Tag: Geology

Geology of Starved Rock – How these amazing canyons came to be

by KayeRay, posted in Geology, Hiking

Starved Rock State Park, an amazing area complete with hiking trails and waterfalls is located in Deerpark Township and LaSalle Counties in Illinois, sits along the south bank of the Illinois River.  

Starved Rock is famous for its fascinating rock formations, which are mainly outcrops of St. Peter Sandstone.  This sandstone began as a sheet of sand in clear, shallow water near the shore of a Paleozoic sea and consists of fine-to-medium-size, well-rounded quartz grains with frosted surfaces. The extent of these amazing formation span north–south from Minnesota to Arkansas and east–west from Illinois into Nebraska and South Dakota.

This sandstone is an Ordovician geological formation. This sandstone originated as a sheet of sand in clear, shallow water near the shore of a Paleozoic sea and consists of fine-to-medium-size, well-rounded quartz grains with frosted surfaces. The extent of the formation spans north–south from Minnesota to Arkansas and east–west from Illinois into Nebraska and South Dakota.

The sandstone, typically buried, is exposed in this area due to an anticline, a convex fold in underlying strata. This creates canyons and cliffs when streams cut across the anticline. The sandstone is pure and poorly cemented, making it workable with a pick or shovel.  A similar geologic feature is found at  Castle Rock State Park, also in Illinois.

What helped create the park’s signature geology and features was 1 catastrophic flood known as the Kankakee Torrent, which took place somewhere between 14,000 and 17,000 years ago.

This flood, the  Kankakee Torrent  resulted from a breach of moraines forming a large glacial lake fed by the melting of the Late Wisconsin Laurentide Ice Sheet. The point of origin of the flood was Lake Chicago. The landscape south of Chicago still shows the effects of the torrent, particularly at Kankakee River State Park and on the Illinois River at Starved Rock State Park which took place somewhere between 14,000  and 17,000 years ago, before humans occupied the area, helped create the park’s signature geology and features, which are very unusual for the central plains.

The park is on the south bank of the Illinois River.

The Hennepin Canal roughly follows the ancient channel of the Mississippi upstream of Rock Island.), a major tributary of the Mississippi River, between the Fox and Vermilion Rivers. The Vermilion created large sandbars at the junction of the Illinois, preventing practical navigation farther upriver. Rapids were found at the base of the butte before the construction of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam.

1604697628

Aerial Geology

B07Y9PYVJV

Solar Charger

Hike & Go Seek -Ancient Sanilac Petroglyths

by KayeRay, posted in Hiking
Sanilac Petroglyphs - Archer.jpg
Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park is located in the state of Michigan consisting of 240 acres of land containing the largest collection of Native American petroglyphs in Michigan.  The carvings were created in the pre-Columbian era and represent s aspects of Native American spirituality.  There is also an interpretive hiking trail within the park along the nearby Cass River.
The main feature of the park is a 1,000 square foot sandstone outcrop with around 100 petroglyphs on it which makes this the largest grouping of such carvings in Michigan.  These carvings were likely carved between 400 to 1,400 years ago and were discovered by the area’s settlers after much of the Thumb region was burned over .by a massive forest fire in 1881.
Many archaeologists have studied the site dating back to the 1920’s.  The stone tools and pottery found in the park show that various tribal groups have occupied the area periodically throughout the last 8,000 years.  The petroglyphs were thoroughly recorded in 1940 by Darrel Richards and Carl Holmquist of the Aboriginal Research Club of Detroit who created drawings and castings of the carvings which are now in the collection at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
In addition to the rock carvings, the Cass River floodplain forest within the park can be explored via a 1.5 mile trail loop which crosses the river twice.  The area is home to a wide variety of animals including deer, turkey, ruffed grouse, green heron and belted kingfisher.  Also, numerous outcrops of Marshall Sandstone are visible along with the site of a 19th century logging camp.
B0725NLB9B
Insect Shield Sport Crew Sock
White and Black Birds Piercing on Tree Branch
Woman Standing on Cliff

Neighborhood Colors in Siouxland, Sioux City

by KayeRay, posted in Landscape Photography

Neighborhood Colors in Siouxland, Sioux City

https://lostinsiouxland.wordpress.com/2019/11/07/neighborhood-colors-in-siouxland-sioux-city/
— Read on lostinsiouxland.wordpress.com/2019/11/07/neighborhood-colors-in-siouxland-sioux-city/

Morman Pioneer National Historic Trail

by KayeRay, posted in adventure, climbing, Geology, Hiking, illinois, Iowa, Landscape Photography, midwest usa, nature, photography, rewild

A pointed bluff landmark sticks out above a flat valley with large green shrubs.

