Tunneling Poland Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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An abandoned tunnel from the Poland branch of the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad.
Your GPS receiver will take you close to this cache, but not all the way.
I’ve talked to folks who have driven this road for years and never knew this abandoned tunnel from the Poland branch of the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was here. It’s been one of our favorite spots for about three decades now, though, and we wanted more people to know about it.
It’s a short tunnel, blasted into solid rock with black powder. The friend who introduced us to this area says that when he was a kid, wooden ties, steel spikes, and pieces of rail could still be found inside. Today, piles of boulders and rock line the floor of the tunnel, but there’s plenty of flat ground to walk on, too. The sides and roof of the tunnel have black stains, reportedly from the oil and smoke of the locomotives that used to travel to and from the area mines.
Be sure, too, to check out the small waterfall to the right of the tunnel entrance. It’s been mostly dry for some time, but if we ever get some substantial rain again, it’ll be lovely and may even send some water down the road.
Sadly, this is also a party place, with lots of graffiti. Although there was none here we considered offensive when we placed the cache, there has been in the past, so you might want to take a peek before you bring the kiddies in. We hauled out a good deal of trash, but encourage you to bring a bag to help clean up a little more.
Entry to the tunnel can be made from either end, but we recommend the one closest to the coordinates provided above. There’s a steep, but very short, walk on loose rock to get over the pile designed to keep vehicles out of the tunnel, but with a little care, just about any-bodied person should be able to get in and out fairly easily.
Once inside, head toward that giant boulder at the western end of the tunnel. After that, you’re on your own. Well, unless you decrypt the hint.
Have fun!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gb gur yrsg bs gur ovt obhyqre arne gur svyyrq-va raq bs gur ghaary. Gbgny Fcbvyre: Fgenvtug orybj gur ybir abgr gb Ybeevr. Vs lbh fgvyy pna'g svaq vg, fraq na rznvy naq jr'yy ercyl jvgu n cubgb cbvagvat gb gur pnpur.