gravesite undisturbed.
To demonstrate the educational value of this EarthCache, go to the posted coordinates and read the informational sign you will find there. Make some observations while viewing Mt. Moran and the nearby mountains. Additional information, which you may need, can be found on this cache page.
Feel free to post an optional photo of you or your group WITH your GPS and Mt. Moran in the background. Please do not include the informational sign in your photo.
Remember to email me your answers. Enjoy your visit!
Resources:
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/grte/grte_geology/sec5.htm
http://www.sandatlas.org/2011/12/diabase/
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/grte/grte_geology/images/map.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_the_Grand_Teton_area
http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/rescuers-failed-to-reach-downed-new-tribes-plane-11630800.html