The Graze V.130: The Root of the Mountain

Dear Friends:

This week I met Vermont geologist, Peter Thompson. Peter is a retired geology professor and a “Visiting Scholar” at Dartmouth. He also is a mapping consultant for the New Hampshire Geological Survey. (Here is a link to this incredible geological map.)

Peter knocked on the vicarage door to share his discovery of the stone from which the Mission Farm Chapel (Church of Our Saviour) was built in 1895. According to Peter, the granite came from a quarry in Bethel. He showed me the mica deposits in the granite stones that are a signature of the stone in that location. We talked about how this stone made its way to this valley in 1894 - likely, down the White River to White River Junction and then by train to Woodstock where the stone was likely loaded in carts and hauled by oxen to this location. I am alway fascinated to learn more about the elements that share this space. I asked Peter about the history of the stone in this valley. He shared some geological history with me.

I can tell you that the mountain toward Killington is part of a large area of Precambrian rocks. On the map, the "grain" of the pattern runs E-W, unlike the rest of the state. The valley you are in follows the contact between those ancient rocks and somewhat younger rocks, which were deposited along what was then the eastern shore of Laurentia. Down the road from Mission Farm toward West Bridgewater, the ledges on the left include Plymouth Marble, under an overhang of schist. That's the same white layer that is quarried over on the road to Tyson. Higher up the slope is another calcareous layer that yielded microscopic fossils called conodonts, from around 460 million years ago…. The package of rocks east were caught up in a continental collision called the Taconian Orogeny (oros=mountains; gen=genesis), which produced a huge mountain range that forms the "roots" of the Green Mountains.

The story of this land gives our life and work meaning. Understanding the “roots” of the mountains where we live and work and play is essential for living a deep and authentic life. The larger story of the origins of this earth and the cosmos (our Ecological literacy ) gives us a clearer perspective of the ways our life is connected to Creation and helps guide the choices we make on this journey.

With deep gratitude for the gift of you and new friends who bring us a deeper understanding of our world,

Lisa