RVET (RockVille Earth Trail)
As an earthcache, there is no “box” or “container” to discover. The Rockville Regional park is located in the City of Fairfield. There is a main entrance and free parking,but there is an Entrance fee of $3.00 dollars. This is a very popular hiking & biking park. There is also additional fee information at the pay station. The park is Dog friendly but will require an additional fee for your 4 legged friend.
Parking Coordinates = N38° 14.903 W122° 07.952
Logging Requirements:
1. How wide is the base on the narrow side of the tooth?
2. how wide is the widest part of the base?
3. How tall is the tooth?
4. What geological feature is on the back side of the tooth?
5. What plant / tree / shrub is pedominent around the tooth?
6. Why doesn't any vegitation grow next to the tooth?
Please take you picture with the tooth behind you where you are positioned close enough you cannot see the top, sides to determine the dementions via the photo.
Please do not post your answers in your logs. Please send your answers to the earthcache owner via geocaching.com with the title of the Earthcache and GC number. If you log the cache without sending the completed logging requirement, you will be
contacted to do so, and if not sent within a reasonable amount of time 1-2 weeks, you logs will be subject to deletion.
Geology:
Basalt columns or in the case a spire are natural rock, magnificent as they are,are a result of cooling down and shrinking of molten rock material, lava, on the earth's surface millions of years ago. It is suggested they obey and have crystalline characteristics. They can form to be hexagonal and can be straight or have an S-Curve shapes. Un-weathered basalt is black, but after thousands of years of weathering, many more beautiful colors evolve. Various lengths and sizes are evident in the Rockville Park, and are some of the largest in Northern California.
What is special about this location is the shape of the tooth itself. It has a drastically different wear pattern much different than the Tilly's. The color being as light as it is, suggest the age of this part of the park is much older that the Tilly's. The geological diveristy is very dense in this park, with a Giant gas pocket just 500 feet away with drastically diferent features. I can only imagine what this was like when the landscape was fluid in motion to create this beautiful place.
Local Information and History:
Speaking with the Ranger staff, The tooth, also referred to as the cyclone area, or Alterpoint, is one of the fastest trails for biking on this end of the park, and you can get air if you are fast enough with some of the naturally occuring ramps.
sources:
www.Wikipedea.org
ga.water.usgs.gov
www.ci.fairfield.ca.us
BERKLAND, James O.
Geology.about.com
Local Park Ranger Teri
Permission Given by:
Ranger Teri Luchini
City of Fairfield
Public works
420 Gregory St
Farifield, Ca 94533