Geology Hike

Join geologist Mel Croft on Saturday July 6 at 11:00 am for a short hike where we will unravel the geologic history of the Belgrade’s by observing the local rocks. These rocks tell a story of a huge mountain range dating to almost 400 million years ago, that was on par with the present day Himalayan Mountains. Additionally, they reveal a tale of volcanoes belching lava and ash into the air, punctuated by California-like earthquakes. These events were then followed by hundreds of millions of years of erosion, capped by glacial activity that began about two million years ago.

We will meet in the parking lot of The Mountain. Those attending are advised to wear proper hiking clothes and to bring lunch as we will eat at the Long Pond overlook while we discuss geology.

For those interested, following the hike on the Mountain we will drive to south Belgrade to observe several glacial deposits. There are a variety of geologic features that were formed as a result of late Pleistocene glaciation in this region about 14,000 years ago. We will visit a marine delta complex that was deposited in a shallow sea as the glacier was melting, walk on top of the river deposits (an esker) that was the source of the sediment which comprise the delta, and see a large deep conical hole called a kettle that was formed as a result of a chunk of glacial ice being buried by sediment prior to melting.

The rocks and sediments in the Belgrade’s tell the fascinating story of our past, all which culminated in the beautiful landscape and lakes that we treasure and strive to protect. The 7 Lakes Alliance welcomes you to join us for an educational and fun walk back in time.