Sideling Hill, Maryland: a brief geological history

[@dancooper8551]

Driven through this roadcut hundreds of times over the years and always wondered about its geologic history. Thanks!

[@christosvoskresye]

Same for me, other than it would be dozens rather than hundreds.

[@peggieincolfaxca3818]

More! More! Thank you for the field trip!

[@pastorjerrykliner3162]

Thanks for this! I have lived in West Virginia and used to travel through the Sideling Hill cut to get from one side of the mountains to the other. I always loved going through the cut and always found it interesting, but I never had the vocabulary to understand what exactly I was seeing.

[@davemarney5716]

These outings are wonderful, I learn something new every time!

[@RicArmstrong]

During winter when its below freezing, the face of the cut is completely covered in massive ice sickles. I always live passing through this area.

[@byrongreene6234]

1966-67 I lived in Carroll county MD and was dating my to-become wife in Cumberland MD, about a 4 hour drive at that time. Many an evening and/or night in the winter I made the drive up the east side of sidling hill in an old Opel that barely made it up to the hairpin. There was a railroad style red blinking alternating red light at the western edge of the hairpin. If you didn't IMMEDIATELY turn hard right, you would literally run off the side of the mountain! Funny you would mention that. Twice, I almost drove off the side of the road at that apex. Once, my front wheels were off the road on the west edge of the (minescule) shoulder. I had to back up in thick fog in order to make the turn. Good old Route 40! I miss it about as much as the mumps.

[@Eclogite-lw5ye]

Very nice explanation.

[@timothysmith9854]

Very neat factoid about the oxbow lake striation

[@kimberlykessing4551]

Wonder video !

[@karenhunt7035]

By chance do you do geology field trips on the east coast? I'd love to try one out...

[@callanbentley]

Yes, in the summer I run a series of one credit field courses through PVCC.