The Rocks Don't Hurt

Here's my attempt to understand the geological world. Couldn't understand myself, couldn't understand people or music, but maybe I can understand rocks. They are noble and patient and complex and wise and enduring. They fall apart. Then they reinvent themselves. Adapt and transform. Maybe not one atom in rock ever leaves earth. And most importantly, rocks don't hurt.

Metaphors and imagery aside, can rocks and landforms really be 'understood'? Well, no, not even to experts. They extrapolate etc. We don't know exactly what happened to form the Rocky Mountains just as we don't know exactly what happened during any historical event. I guess a humbler and more realistic goal would be to collect knowledge and make the best sense of things in my little brain and understand that I can never really understand. So it ends up like myself, people, music etc.


Except, most importantly, the rocks don't hurt. I'm not trying to be poetic or use this as symbolism. I'm just stating that the rocks don't hurt (me) or anyone else. Unless a boulder falls on you during a landslide or you step on a sharp pebble while walking on the beach. Or someone just throws a rock at your head.


In the past 24 hours, I have a thin grasp on Epeirogenic Uplift - uplift that doesn't build mountains but lifts a large slab of land, like the Colorado Plateau and, apparently, the Appalachian Plateau (I need to go the Smokey or Blue Ridge Mountains to get back to my world in the East. I guess everything in the West has is more flashy and exciting and dangerous; the mountains, canyons, deserts, rivers, the Buffalo hunting Native Americans sweeping across the plains, the ancient remains and artifacts of ancient civilizations, the cactus, the silver mines, Las Vegas...)


Photos in 2 different locations of glacially deposited boulders in North Eastern New Jersey.

I am longing to understand this "fold and thrust-belt" concept. It's something that happens as a result of volcanic mountain building. Oh, I have an equally slim grasp on how subduction of one tectonic plate beneath another causes magma in the mantle to blast through the continental crust. And what causes a fault and what are some of the results of earthquakes resulting from their activity? And what is this "foreland" concept?

And then there are the glaciers. If I can find the right books, I might understand better how they affected the landscape. But everyone interesting wants to write about the wild west.

I did learn that the Appalachian Mountains were formed from colliding tectonic plates from the east. The African/Europeans plates collided with North America and all the processes were set in motion to build an enormous mountain range like the Himalaya. So, this was not subduction, but collision. I hope.

Now, I should put some pictures in here. How the hell do I illustrate what I've written? West, East, my rock collection. How do I take pictures of my rocks?

Did I write my wish list of places I want to visit (within my travel budget realms of reality). The order is of no significance.

Shenandoah National Park
We can stay at a cabin or lodge which I assume is the equivalent of what we stayed in in Grand Canyon for about $150/night. We fly into DC very cheaply ($150-ish), we get Wayne's enterprise deal, drive one hour to the park. And IX mentioned we could try to spend a day in DC at the Smithsonian. If we have more time, we can maybe visit some civil war sites. Ambitious.

Acadia Park

We always want to avoid crowds so we never go to the Bar Harbor peninsula. But it's high time to go to the park. I've got the geology book and everything. The usual travel to Bangor, hopefully the car deal - unless site59 is cheaper - and easy enough to find a reasonable place to stay. Another trip that doesn't require IX to take too much time off work.






The Pine Barrens

It seems like a very unusual and fascinating place from what I've read (especially inn the McPhee book!), but the Wharton State Park is only 2 hours away.






Canyonlands/Bryce/Zion/Yellowstone/Sequoia Parks

Obviously.





And I want to research those crystal quarrying parks that are on that show Cash something or other. In New Jersey at the Sterling Mines you're supposed to be able to go in and use a pic and chip out fluorescent rocks. Of course you can only see them with fluorescent light...



Catskills

For an over night, I guess. They seem pretty trampled on and old and dilapidated and like they've seen better days, but I think there are some very pretty trails and I'm supposed to be able to find fossils with my pick.


Adirondacks National Park

Also an easy trip. Fly to Vermont, car and reasonable lodging.

I wish I could get up earlier to get to the day hikes in NJ and NY - want to check out that nice Orange County area but I don't want to stay overnight.