JOYCE MAKES THE FIND

Joyce and I had wanted to go for a Sunday drive up to the Scenic Highway (plus a little more) yesterday and, of course, I managed to combine the drive with a little light GC'ing--not anything too complex so that Joyce would have a nice time too.

Here I'm at a small cache a little south (actually C&O Rwy west) from Seebert WV on the Greenbrier River Rail Trail. Easy find but down a rather steep bank when you don't have hiking boots on.

Joyce's find!! She was pleased to find this one. Her eyes have learned to see the rock, sticks, etc that are out of place and therefore hiding the cache. Yes, the container is really primitive but the hide is so well protected it's OK in this instance. Good job!!

Sunday was a day of Earthcaches. They're nice to visit because you may get to stop at some site you had promised yourself to stop at "someday" but had never done. The Cranberry Glades is not one of those for the two of us--it's like coming home to an old friend and finding the welcome mat still in place.

However the "Honeycomb Rocks" site on the Scenic Highway was new to us. Can you see the square segments? The material is hematite, an iron ore that was injected into the sandstone 3-400 million years ago. The sandstone is softer and weathers out more quickly than the iron, leaving behind the square structures. Amazing!! Some of the rocks contain deposits that are so rich in iron that the hematite looks distinctly rusty and more like scrap metal than an ore.

Finally we visited a site called "The Devils Backbone" just outside of Marlinton. For the uninitiated, this is called an "anticline" by those of us in the know (like us Geocachers, ta da). Rocks bent in the opposite direction would be called a syncline. Geologic forces may work slowly, but they exert unbelievable energy.

I enjoy Earthcaches. You are presented with the opportunity to learn new things and to stop and see that site you had wanted to see "someday".