Not in Seattle, but The Big Rock of my childhood was “around the Point” from Point No Point lighthouse in Kitsap County. Where we went on hikes playing “stay on wood” because the sand was lava, in our feral childhood ramblings of the 1950s.
Just north of the border we have an entire municipality named after an erratic. The city of White Rock (BC) got its name from a giant granite boulder left by the shore. Supposedly it was so saturated in bird droppings that it stood out on the shoreline as white. Sadly now they paint it white, which means there's no way to see any of the actual rock (and it's usually covered in graffiti).
David, First off, nice name! Second, I got that number from a paper about Goethe titled Goethe's Petrofiction: Reading the Wanderjahre in the Anthropocene. I admit I did not fact check it about weight so really have no clue. DBW
David "Not B" Williams - I thought this as well, and did some quick research. My first guess - that it is 700 _tons_, not 700 lbs, appears to be correct. (I would post a link to my source, but I don't know how sensitive DBW's spam detectors are to that kind of thing. )
In any case: yes, you're correct: three orders of magnitude off, and a multiplier of ~2.
Oh Erratics!! They are addictive for sure. Two to share with you.
Fantastic Erratic is in Cougar Mtn Regional Park. Had to hike to it on the eastern side of the big park. It is marked on the park's map if you want to see this huge rock the size of a double car garage.
Then I have seen one not listed anywhere. It is on a side street off the Benson Highway above Renton. It is stranded in this 1960s house front yard. Ran across it while researching all the small abandoned coal mines around the Valley General Hospital area. Here is a link to a photo of it on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/61165626@N06/53061004032/in/dateposted-public/
To the Author if you would like to add to your list of Erratics I am quite certain there is one in Issaquah. If you would like to check it out with me some time let me know. I’ll show you where it is.
There is an erratic I believe in the neighborhood I grew up in (Lake City in N. Seattle) When I was much younger, I thought it was brought by landscapers and abandoned. Or dug out of a garden and left on the side of the road. It is between 23rd Ave NE and 22nd Ave NE
On 140th St. Just off NE 145th St. Right (S) of the light, left on 140th and mid block on the left. Just an FYI in case you need a new destination.
Thanks David! Being in Minnesota at the moment I am struck that our erratics here are considerably smaller in size than those in the Seattle area... I'll see if I can find a geologist here to explain that...
Actually, the West Duwamish Greenbelt, which borders South Seattle College, does have a glacial erratic. It's located on the Heron's Nest property, https://www.theheronsnest.org/, which is adjacent to the greenbelt. The erratic has split in two.
We live not to far from an extant erratic in South Snohomish County, it rests in Martha Lake Airport Park. Have friends who have practiced rock climbing on the boulder.
Not in Seattle, but The Big Rock of my childhood was “around the Point” from Point No Point lighthouse in Kitsap County. Where we went on hikes playing “stay on wood” because the sand was lava, in our feral childhood ramblings of the 1950s.
Just north of the border we have an entire municipality named after an erratic. The city of White Rock (BC) got its name from a giant granite boulder left by the shore. Supposedly it was so saturated in bird droppings that it stood out on the shoreline as white. Sadly now they paint it white, which means there's no way to see any of the actual rock (and it's usually covered in graffiti).
Markgrafenstein seems a few orders of magnitude underweight. Thank you for your observations and explorations.
David, First off, nice name! Second, I got that number from a paper about Goethe titled Goethe's Petrofiction: Reading the Wanderjahre in the Anthropocene. I admit I did not fact check it about weight so really have no clue. DBW
David "Not B" Williams - I thought this as well, and did some quick research. My first guess - that it is 700 _tons_, not 700 lbs, appears to be correct. (I would post a link to my source, but I don't know how sensitive DBW's spam detectors are to that kind of thing. )
In any case: yes, you're correct: three orders of magnitude off, and a multiplier of ~2.
Aha. That's the problem. I wrote pounds when I should have written tons, as you correctly pointed out. Thanks for noticing that.
Oh Erratics!! They are addictive for sure. Two to share with you.
Fantastic Erratic is in Cougar Mtn Regional Park. Had to hike to it on the eastern side of the big park. It is marked on the park's map if you want to see this huge rock the size of a double car garage.
Then I have seen one not listed anywhere. It is on a side street off the Benson Highway above Renton. It is stranded in this 1960s house front yard. Ran across it while researching all the small abandoned coal mines around the Valley General Hospital area. Here is a link to a photo of it on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/61165626@N06/53061004032/in/dateposted-public/
To the Author if you would like to add to your list of Erratics I am quite certain there is one in Issaquah. If you would like to check it out with me some time let me know. I’ll show you where it is.
There is an erratic I believe in the neighborhood I grew up in (Lake City in N. Seattle) When I was much younger, I thought it was brought by landscapers and abandoned. Or dug out of a garden and left on the side of the road. It is between 23rd Ave NE and 22nd Ave NE
On 140th St. Just off NE 145th St. Right (S) of the light, left on 140th and mid block on the left. Just an FYI in case you need a new destination.
Also -- an especially green erratic - 50 feet west on NE 50th St. at 32nd Ave NE.
On the south edge of Calvary Cemetery above UVillage.
Aprox. 8' long and 5' diameter.
It has a nice ocean green color. Definitely not granite. Very very polished and smooth.
Thanks David! Being in Minnesota at the moment I am struck that our erratics here are considerably smaller in size than those in the Seattle area... I'll see if I can find a geologist here to explain that...
Actually, the West Duwamish Greenbelt, which borders South Seattle College, does have a glacial erratic. It's located on the Heron's Nest property, https://www.theheronsnest.org/, which is adjacent to the greenbelt. The erratic has split in two.
More maps, sites, and not always boring names!
King County Erratics
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_erratic_boulders_of_King_County,_Washington
Puget Sound Erratics
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_erratic_boulders_of_the_Puget_Sound_region
We live not to far from an extant erratic in South Snohomish County, it rests in Martha Lake Airport Park. Have friends who have practiced rock climbing on the boulder.
Good sleuthing. Where on campus is the South Seattle College erratic--in the greenbelt?
Judy, I think I made a mistake and should have put this at Highline Community College. I have fixed it on my map.