Welcome to the beautiful Blue Mountains of SE Washington and NE Oregon
This cache is not available during winter months. The road is closed December 1st though March 31st and there could be snow on the roads earlier or later than the road closure. Use some due diligence and make sure you have the appropriate vehicle for the time of year. Also, the local Ranger District asked that I include a warning about the Mill Creek Watershed. The watershed is clearly posted and is off limits to all people without proper permits. The watershed is aggressively patrolled and any failure to comply with the established boundaries will result in fines. The watershed boundary is located nearest waypoint 1, but if you are simply trying to gather the information necessary to log this EarthCache, you should never get close enough to the boundary to cause any concern. Again, all three waypoints, can and should be logged from the side of Tiger Creek Rd. The watershed boundary parallels Tiger Creek Rd starting at the top of 2nd switchback, at the ridge line, along Indian Ridge Trail. If you stay along the road, you will have nothing to worry about. These are steep, windy mountain roads, with sheer drop offs and you can plan on the trip to this cache, being around a two hour round trip from Walla Walla. Please use common sense when driving up here and let someone know where you are going. Cell service is very spotty and nonexistant in most places.
The kidlets and I traveled up Tiger Canyon to find a couple of new caches and while we were on our adventure, we couldn't help but notice some of the unique geology that is present. When the forest service roads were cut into the sides of the ridges, there were several years worth of geology lessons left exposed and lucky for you, we decided to make them into an EarthCache. Your task will be to visit a few of these locations, do a little research on your own and report via email what you observed and learned. Easy, right? We'll give you a quick overview of what you are looking for and how some of it got there, then the rest is up to you.
Most of the Blue Mountains are underlain by the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRB) lava flows. These basalt flows erupted from fissures in the Earth some 16.5 million years ago. It is believed that these eruptions happened when this area of the North American Plate passed over the enormous hot spot and magma chamber that is currently under Yellow Stone Park. Pretty cool huh? The rise in the Blue Mountains happened later on, around 10 to 12 million years ago and it is believed to have occured due to a couple different forces deep within the Earth. Isostatic Rebound ( I know what your thinking, what in the heck is that? ) When the lava flows covered our region, the amount and weight of these flows was enormous!!! The Earth's reaction to this new added weight in a focalized point, was to push back, Isostatic Rebound. The Blue Mountains are also a place in the Earth's crust where two small tectonic plates meet. One sliding slowly to the North and the other the South. The combination of these two forces, were responsible for creating the rise in the Earth!!
Science is awesome!!!!!! But wait, there's more!!!!!! This large rise in the Earth's surface did not result in the mountains we see today, no no no. The large swell in the Earth's surface resulted in more of a high plateau. A large mound covering roughly 4,000 square miles. That's a big bump. So how did we get the topography that we see today? Simple, erosion. When all this erupting and covering and rising was taking place, the rivers and streams had to go somewhere didn't they. Starting at the highest points and letting gravity lead the way, the rivers and streams began a journey, lasting millions of years, cutting and shaping the deep gorges and canyons and leaving the high steep ridges we see today. This erosion will continue on for billions of years until either the water dries up or the the sun begins to die, turning into a red giant and consuming the Earth. Don't worry people, it will happen, but not for another 5 or so billion years.
So, what does all this have to do with you and your ability to log this Earth Cache? Well here's your answer, three to be exact. I will list three seperate way points for you to visit with a specific task(s) at each point. Your job is to answer the questions and maybe do a little research on your own. Piece of cake, you can do it!!
Waypoint 1
N 45 59.107 W 118 03.300
You are in front of a basalt cliff face. There are variations in the way the lava flowed and cooled visible. Most lava pours out and puddles on the ground, behaving like a liquid. This is present in almost everything in front of you, however there are a couple of variations. Looking a little more to the South, you can see one of these variations. In your email, briefly describe this variation. Also, you can see this cliff face has become a little ecosystem all in itself, with life clinging to it's side. It isn't a requirement for logging, but just for the sake of nature and science, spend a minute looking at how some of the flora has integrated itself into the cliff face.
Waypoint 2
N 45 58.932 W 118 03.085
Lava flows in this area are primarily made up of basalt. However, there can be variations of the basalts make up, resulting in color variations in the rock. In your email, tell me what the color variations are, how many and do a little research to see what may have caused these differing colors.
Waypoint 3
N 45 58.826 W 118 02.886
As lava flowed out of the fissures millions of years ago, different rates of flow and viscosity resulted in the lava cooling in different ways. In front of you, are some examples of different flow and cooling types. These are very easy to see. In your email, tell me how many different divisions or sections of flows are present.
Feel free to take as many picture as you like, this is a beautiful area with amazing views. If you like, you can include a picture of yourself at any of the waypoints (although it is not required), BUT PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE ANY PICTURES THAT MIGHT PROVIDE ANSWERS TO ANYONE ELSE!!! AGAIN, THIS CACHE CAN BE COMPLETED WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE. This EarthCache is located on public land, there is nothing placed at any location, all waypoints require you to observe, not interact with. This is forest service land and belongs to all of us, so please respect it, so we can all enjoy it for years to come. Enjoy this scenic drive to the mountains and please stay safe. If I haven't recieved an email within a week of your found it log, I will be forced to delete your log with no warning. Also, incomplete emails that do not have the questions answered, will result in your log being deleted. Exercise Cache in Trash Out and help keep this beautiful area clean, please. Leave it better than you found it. Please take the time to visit this area and learn a little about the amazing forces at work that created this amazing place we take for granted.