Raven Cliffs First Cache Multi-cache
Geocaching HQ Admin: The cache owner is not responding to issues with this listing, so I must regretfully archive it.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This is the first cache on the Raven Cliff Trail. This area is my favorite part of N. GA. There is a very good trail to the cliffs. The NEW parking area is at N34° 42.570' W083° 47.352'. PLEASE park in the new parking area. There is a restroom there, and a $2.00 parking fee now applies. The cache has been moved and modified 11-4-2001. You must have water, and I would bring a snack along also. This hike is around five miles total.
This cache is now a multi-stage cache. The final cache is still in an area of HUGE hemlock trees, just like the original cache location. The clues to the final cache location are along the Raven Cliffs Trail. These clues illustrate the work that has to be done in a Wilderness Area since you cannot have mechanical tools and stuff. The last clue is very near the cliffs, so go see them after you get the last answer.
| First Clue: N 34° 42.872'
W 83° 47.840' |
Here you will cross a log
bridge. You can see the hand construction out of natural materials. Nails hold the bridge
to the foundation. How many logs do you walk on for the main span of the bridge, and DO
NOT include the foundation pieces that they are nailed to. That is A below.
|
| Second Clue: N 34° 43.219'
W 83° 48.892' |
Here you will see a tree with
blue paint on it. Some trees have one blaze; some have one on both sides. The number of
blazes on this tree is B below. They are faded because you cannot have blazes in a
Wilderness Area. These are from 1986. This spot is where I met a friend, Bo, who became a
Volunteer.
|
| Third Clue: N 34° 43.374'
W 83° 49.194' |
Here you will cross another
bridge. It is constructed different than the first. Note the number of pieces of wood that
make up the span of the bridge, NOT including the lower foundation. Subtract one from that
number, and enter it as C below. The blowdown uphill is the first tree I cleared off of the
trail.
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| Cache Location: N 34° 42. _ _ 0'
W 83° 47. _ _ _'
N 34° 42. A B 0'
W 83° 47. A C B' |
Plug in A, B, and C from above
for the cache location. You can walk from where your car is if you like. You can also go
back to your car and drive a short way down the gravel road to get closer to the cache. It
is just off the road, outside of the Wilderness Area. There is a small area where you can
pull off and park. It is a green ammo box and is not buried but will be covered in leaves. There is no established path to the cache. It is totally off trail but not that far of a walk. |
You will pass one waterfall at the one-mile mark, and the second waterfall will be at the 1.25-mile mark. The total walk to Raven Cliff and the last two waterfalls is 2.5 miles one way. The fourth waterfall can only be seen from the top of the cliff, a VERY TOUGH climb. The hike is generally flat, with a few light hills mixed in. This is a VERY busy trail at times. There is heavy tree cover while the leaves are on the trees, so reception goes in and out. GPS reception should get better as winter knocks the leaves off of the trees. At N34° 43.198' W84° 48.827' there is an old short rock wall along the small creek that the trail crosses. It is on the east edge of the creek, and there is a flat area there. It looks like one of the old logging campsites. Another well made wall is seen at the left of the cliffs.
This area is wilderness, and there are definately wild animals here. I have seen many deer here, and yes even bears. I have not seen boar here, but I have seen signs of them close to this area. I have seen more wild turkeys here than I can count. NO mountain bikes are allowed on this trail, and no mechanized equipment. NO rappelling is allowed on the cliff. All trail work has been done with hand tools.
I have done a good bit of trail work on this trail over the years, and just want to share it with Geocachers who have not been here before. Backpack and camp here, just carry out your trash and keep this area looking better than you found it. I have seen over 400 people a day on this trail in October. It is just that nice a place to hike.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur pnpur vf abj arne n pbhcyr bs ynetr gerrf gung ner oybja qbja. Vg vf pbirerq jvgu fbzr yrnirf. Gur crbcyr ba gur qhxrf perrx genvy pna or urneq qbja npebff gur perrx fbzrgvzrf. V jvyy gryy lbh gung gur ynfg pyhr vf uneqre, naq qb abg ernq shegure vs lbh qb abg jnag n fcbvyre. Qbag ernq guvf hayrff lbh jnag na rnfl fcbvyre. Gur ynfg pyhr vf svir zvahf bar rdhnyf gur guveq nafjre.