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EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
1. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. CCC RECOGNITION SIGN - What is the elevation?
2. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. STONE RESTROOM BUILDING - a. Post a picture of your favorite stone. Explain why you chose this stone. ... b. What is the elevation? ... c. OPTIONAL - One of my favorites is the "Brain Stone". If you think you know which stone this is, post a picture and explain why you think your selection is the "Brain Stone".
3. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. WARMING POND - a. What is the shape of the stone platform? ... b. What is the elevation?
4. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. PAVILION #1 - a. How many Chestnut posts are there supporting this pavilion? ... b. What is the elevation?
5. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. PARK OFFICE - a. What holiday marked the close of this camp? You will find the answer posted on the bulletin board outside the entrance. ... b. What is the elevation?
6. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. PAVILION #5 - a. How big is the stone fireplace (Length/Width/Height)? ... b. What is the elevation?
7. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. What is the average elevation along your geotrail? (Add the six elevations and divide by six.)
8. MESSAGE :-) or EMAIL …. a. Using the terrain/topographic maps, how many hills are there? ... b. What is the average elevation of these hills? (Add the elevations of the hills and divide by the number of hills.)
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in finding and creating this earthcache by adding ABC to your log.
A. Post a picture at or near the posted coords. This picture is your log signature verifying that you were at the earthcache.
B. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
C. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you ... prose / story / poem / picture. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Special thanks to Amanda (Park Ranger) for developing this Geotrail.
Special thanks to Tom (Park Naturalist) and Josh (Park Manager) for their help developing this earthcache.
DISSECTED PLATEAU
A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been uplifted, then severely eroded so that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, metamorphism, extensive faulting, or magmatic activity that accompanies orogeny. The Allegheny Plateau, the Cumberland Plateau, the Ozark Plateau, the Catskill Mountains, and the Blue Mountains are examples of dissected plateaus.
These older uplifts have been eroded by creeks and rivers to develop steep relief not immediately distinguishable from mountains. Many areas of the Allegheny Plateau and the Cumberland Plateau, which are at the western edge of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America, are called "mountains" but are actually dissected plateaus. One can stand on a high "mountain" and note that all the other tops are at the same height, which represents the original plain before uplift.
SIZERVILLE STATE PARK
The 386-acre Sizerville State Park is nearly surrounded by Elk State Forest, and is near the largest blocks of state forest in the state. The topography of the entire park is a severely dissected plateau with narrow stream valleys.
The reclamation of this park was done through the efforts of the CCC. Note the general level topography where the buildings were placed as opposed to the surrounding elevated topography.
Sizerville State Park opened for public use in 1924 with the first facilities built in 1927. The name "Sizerville" comes from a logging boomtown of the same name that flourished around the turn of the century. Sizerville itself was named for the Sizer family who were, according to local legend, the first settlers in the area.
Beautiful white pines and hemlocks grace Sizerville and bring to the visitor's eye and mind a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. The pines were planted in the 1930s as a conservation effort by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Several thousand acres in and around the park were planted to replace the massive tracts of old growth timber logged at the turn of the century.
CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was started in 1933 by newly-elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was a program intended to employ many young men who could not find work during the Great Depression and at the same time revitalize the nation's severely damaged ecosystem.
These camps were in operation until 1942, when the economy began to improve with the onset of World War II. In all, over 3 million men participated in this program. Benefits of this program included the following: sending badly needed money to families at home, learning work ethic and job skills, improving local habitats, roads, and recreational areas, fighting fires, battling erosion.
CAMP S-85 GEOTRAIL
There were many camps in this area, as Pennsylvania had the second highest number, led only by California. Camp S-85 was located in the area now known as Sizerville State Park.
At the turn of the century, 90-95% of the trees were clear-cut leaving the land barren of Eastern Hemlock and Virgin Trees. This decimation of the area left the land prone to erosion. The runoff entered the nearby streams, increasing the amount of silt and soil in the water. The abundance of trees you see as you travel this geotrail were all planted by the CCC. Thus, the trees are all the same age, which explains why they are all similar in height.
Many of the improvements made to this area are still in use by Sizerville State Park. All CCC buildings in the park were built from 1933-1935. This Geotrail will lead you past these historic sites. The lasting use of these structures is a testament to the skill and workmanship of the men trained by the Corps.
1. CCC RECOGNITION SIGN
N 41°35.853 W 078°10.487
This sign honors Camp S-85 in Sizerville. Work camp housing was located in the field across the street from the sign and residence, and extended east toward the maintenance compound. If you look up the hill from the sign, you will see a private residence which was used by the CCC as the Camp Commander's Residence. It was originally sided with slab board, and had exposed American Chestnut logs on the interior. It has recently been remodeled. Please respect this private dwelling by staying at the bottom of the driveway.
2. WARMING POND
N 41°35.830 W 078°10.690
This pool was used to collect and warm creek water before it was transferred to the old pool by a gravity-fed system. Much of the original structure can be seen scattered throughout the creek bed (look for unnaturally-shaped stones). The original pool (remodeled in 1959) was built in 1928 by American Legion Post 124 and was not chlorinated. The pool was stocked with trout for a kids' annual fishing derby.
3. PAVILION #1
N 41°35.766 W 078°10.917
Notice the thick supports holding up the roof. They are made of wood from American Chestnut trees, and are characteristic of CCC pavilion construction. The original pavilion #2 (across the street) was destroyed during a storm. New pavilion construction differs greatly from the methods used by the CCC.
4. STONE RESTROOM BUILDING
N 41°35.778 W 078°10.929
This building housed pit toilets which were retired from use in 2003. The building has not been demolished because of its historical value. It is still in very good shape, which is a testament to the quality work done by the members of the CCC. There is an amazing variety of colors, sizes, and shapes of the stones used to construct this building. Note the stonework attached to other buildings within the park. This was done to maintain consistency with CCC construction.
5. PARK OFFICE
N 41°35.753 W 078°11.018
This building was used as the office for the Sizerville CCC Camp. The building across the parking lot, which used to be a CCC storage building, was demolished in 2004 and replaced with the new Environmental Education Building.
6. PAVILION #5
N 41°35.947 W 078°11.107
This pavilion is different than others as it has a rear stone wall with indoor fireplace. The windows had shutters to cover them in case of inclement weather. The largest stone fire pit in the park is located near the main park road in front of this pavilion.
RESOURCES
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/parks/sizerville.aspx
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/ccc/index.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissected_plateau
Additional Hints
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