Welcome to the Bodie Island Light Station. Before we explore the geology of the sand, let's clarify the pronounciation of this place: Bodie is pronounced like body, and one folk story says this is where the dead bodies from shipwrecks washed ashore. The lighthouse in front of you is the third built in the area; the first (1848) was built on unstable ground and leaned, the second (1859) was destroyed by the Confederate forces to prevent the Union from using it as a lookout tower, and the third has been in this spot since it was finished in 1872.
The soil underlying the Bodie Island Light Station is Duckston fine sand. The Duckston series is mainly in shallow depressions between the coastal dunes on the eastern side of this island and the marshes on the western side. It is nearly level and is poorly drained, and this location, despite being a half mile from the coast, was the best stable place to build this lighthouse.
To earn credit for this EarthCache, please send me your answers to the following questions. Please do not put your answers in your log!
1.) Go to the walkway in front of the Keeper's House, which is the original coordinates for this cache. This is a great spot to view the Duckston fine sand. What is the color and texture of the sand here? If you have spent any time at the beach here on the Outer Banks, do you notice any differences between the beach sand and the Duckston sand at your feet?
2.) Go to the brick walkway between the Keeper's House and the lighthouse, which is listed as Waypoint 1. Look at the color and texture of the bricks. Compare these observations to the ones you made for the Duckston sand. Do you think the bricks were made locally with local materials or were brought in from somewhere else? Why?
3.) How many bricks wide is the walkway at Waypoint 1?
Pictures are not required for completing this cache, but if you would like to add a picture of your trip to the Bodie Island Light Station to your log, you are more than welcome to do so! Thank you for visiting!