The Sauratown Mountains EarthCache
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FTF Congratulations to
Sauratown Smokey and Night-Hawk!!!
The Sauratown Mountains (sometimes called the Saura Mountains), are
an isolated mountain range located within Stokes and Surry counties
of northwestern North Carolina and are considered to be part of the
Piedmont Plateau. The Sauratown Mountains rise from the southeast
edge of Surry county, and then run northeast through Stokes county
for over half the width of the county. Although the range occupies
only 5% of Stokes county's area, they dominate the county's scenery
from almost every direction, rising sharply 800 to 1,700 feet (244
to 518 meters) above the surrounding terrain and to more than 2,500
feet above sea level. The Sauratown Mountains were named after a
Native American tribe which lived in the area before European
settlers arrived in the early 1700s. The Sauratown Range has
individually named peaks such as, from the west: Pilot Mountain,
Flat Shoals Mountain, Sauratown Mountain, Cole Gap Mountain, Cooks
Wall, Moore’s Knob, Hanging Rock, Huckleberry Mountain, Ruben
Mountain, and Eaton’s Mountain. The range consists of rugged,
heavily forested ridges frequently broken by large quartzite rock
cliffs which can be seen for miles. The Sauratowns are known for
offering some of the best rock climbing in North Carolina. The
highest point in the Sauras is Moore's Knob. The range is home to
Hanging Rock State Park, which was formed in 1936 and contains
Moore's Knob and other prominent peaks in the Sauratown Mountains.
From 1935 to 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal
agency, built a dam and 12-acre lake in the park, as well as hiking
and climbing trails and picnic and campground areas.
The Sauratown Mountains are monadnocks. Monadnocks (mo-nad-nocks)
are isolated mountains surrounded by lowlands. These once towering
Sauratown mountains have surrendered to wind and water except the
erosion-resistant quartzite rock that is the backbone of ridges
such as Moore's Wall, Cook's Wall, Devil's Chimney, Wolf Rock, and
Hanging Rock. Because the Sauratown peaks are completely surrounded
by the rolling hills of the piedmont, geographers do not consider
the Sauratown Range part of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Sauratown Mountains are the remnants of a once-mighty range of
peaks. Over millions of years, wind, water, and other forces wore
down the lofty peaks. What remains of these ancient mountains is
the erosion-resistant quartzite, which now supports the scenic
ridges we see and enjoy today. Quartzite is a hard, metamorphic
rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into
quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic
compression. Pure quartzite is usually white to grey. On the
highest elevations in the Sauratown range, bare rock is now
exposed. Mosses and lichens have invaded portions of the bare rock,
beginning the process of succession. As the underlying rock
weathers and cracks, soil gradually fills those small crevices and
the small plants take hold. Throughout thousands or millions of
years, with adequate amounts of water, these plant communities may
become even more diverse and forests will creep uphill, covering
the mountain once again.
** To get credit for this Earth cache: You must hike to posted
coords on top of Moore’s Knob and complete the requirements listed
below.
It is a 1.6 mile, one way hike from either the parking lot at the
Visitor’s Center or the parking lot at the Lake. The Park Service
lists it as a strenuous hike. Allow plenty of time. Take water and
food. Be mindful of approaching storms. There is also Moore’s Wall
Loop Trail that is 4.3 miles if you want to get over to House Rock
and Cook’s Wall for one of the locales for the virtual cache in the
park. There are benchmarks you can locate on both Moore’s Knob and
House Rock.
Please follow all park Rules and Regulations! Take note of Park
closing hours.
1. Post a picture in your log of yourself, with your GPS visible,
atop the observation tower on Moore’s Knob (the posted coordinates)
with either Sauratown Mountain (the one with the antennas) to the
west OR Hanging Rock Mountain to the east, visible in the
background. No picture = no smiley and logs without a picture will
be deleted.
2. Answer the following 5 questions and send the answer via email
to me. Do not post answers in your log or as part of the caption of
your picture.
* Describe the type of rock, or rocks, you found on and around the
peak and what signs of erosion you observed at the peak area of
Moore’s Knob?
* Estimate the distance from Moore’s Knob to the Blue Ridge Range
you see to the north and what method did you use?
* What elevation did your GPS show when you were on the
observation platform of the tower? (do not post a picture of your
GPSr elevation screen in your log!)
* Inside the room, in the base of the observation tower, what is
written on the boulder located just in front of the bottom of the
steps leading inside?
* How many metal steps are leading up to the top of the
tower?
Hope you enjoyed hiking in Hanging Rock State Park!
Thanks for completing this Earth Cache!
The picture MUST be uploaded immediately after
posting your log AND the answers to the questions MUST be sent
within a reasonable amount of time on the same day as you claim
your smiley. All logs not complying will be deleted without notice.
As of 7-30-09, I will no longer send out reminder emails asking for
the information.
Developed by a
Platinum EarthCache Master
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)