Secret Beach
This Earthcache can be reached by trail or by paddling along the Colorado River. There are various points where you can drop in and start your paddle. Please do your research before doing so and ensure you bring supplies with you to keep you safe and hydrated.
Although the seashore is most commonly associated with the word beach, beaches are also found by lakes and alongside large rivers. Beach may refer to: small systems where rock material moves onshore, offshore, or alongshore by the forces of waves and currents; or geological units of considerable size. This is one of the rare times you will find a beach outside of along side the ocean.
A beach forms when waves or water current deposit sand and gravel along the shoreline. Over time they are worn smooth from being rolled around by water flow. The rocks, sand, and other land forms usually reflect the local geology.
In the case of Secret Beach as with most river beaches, sand is formed over a long period of time by water, wind, gravity, and tectonics, among other forces. Water provides movement of sediment from the beginning of streams and inland areas down through the land. While heavier sediment settles along river banks and streams, lighter sediment gets carried to the ocean.
"Shore" is a generic term for the place where land meets water. Any land that directly borders a big wet area is a shore—be it sandy, rocky or cliff-like. The "beach," meanwhile, refers to the area at or along the shore that is characterized by sand or small pebbles conducive to lounging and castle-building.
Since erosion is unavoidable, the problem becomes discovering ways to prevent it. Present beach erosion prevention methods include sand dunes, vegetation, seawalls, sandbags, and sand fences.
Questions & Tasks
1. What type of beach is this and what types of materials do you see that form this beach?
2. How was this beach formed? What body of water is responsible for this formation?
3. Do you see any type of erosion prevention method here?
4. To prove that you visited the location of this earthcache, please post a picture of you, your group, or your GPS at this location. Any logs without photos will unfortunately be deleted.
Thanks for visiting our earthcache and enjoy the beach!