The above coordinates will take to a rural area of southern Hardin
County. It is located between a water tower and a radio tower. Less
than a mile South is an abandoned sandstone quarry. This site is
also listed as part of the KY Geological Survey as a sandstone
outcrop at railroad overpass. As you approach the coordinates you
will see a short wooden board bridge that straddles the Paducah and
Louisville Railway cut down into the Big Clifty Sandstone hill.
This has to be one of the few bridges of it’s kind left. It
is an interesting feeling to be on the bridge when another car
comes across it, but nothing like standing on it when a train goes
under. This is a nice spot so be sure an bring a camera or two.
Big Clifty Sandstone is a geologic formation from the Pennsylvania
Age, which is named for Big Clifty Creek just to the south. This
cache is located at the edge of the Girkin Formation, which is the
limestone layer under the Big Clifty Sandstone that is the top of
Mammoth Cave. Many of the large caves that are part of Mammoth Cave
are formed in this limestone. Sandstone is one of the main reasons
for Mammoth Cave being so large. Sinkholes and other formations in
the sandstone channel the water down to the limestone layer causing
the large caverns to be eroded.
Big Clifty Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of
sand-size mineral or rock grains. Sandstone is composed of quartz
and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the
Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any color, but the most
common colors are tan, brown, yellow, red, gray and white. Since
sandstone beds often form highly visible cliffs and other
topographic features, certain colors of sandstone have been
strongly identified with certain regions.
In order to log this earthcache please answer the following
questions and you might as well get a pic of yourself by the
sandstone outcrops (photo not required).
1. What limestone layer does this Big Clifty Sandstone lie on
top of?
2. What colors do you see in the sandstone and what do you think
caused those colors?
3. Estimate how far the railroad bed is below the bridge.
Please let me know what you think as this is my first
earthcache.
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