Blue Hen Falls is a popular destination for hikers, geology
enthusiasts, and photographers visiting Cuyahoga Valley National
Park. From the Ohio Turnpike, use Exit 173 and travel south on
Route 21. Turn left on Boston Mills Road. The trailhead is on the
left, just one mile west of Riverview Road. From Route 8, head west
on Boston Mills Road. The trailhead is one mile past the stop sign
at Riverview Road. Limited parking is available on the north and
south sides of Boston Mills Road. Please follow the short but steep
trail to Blue Hen Falls. If you have the time, I would recommend
walking or riding the Towpath Trail, or hiking the Buckeye Trail.
Both are nearby.
Because of its resistance to erosion, the Berea Sandstone seen
here forms the lip of the waterfall. This sandstone was formed over
360 million years ago during the Devonian Period. Look at the top
surface for potholes and current fluting (shallow gutter-like
channels worn in the rock surface by water action). The Berea
Sandstone overlies the softer, gray Bedford Shale. As the shale
erodes, it slowly undercuts the rock above until the sandstone
breaks off under its own weight. Evidence of this process can be
seen in the boulders of Berea Sandstone found at the base of the
falls. The contact between the Berea Sandstone and Bedford Shale is
accentuated by rusty-orange iron staining from Spring Creek that is
visible along the walls. A plunge pool at the bottom is created
from the pressure of the falling water as it digs into the softer
shale below.
Waterfalls have different characteristics that determine how
they are classified. Some of the factors affecting this are how the
water flows through its channel, depth of water flow, the
underlying rock types, and the geological processes that created
the rocks (geomorphology). All these properties contribute to a
waterfall's unique shape. There are several different types of
waterfall classifications:
Block - water descends from a relatively wide stream or
river
Cascade - water descends a series of rock steps
Cataract - a large waterfall Fan - water spreads horizontally as
it descends and remains in contact with the bedrock
Horsetail - descending water maintains some contact with the
bedrock
Plunge - water descends vertically, losing contact with the
bedrock surface
Punchbowl - water descends in a constricted form and then
spreads out in a wider pool
Segmented - distinctly separate flows form as the water
descends
Tiered - water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls
Multi-step - a series of waterfalls (one after another) of
roughly the same size, each with its own sunken plunge pool.
Requirements to log this cache:
1. Using the ten different types of waterfall classifications
listed above, what type of waterfall are you observing?
2. Estimate the height of Blue Hen Falls.
3. Estimate the width of Blue Hen Falls.
4. Take a photo of yourself or your team with GPS in hand.
DO NOT POST YOUR ANSWERS IN YOUR LOG. PLEASE E-MAIL ME YOUR
ANSWERS.
Detailed trail map is available at:
Trail Map
A photo slide show available at:
Photo
Slide Show
When visiting the area, please stay on the trail. Use caution
near the edge of the waterfall. Take nothing but photographs.
Thanks to the National Park Service for permitting this
EarthCache.
If you are interested in creating a new EarthCache in Cuyahoga
Valley National Park, please contact Arrye Rosser at (440) 546-5992
or about becoming an EarthCache
volunteer. Note that the national park does not permit geocaches at
this time.
References :
Waterfall. (n.d). Retrieved January 5, 2009, from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall
Waterfall. (2009). Retrieved January 17, 2009, from
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/VIR_WAT/WATERFALL.html
How Waterfalls Work. (2009). Retrieved January 17, 2009, from
http://geography.howstuffworks.com/terms-and-associations/waterfall.htm/printable