A Trail Through Time EarthCache
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A nice refreshing walk along Indian Ladder Trail in John Boyd Thacher Park. The IP will bring you to the trail head. This can be a fun cache for kids if they are up for the walk.
Joyn Boyd Thacher Park is one of many Geologic wonders of the world and is famous for the abundance of fossils. But how did all of those shallow sea fossils get so high up and so far from water?
Much of New York State was located underneath a large shallow sea during the Late Silurian to Middle Devonian. North America, then part of the continent of Laurentia, was located very close to the equator. As a result, New York’s climate was very hot and humid, similar to that of the Bahamas.
The Late Silurian and Devonian were times of great paleogeographic change. The formations that make up the Helderberg Group and later Tristates Group, including the Ondondaga formation were deposited during this time, each representing a different sedimentary and ecologically different environment within a newly formed shallow sea. The fossils and mineral features preserved within them today provide information about the warm marine environment that once existed in the later Silurian-Middle Devonian in New York State.
As you walk along Indian Ladder Trail you are walking through time – time represented in rock. Each formation that you walk through represents a different environment and Geologic time in history. Imagine the forces that must have been at work for you to see what you are observing today.
This is a long walk along a mildly challenging trail. Although the path is well marked and assistance is available at locations via stairs - be alert, aware of weather conditions and cautious of your footing at all times.
The questions must be emailed to earn your smiley. More importantly though - have fun!
To make it more interesting, waypoints along the way will not be given. You will need to read each sign to see where you can get your answers and where to take your photos so that they are correct. Everything you need is along the trail.
QUESTIONS (email answers)
Where did the name Minelot Falls come from? Bonus: - a local cacher proposed at these falls – do you know the names of the happy couple?
How were the nearby caves formed? Name one of them?
How did the cliff wall of the Heldeberg Escarpment form?
PICTURES - optional (upload to cache page)
Picture of your GPS ON what you think is the Rondout or Coeymans formation
Picture of Minelot Falls (dry or running)
Although we read through everyone's answers on all of our EC's we are not able to respond to each one individually. We hope you enjoy this Earthcache and maybe even learn something new about the world around us.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)