Of Cobblestones and Other Beach Treasures E.Cache EarthCache
Of Cobblestones and Other Beach Treasures E.Cache
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To claim this Earthcache, you will need a camera, some sort of
measuring device and information about cobblestones and other Lake
Ontario rocks. I will give you lots of useful information, but you
must do some work on your own!
You will find yourself in the Wilson-Tuscarora State Park, at a
sign that will help you with your discovery of cobblestones. You
see, they come in many rock types and sizes, but to be a Lake
Ontario Cobblestone, they must be rounded. They became that way due
to the succession of 17 glaciers that have covered this part of New
York State over the past several millions of years….or so! The
action of the ice to the North of us, created a variety of shapes,
sizes, colors and rock types as the glaciers eroded rocks and swept
them along as moraine. They were deposited as a ridge along ancient
Lake Iroquois which became the shore of our Lake Ontario. The wave
action of both of these lakes tumbled most of the rocks into the
smooth cobblestones that we see today. A cobblestone is small
enough to be held in your hand. See my photo to see what I
mean!
Your quest here is to find at least three (3) different
cobblestones. Once you have them (3), you will need to:
1) Submit a photo of them
2) Approximate the size of them (use the length of your GPS if you
do not have a ruler handy)
3) Try to determine of what rock they are made.
That is where the coords for the cache will come in handy! A nice
sign listing the rock possibilities is here at the beach in front
of you! Please do your best to identify the 3 different
cobblestones. You do not have to be perfect, but close would be
wonderful. Here’s a hint…if it’s reddish…it’s sandstone.
Another treasure that you may find here at the lake shore is ‘sea
glass’. Usually they are small pieces of broken glass that have
also been smoothed by the action of the waves. It turns out that
sea glass is becoming rare, in this plastic world in which we live.
So bonus points to those who also find a piece of sea glass. You
may still find clear, green, or blue other colors are very rare
now. Any other treasures that you find along the shore, please tell
us about it in your log…an interesting piece of driftwood? An
arrowhead? A gold doubloon? A cannon ball? Mermaid? Merman?? So,
pack a picnic, bring the kids, a bathing suit and a camera and have
a fun day at the park. Admission is $7.50 for a day pass. Anytime
with an Empire State Park Pass or come after 5:30 when it is free.
Also free in the winter, but watch out that the cobblestones aren’t
buried under lake ice!
After you are done, drive along Ridge Road and see how many
cobblestones houses you can find. You see, from the 1820’s to
1860’s our ingenious forefather’s gathered and sorted cobblestones
and used them as free building material. A nearby cobblestone can
be located at….N 43.18.561 W078.49.557. Be sure to visit
Waymarking.com for many more local “Cobblestone Buildings”.
References:
“Cobblestone Quest” by Rich & Sue Freeman, Footprint Press Inc.
Waymarking.com, Cobblestone Buildings
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)