The mudstone was pushed up on top of the marble and limestone by the great force of moving continents, and it remains today as a hard cap on top of the Taconics, protecting the soft marble from erosion. Because of this protective cap, we see marble and limestone at unusually high elevations on Mount Equinox and surrounding mountains. It is that high-elevation marble that makes this place unique.
Marble weathers easily. Water moving through it can quickly create crevices and cracks that over time become caves and caverns. Underground streams are abundant, popping out at the surface as springs and seeps.
Marble also contains an abundance of plant nutrients, so the slopes of Mount Equinox are extraordinarily rich. The constantly weathering bedrock creates a steady source of nutrients, and gravity moves those nutrients down slope, creating a rich compost-like soil that is ideal for plants. Here we find a Rich Fen, Rich Northern Hardwood Forest, Calcareous Outcrops, and many rare and unusual plants.