A continental divide is the line which water falling on one side of it eventually drains to the ocean on one side of the continent while water falling on the other drains to the ocean on the other side. (Wikipedia). In the United States, this line generally follows the Rocky Mountains and divides water that drains to the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of Mexico).
However there are some exceptions. The Great Basin in the western US is the most significant. This basin has no outlet to an ocean (and is/should be described in other earthcaches).
The continental divide also can be found at N44 26.039 W110 38.473 along the same road.
As you find the answers to the logging requirements, you will find that this is likely the only natural lake that drains to two oceans in the direction it does. It also drains in two different ways because it is at the Continental Divide. During the spring melt, water will drain on the surface through the outlets. But for the rest of the year, most of the water will drain, subsurface, through seepage.
Logging requirements:
Send me a note through geocaching.com with :
- The text "GC14YV1 The Lake that Drains to 2 Oceans" on the first line
- The number of people in your group.
- the two rivers this lake drains into,
- which arm of the lake drains to each river and ocean
- the method that the water usually leaves the lake into each of these rivers.
- give an explanation as to how the same road can cross the continental divide twice.
The above information was compiled from the following sources:
- NPS informational Pannel
- Fritz, William J., Roadside Geology of the Yellowstone Country, Mountain Press Publishing Company, May 1989.
Placement approved by the
Yellowstone National Park