Covering Five States (IL, IA, NE, UT, WY)

Explore the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail across five states to see the 1,300-mile route traveled by Mormons who fled Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1846-1847

Martins Cove, Wyoming

A Brief History

The story of the Mormon Trail is rooted in the beginnings of a unique American religion. In 1827, 21-year-old Joseph Smith announced that he had unearthed a set of golden plates, inscribed with the tenants of God’s true church. Smith said that he had been directed to the plates by an angel named Moroni, who also had given him divine tools for translating the ancient inscriptions into English. Smith used these to produce new Scripture called the Book of Mormon. In 1830, in western New York, he organized a legal entity that would become The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His followers, who regarded Smith as a prophet, became known as Mormons.

Important differences between mainstream Christianity and Mormon doctrine quickly emerged, but it was primarily hostilities over land, business, and politics that caused Smith repeatedly to move church headquarters. Driven out of Missouri in 1838, the Mormons finally settled along a bend of the Mississippi River in Illinois. There they established a community they called Nauvoo, a Hebrew word meaning “beautiful place.” It was at Nauvoo that Smith cautiously began introducing the Old Testament practice of “plural marriage,” or polygamy, among select church leaders.

Thousands of converts flocked to Nauvoo, soon making it the largest town in Illinois. Neighbors initially welcomed the orderly, industrious settlers despite their religious differences. But relations gradually soured, with complaints centering on Mormons’ clannish business practices, accusations of theft, their electoral sway, and Smith’s political aspirations. Meanwhile, dissent emerged within the church as rumors leaked of secret plural marriages. After an opposition newspaper publicly accused the prophet and other leaders of polygamy, Nauvoo’s city council and Smith declared the paper a public nuisance and Smith ordered destruction of its press. For that he and others were arrested and jailed at Carthage, Illinois. On June 27, 1844, a mob broke into the jail and murdered Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. Other vigilantes attacked Mormon farms around Nauvoo in an attempt to expel them.

Brigham Young stepped up as Smith’s successor and began planning an orderly, spring 1846 evacuation of some 15,000 faithful to the Great Basin, Mexican-held territory beyond the Rocky Mountains. However, as anti-Mormon violence heated, Young decided to organize a vanguard of church leaders to depart in late winter, hoping that would pacify the vigilantes until the main body of Mormons could start west in April. On February 4, 1846, the first wagons ferried across the Mississippi to Iowa. This group halted after five miles and set up camp at Sugar Creek for a lengthy wait as Young and his associates concluded business at Nauvoo. Meanwhile others, anxious not to be left behind, drifted over to join the Sugar Creek camp. Young’s vanguard company unexpectedly swelled from his intended 1,800 emigrants to around 3,000—many without their own wagons and provisions.

On March 1, 1846, some 500 Mormon wagons lurched northwesterly across the winter-

National Trails Intermountain Region
Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
PO Box 728 
Santa Fe, NM 87504

Phone:

(801) 741-1012

https://www.nps.gov/mopi/index.htm

 

Shawnee National Forest – Illinois

by KayeRay, posted in adventure, birding, camping, climbing, Geology, Hiking, illinois, kayaking, lakes, Landscape Photography, michigan, midwest usa, nature, photography, rewild, Shawnee National Forest

 

There are many miles of diverse hiking and backpacking trails in the Shawnee National Forest including the 160-mile River to River Trail.

One of the most photographed locations in the state, Garden of the Gods’ scenic beauty is extraordinary. In the recreation area you can hike, camp, nature watch or picnic.

The Observation Trail features unique sandstone rock formations and panoramic views of the surrounding Garden of the God Wilderness. Interpretive signs explain the geological history. The 1/4-mile trail is made of natural sandstone and takes about an hour to walk. It contains short, steep grades and steps; benches are located along the trail and as a whole the trail is not tiring. Caution should be used due to the high cliffs in the area.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/shawnee/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=10685&actid=50