Please note - the (thank you yo cacher gypc) - if you plan to use the road to parking coords from hwy 178 (4x4 recommended) - it may be locked. If that is the case head to West Gate Rd. park there and go in via the Palmetto Trail.
CONGRATS TO OCONEEBELL ON THE FTF!!!!
There is both a geological lesson and an archaeology lesson to be learned here. It will not be an easy journey but one well worth the hike.
During the Ordovician geological period, the African continent slammed into the North American continent forming the super continent called Pangea. This collision helped form the Appalachian Mountain Range that stretches from as far south as Florida in its smallest foothills, up into Canada. Multiple types of rock formations make up its geological profile. We will be focusing on a particular type of rock formation called Gneiss.
Gneiss s a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. During the formation of the Appalachian mountains, especially in this region, a process called Gneissic Banding occurred. This happens when subjection of the protolith (the original rock material that undergoes metamorphism) to extreme shearing force, a sliding force similar to the pushing of the top of a deck of cards in one direction, and the bottom of the deck in the other direction.[2] These forces stretch out the rock like a plastic, and the original material is spread out into sheets. This is what gives the rock the banding of different colors - there are loose rocks here where you can see the cross section to have a better understanding - but because these is a delicate place with pre-historic significance, please do not force any loose rock layers. In particular the type of geniss common found in North and South Carolina is Henderson Gneiss which is east of the Brevard Shear Zone.
The Appalachian Mountain range once rivaled the Alps and Rocky Mountains in height but being a much more ancient mountain range, but the movement of the plates and erosion wore the mountain range down to what we see today). It is also the range what ancient cultures saw, in particular, the Hopewell native Americans. The Hopewell culture predates the Eastern Band Cherokee that are common in the Southern Appalachian range and were much larger. You may be more familiar with the Hopewell Mounds in Ohio (the serpent body and head).
Because the Hopewells' thrived before recorded history, we know little about their intentions of their "earth art" - Where you will be standing, it is believed the Hopewell natives carved a series of shapes into the exposed rock. These are called Petroglyphs which are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading. There are said to be over 600 in this very location. You can easily miss them at first if you are too fast. Slow down and take a rest, you will see the obvious carvings on the slope of this rock face.
Why here though? Depending on how you came to this spot, you will notice plenty of area this ancient culture COULD have carved this rock art. A sort of "Paleo Pavement" runs to the southwest of this location down the finger of Pinnacle Mountain. But only here these petroglyphs exist in large numbers. There are several educated theories of the existence of these petroglyphs. One theory is they signify either the burst of death of a tribal member. Another theory is they have a spiritual significance given the location and view. I tend to think these signify a a bit of both of those theories by their placement and direction - they seem to start not at the very top (along the trail) but do go downward and in the direction of the mountain ranges you see from this location. Somehow pointing the soul towards the endless expanse of beauty, perhaps towards their idea of the afterlife. What do YOU think?
To log this Earthcache:
1) During which geological period were the Appalachian Mountains formed?
2) What type of particular rock forms this area?
3) What causes the "banding" of this rock?
4) What is the average diameter of the petroglyphs here?
5) What is the most common shape of the petroglyphs?
Please take pictures and share your thoughts on this very special place
Special notes:
Please be aware, this is a very special place. Because it is just outside of Table Rock State Park, it is not under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina park rangers but they do help monitor this site. Because of its fragile nature and very important historical significance, please do not attempt to camp here, light a fire (although there is a fire rings) and by all means, do not try to chisel out any rock or "add" to the rock art. Practice Leave No Trace! Because this is a significant hike no matter which way you come in - please be very prepared. There are no water sources up here, so you will need to pack in your water. It will be a strenuous day hike so take at least 2 liters of water per hiker. Also, bring snacks. Wearing appropriate footwear is essential. Bring emergency shelter in case of a change in weather. You are amongst the highest peaks in South Carolina so weather can change very quickly at elevation on the ridgeline. Please know your forecast. Again, because it is a significant hike, it is advise to start this here you will have plenty of daylight but do bring lighting just in case. Phone signal is limited here and again, South Carolina park rangers are often unaware who is out at this remote place. Finally, because this is the mountains there are timber rattlers and bears here. Neither of which will bother you if you do not seek them out. Give timber rattlers a wide breadth. Bears are reclusive and shy, they will run away at any sound or sight of you. However, if you do encounter a bear and he or she does not run away, DO NOT RUN. Also do not try to climb a tree - black bears are better climbers than you. Instead make yourself appear large and make a lot of noise. If you encounter a cub or cubs, go the opposite direction - mother bears are VERY protective of their young. Otherwise, if you are lucky enough to see a bear, pause, be very quiet, take a picture because they are hard to come by and enjoy this rare treat. As well, because this is outside of State Park land, hunting is allowed, so wear blaze orange and stay on the trails.
How to get here - this is a hard place to get to and find. Since there are multiple ways, this cache is rated very high. I came in using my Jeep up using this link http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1544305 - it is a tough drive but any high clearance vehicle can make it. After rain, however, it may be iffy. Provided is the approx. parking coordinates where I parked and hiked from.
Because this is a spur trail off of the Foothills Trail, there are a couple of other ways to make it here. From Table Rock State Park, you can head on the foothill trails that runs along the base of the summit of Pinnacle mountain. You can also reach this location, again via the Foothills trail from Sassafras Mountain (the highest peak in South Carolina). Both are significant hikes as well. Sassafras being the most difficult will take you over a few different peaks. This location is only a couple of hundred yards from the intersection of this trail and the Foothills Trail. Coming up the way I did will take you on logging roads and part of the Palmetto Trail back onto the logging roads. It may be the most direct way to get up but again, it is a significant drive on some choppy logging roads - approach this way at your own risk. As always, the cache owner is not responsible for any injuries that can occur during a cache search.
I would like to credit the following folks in helping with this cache:
Kestrel Raccoonheart - For cluing me into this place
Mark Hall - SC DNR, for getting this approved
Mark Case - for lighting fires to get things moving
The unnamed couple up at the location the day I was up there for giving me some more information