Dovžanova soteska EarthCache

Dovžanova soteska je zaradi edinstvenega nahajališča paleozoiskih okamnin zavarovana kot naravni spomenik in je hkrati tudi ena osrednjih točk Slovenske geološke transverzale.

Okamnine so ostanki nekdanjega življenja rastlin in živali, ki so se v ostenjih ohranili do današnjih dni. Tektonske sile in razdiralna moč Tržiške Bistrice so skozi tisočletja izoblikovale čudovito sotesko, katero je Tržiška Bistrica izdolbla v črnem apnencu, razgalile pestro kamninsko podlago in omogočile rast številnih rastlinskih združb. Prav izjemne geološke razmere in bogata paleontološka najdišča so Dovžanovi soteski prinesle svetovno slavo, saj so prvi raziskovalci odkrivali okamnele ostanke življenja iz nekdanjega toplega in plitvega morja že konec 19. stoletja.

Dolina Tržiške Bistrice je stisnjena med strma ostenja skalnih piramid, imenovanih Kušpegarjevi stebri na vzhodu in Borove peči na zahodu. Z Borove peči so se že v preteklosti krušili veliki skalni bloki kremenovega konglomerata, ki so se ustavili v strugi reke. Ravno na njih pa je Tržiška Bistrica pokaže vso svojo moč; v skakalcih, slapičih in brzicah se prebija preko zaobljenih skal.

Še v prejšnjem stoletju je reka krojila usodo domačinov, njihov večni problem je bilo spravilo lesa in oglja v dolino, saj so se prebijali skozi gozd in po strmih okoliških hribih. Pred sedanjim predorom so sicer izvrtali manjši predor na desnem bregu Tržiške Bistrice in preko soteske zgradili viseč most, ki pa ga je voda ob nalivih vedno znova odnašala, zato so ga poimenovali Hudičev most. Danes nanj spominja drug most, ki služi lepemu razgledu na sotesko. Po naročilu barona Borna, ki je prebival više nad sotesko v vasi Jelendol, pa se je v drugi polovci 19. stoletja gradnje novega predora na levem bregu Tržiške Bistrice lotil inženir Viljem Lindaver. Predor je bil dokončan l. 1895.

Soteska je še posebej slikovita zaradi šestih visokih kamnitih stolpov, Kušpegarjevih turnov, kjer je urejeno plezališče. Skozi sotesko je speljana zanimiva geološka pot, gozdna učna pot Dovžanova soteska, planinska pot, razgledna pot in pot do partizanske tiskarne-tehnike. V manjšem naselju Čadovlje stoji stara Jamenšnikova hiša in paštba (sušilnica za lan) z letnico 1766, ki je primerek edinstvenega karavanškega stavbarstva z vsemi etnografskimi značilnostmi. Soteska je razglašena za naravni spomenik Slovenije.

Dovžanova soteska je bila zavarovana kot naravni spomenik zaradi edinstvenega nahajališča ostankov okamnelega življenja rastlin in živali v kamninah starega zemeljskega veka – paleozoika. Tu so bile prvič najdene in opisane številne vrste ramenonožcev in velika luknjičarka (Schwagerina carniolica). Slikovito sotesko je izoblikovala Tržiška Bistrica v konglomeratih, apnencih, peščenjakih in glinovcih.,

V soteski se je zaradi aplnenca ohranilo veliko fosilov. Najznačilnejše oblike ostankov življenja v Dovžanovi soteski so:
-Schwagerina Carniolica, največja doslej najdena ima premer 8mm. Prvič so jih odkrili prav v Dovžanovi soteski. Stare so okrog 270 milijinov let.
-morske lilije
-alge
-ramenonožci
-fuzulinide

Predor v soteski, imenovan Veliki predor, so gradili od 16. maja do 1. septembra 1895, po naročilu Julija Borna. Pred prihodom barona v Jelendol tukaj ni bilo ceste. Domačini so pred tem zgradili pot čez »Jame« po desnem bregu Tržiške Bistrice, ki se je končala pri Malem predoru, zgrajenem leta 1759.[1]. Potekala je čez Hudičev most in manjši predor iz leta 1759. Nova cesta je bila nato zgrajena na levem bregu z daljšim predorom z galerijami.

Predor je bil ob 100-letnici obnovljen. V spomin na to sta bili postavljeni dve spominski plošči. Svetlejša plošča je namenjena spominu na grofa Gustava Chorinskyja, ki je uradno potrdil komisijo za izvedbo zemljiške odveze, temnejša pa investitorju Juliju Bornu.

Dovžan gorge is unique because of Palaeozoic deposits of stones protected as a natural monument and is also one of the points of the Slovenian Geological Transversal. The Paleozoic was a time of dramatic geological, climatic, and evolutionary change.

The Cambrian Period witnessed the most rapid and widespread diversification of life in Earth's history, known as the Cambrian explosion, in which most modern phyla first appeared. Fish, arthropods, amphibians and reptiles all evolved during the Paleozoic. Life began in the ocean but eventually transitioned onto land, and by the late Paleozoic, it was dominated by various forms of organisms. Great forests of primitive plants covered the continents, many of which formed the coal beds of Europe and eastern North America. Towards the end of the era, large, sophisticated reptiles were dominant and the first modern plants appeared.

Fossils are the remains of the former life of plants and animals in the rocks preserved to the present day. Tectonic forces and destructive power of river Tržiška Bistrica formed a beautiful gorge in past. In Tržiška Bistrica there is a lot of black limestone and natural resouces fot the growth of many plant. Tržiška Bistrica Valley is located between the steep walls of rock pyramids, called Kušpegarjevi pillars in the east and hiht walls in the west. In thr rriver there is a lot of large blocks of quartz conglomerate.

Quartz conglomerate is a lithified sedimentary rock that is primarily composed of rounded pebbles of quartz. These pebbles are generally greater than two millimeters in diameter and are cemented together in such away that the rock appears quite similar to concrete, with which it is often confused by casual observers.

Dovžan gorge has been protected as a natural monument because of its unique deposits of petrified remains of plant and animal life in the rocks of the Palaeozoic era - Paleozoic. Here they first found and described numerous species of brachiopods and large buttonhole (Schwagerina carniolica). The picturesque gorge was formed Tržiška Bistrica in conglomerates, limestones and glinovcih.

Tunnel in the canyon called Grand Tunnel, built from 16 May to 1 September 1895. It is builded in live rock which can show you different interesting thing from the past and how the stone look like from the inside of the hill.

The gorge there are also many fossils. Typical forms of the scrap of life in Dovžan Gorge are Schwagerina Carniolica, the largest ever found has a diameter of 8mm. First they discovered right in Dovžan Gorge. They are around 270 milions years old. There were found also different see animals.

Here are the questions necessary for logging this cache as found. Please send the reply through the contact form, but do not wait for my reply, log right away. Questions:
1. What do you think influenced the varying width of the gorge?
2. Why do you think that in some places above the river gorge is narrower than at the level where is the flow of the river?
Optional. You can make some photos in the gorge and attach it to log.