This EarthCache is part of a series of four EarthCaches, following the Falls Trail and Highland Trail, in a 5 mile hiking loop. This is one of three on the Falls Trail section. Hikers on the Falls Trail should be in good physical condition, wear sturdy boots, and use caution due to slippery/wet conditions and steep trail sections.
The potholes at Ricketts Glen are formed by the grinding action of sand and gravelly sediment swirled in tight circular patterns by strong eddies in the stream current. They start as a small irregularity on the bedrock floor of the stream. All it takes is few small pebbles to get caught there and a pothole begins. The abrasion is mainly caused by the circular motion of small sediments such as small stones in the river. The interiors of potholes tend to be smooth and regular, unlike a plunge pool. They also differ in shape from plunge pools since potholes are almost always perfectly round. Potholes are not common in slower moving streams with lots of sediment. The sediment would just tend to fill up the hole and protect it from further damage. The glens in the park provide an ideal location for them since the water is mostly free of sediment and usually flowing with enough velocity to keep the pebbles and sands moving in the holes. The action of the rocks swirling around in the pothole literally just "drills" down into the bedrock. In the process the stones and pebbles wear away at themselves as well as the bedrock until they are small enough to get out of the hole and they are replaced by other pebbles until the hole fills in or a stone breaks through the downstream side of the pothole.
The posted coordinates are for the visitors center where you should get a trail map. This EarthCache will be a bit different from the others in that I am not giving you coordinates for the feature. The potholes can be found all along the falls trails in both Glens, and south of Waters Meet. This one is intended to be something you do while doing the other EarthCaches. There are many possible locations to find potholes. Many are in and around the tops of the waterfalls in the exposed bedrock where the stream usually runs. Naturally be very careful and use discretion when looking at the tops of the waterfalls. This all depends on how much water is flowing. The less water in the creek the easier to spot the potholes. You may also have good luck just downstream of smaller cascades and rapids. Even though you will see more the lower the water level it is always possible to find potholes. They are not all confined to the current stream. Some might be anywhere you can find exposed bedrock, even on the trail, if it was once part of the stream channel. So keep your eyes open for these:
To claim this as a find:
1. Locate a pothole.
2. Post a photo of your GPS at your choice of the many potholes along the way. (This requirement is now optional)
3. Tell me at what coordinates you found it.
4. Measure the diameter of the pothole.
E-mail the answer to numbers 3,4 to me and post the photo (number 2) within a few days of your log.
Failure to comply with these requirements will result in log deletion.
Good luck and good caching.
- Rev Mike