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GC7Z1FA
High Drive Rocks!Type: Earth | Size: Other 
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| Terrain:  By: JBase @ | Hide Date: 10/14/2018 | Status: Available Country: United States | State: Colorado Coordinates: N38° 48.021 W104° 53.986 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0 
This Earthcache is based on pink-colored Pikes Peak Granite that has been broken down into scree. About one billion years ago, an immense dome of hot molten rock called magma pushed up from the earth’s core to form what geologists call a batholith. This formation never made it to the surface, but rather remained hidden in the earth’s crust for millions of years, about 20 miles down. Pikes Peak batholith is about 1300 square miles in size. Igneous rock is formed from this magma that has cooled and become solid. Molten rock is extraordinarily hot, sometimes exceeding 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This molten and partially crystallized material (magma) crystallizes underground before it reaches the surface, this rock is plutonic. The formation of the Rocky Mountains followed in three relatively recent stages. The first stage was the creation of what geologists call the Ancestral Rockies. This is when the earth’s crust went through some rather intensive sea floor spreading at the mid-Atlantic Ridge. It was unable to absorb the crust as fast as it was being created, so the stresses on the North American plate were too high and the crust faulted along what is now the same area as the Rocky Mountains. It was at this time that the huge mass of the Rocky Mountains first surfaced. Afterwards, the Ancestral Rockies experienced a period of great erosion which virtually leveled the mountains. The debris from this erosion survives in some of the red sedimentary rocks of the area. After a period of time when the seawater and additional sedimentary rock covered the area, another up-thrust of the earth’s crust formed the present range of the Rocky Mountains and along with it, pushed up the sunken batholith and the surrounding mountains. These mountains are made entirely of pink granite. Pikes Peak Granite is made up mostly of milky and smoke quartz, pink feldspar and silver or golden to black micas. The feldspar and mica weathers easily. The pink-colored Pikes Peak Granite makes up most of the rocky cañon in this area. It has many joints and fractures. Water gets into cracks in the rocks and it easily crumbles into gravel sized pieces. When the water freezes, it expands and forces the cracks to open wider. For millions of years this freezing and thawing of water has caused the Pikes Peak Granite to break down into a collection of broken rock fragments known as scree.
To receive credit for this Earthcache, you must answer the following questions: 1) Examine the granite under your feet, do you think this elevation made a difference on how the rock fragments were made? 2) You are standing on an old road, do you think this scree came from this mountain? Why or why not? 3) Looking at the rocks at Reference Point MP, what colors do you see? Please send me the answers to these questions at the same time you log this Earthcache. If there is an issue I will contact you. (Optional) Pictures are not required, but welcome. They are a great way show others where you have been and what to expect before arriving. Please post a picture of yourself or any landscape near one or all of the waypoints listed below. Permission was granted by Jeff Hovermale, Lands and Minerals Staff Officer Forest Service. Pike National Forest, Pikes Peak Ranger District.  Additional Waypoints MP7Z1FA - Bottom of Mays PeakN 38° 48.049 W 104° 53.937 Final Waypoint - You can climb up towards Mays Peak to see a mountain of scree. PK7Z1FA - Upper Gold Camp Parking Lot N 38° 47.433 W 104° 54.231 Upper Gold Camp Parking Lot TH7Z1FA - High Drive N 38° 47.419 W 104° 54.208 Old High Drive Road V17Z1FA - High Drive Viewpoint N 38° 47.573 W 104° 53.961 This is a great place to take a few pictures of Mays Peak and make sure you are on the correct trail.
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13 Logs:
The Bride and I had weddings in Kansas City on June 21st and then another one in Omaha on June 29th. I told her I really wasn’t interested in driving to Kansas City and driving home for 9 hours and then a few days later drive all the way back same direction for 13 hours. So we decided we would take a mini vacation in between weddings and head to Colorado for a week. We rented a car, but little did we know the car was going to be a Cadillac sedan, and I’m thinking this is going to be my caching mobile for this trip.###So over the course of the 11 days, we visited 10 states. I was able to get 5 caches that were Year 2000 including Mingo. I was able to get the oldest cache in 3 states…Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. Colored the state of New Mexico RED and put 3940 miles on the rental car. ### This trip started out in Kansas City as the wedding was on Friday. So we cached the morning of Friday and did the Powercat challenges near Gladstone area. Loved walking the sidewalk, we did get a downpour on us, so hoped into a local spot for lunch and then once the rains lifted we went hiking again. Then went to the wedding on Friday night. Then next day on Saturday, went caching with Gnomecat, Louinliberty and Debrajean grabbing a few caches that I had handpicked out. Was great to see my KC friends for the 2nd weekend in a row after the previous week in Indiana and by the end of this trip it will be 3 weeks in a row. Had an amazing dinner at Gnomecats and enjoyed the great hospitality.Then on Sunday June 23 is where the journey begins. We headed towards Colorado Springs and grabbed Mingo on the way there. This day was about 9 hours of driving and grabbed a few caches in the Colorado Springs area before meeting up with friends in the afternoon.Monday June 24 was always going to be a big day both driving and hiking. We started it off by going to Paul Barkley (2nd 2000 year cache). Got lucky as that section of the park was closed to people on Tuesday due to electric work being done. Then from there the Cadillac took us to Geocache (3rd 2000 cache). Then after that we headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico.Tuesday June 25 we cached in Albuquerque in the morning doing a few wherigos and then headed over to the oldest cache in the state. Found the place to park and made the short hike up the hill. Then went across the way and did the Hangman hiking series. After we completed that we headed to Santa Fe to visit and then back to Colorado Springs.Wednesday June 26th, we got up and headed off to Tarryall (4th 2000 year), those that get nervous about driving well the Cadillac made it just fine. After that we headed to Pikes Peak, it opened late because the car race practice was that morning. We drove up to mile 16 and then shuttle to the top because of the renovations to the new visitor center at top. After this we are now heading back East. We get to Kansas and find Airakee and then spend the night in Kearney. I was able to watch on the phone Vanderbilt win the World Series…Go Vandy BoysThursday June 27, drive to Omaha and meet the KC crew for the 3 week in a row and we drive to Sioux Falls to get the State Bird.Friday June 28th, finish the last 21 of the Ficks Fizzy we had left. Bad news was on 61 Gnomecat fell in the ditch and went over his head in the water. The ditch had probably 8ft of water. Then headed to Omaha and did some challenges and parted waysSaturday June 29th, some light caching before wedding and then came home on Sunday 13.5 hour drive.Thanks to all the hiders. Earthcaches and Virtuals have sent answers. Challenges will either have a picture or available via public profile. Was able to leave my signature pencil in a few caches. Thanks for the cache-signed log.
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