ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST DISCOVERY SERIES
Each of the earthcaches in this series will take you along roads and trails
to discover the wonders that exist in and around the ANF.
Elk - Forest - McKean - Warren
This discovery series was developed as a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who completed the requirements as requested, and wrote positive logs worth the time to read. Complete 24 ECT caches. Send a list of logs (GL links) via message for verification of requirements. Arrange to meet at Cache Condo to pick up your trackable coin.
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. ... "Geocachers must complete the tasks before they log the EarthCache as found." (4.3. EarthCache logging tasks)
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:
NOTE: Answers via message -and- log signature picture are required to post a find for this cache.
1. MESSAGE …. The native rocks exposed at the surface are sedimentary deposited during the Paleozoic Era. They are sandstone (feels gritty), shale (smells like wet mud when moistened), conglomerate (pieces of other rocks), limestone (fizzes in vinegar). Based on the map and your observations of the rock, does Gator Rock appear to be native to the area?
2. MESSAGE …. a. At the posted coords, look around. Are there more boulders at the surface near Gator Rock? Are there more rocks, regardless of size, in the area. / b. As you traveled up the mountain, did you see evidence of exposed rock similar to Gator Rock? / c. Rocks, both small and large, roll down hillsides. These can be single rocks or mass movement of a group of rocks. Are there hills evident?
3. MESSAGE …. Rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests is carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of miles. Look at the Glacial Deposit Map and the Map of McKean County. Was this area glaciated? If so, did it leave behind this rock?
4. MESSAGE …. Huge rocks are often moved to various locations for landscaping purposes. Does this area appear to be landscaped? Is there evidence in the surrounding area that indicates it was used for team spirit activities?
5. MESSAGE …. Based on your observations, just how did this massive rock come to rest at its present location.
6. MESSAGE …. Compare what you see at the time of your visit with the posted picture.
7. LOG …. Post a picture at Gator Rock. Post a picture of your discovery pop-up rock. These pictures are your log signature. No spoiler pics.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in finding and creating this earthcache by adding A B C to your log.
A. Discover another pop-up rock in/around the ANF, Give coordinates. Why do you think your rock popped up at this location? If you found your pop-up rock at a geocache/earthcache site, give name of the cache and GC number instead of cooordinates.
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.
THANK YOU LN for travelling and hiking with RT to complete this Earthcache Trail.
GATOR ROCK ... Location and Picture courtesy of luvs2walk
Location - Port Allegheny / Liberty Township / McKean County
Gator Rock is located 2.8 miles from the parking. It is a nice hike along a forest road. The land is owned by The Collins Company which allows hiking year round. The gate is closed except during hunting season from the end of September to the beginning of January. The road is open at those times for "Street Legal Vehicles Only". You can drive up to the rock during those times. Since there is no hunting on Sundays, that is the optimum day to make the drive. Whether you are driving or walking, wear orange during hunting season.
Erosion (wind, sun, frost and water) probably explains the shape of the feature. It appears the formation was composed of two types of rock. Differential erosion probably accounts for the shape. The softer rock eroded leaving the gaping mouth. The more resistant rock remained in the shape of the gator. The rock measures 10' x 6'. The mouth measures 40" x 40".
The mystery is just how did this massive rock come to rest at its present location.
APPEARANCE OF LONE BOULDERS
TRANSPORT BY MAN
Port Allegheny is the Home of the Gators. Did the team discover this rock and find a way to move it to its present location?
EROSION OF BEDROCK
"The bedrock at the surface mapped as Pottsville Formation. The formation consists of light to dark gray, fine to coarse grained conglomeratic sandstone with subordinate amounts of gray shale, siltstone, limestone, coal, and underclay. Where not eroded, the formation ranges in thickness from 160 to 300 feet (Lohman, 1939)."
GLACIAL ERRATIC
"A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the Latin word errare, and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres." Wikipedia
RESOURCES
THANK YOU Victoria V. Neboga | Senior Geologic Scientist | PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the geology of the Gator Rock area. ... County Rock Maps ... Pennsylvania and the Ice Age ... Glacial Deposits of Pennsylvania