Swords into Plowshares Multi-cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Welcome to Kincaid Park… once the nuclear-equipped component of a ‘Ring of Steel’ that protected local military bases from aerial and surface attack during the Cold War. This photo shows the battery in the early 1960s, looking west.
Kincaid Park is the former home of the Army’s Site A, 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery. Beginning in the late 1950s Nike-Hercules missiles stationed here stood watch against bomber and ICBM threats from the Soviet Union. Site A on the point near Anchorage’s airport, Site B on the summit of Mount Gordon Lyon (high above east Anchorage), and Site C located across the inlet at Goose Bay were part of an integrated air defense system with secondary ground strike capability. Site A remained active until 1979 as America’s last nuclear warhead Nike-Hercules missile battery on active duty. Upon deactivation the site was transferred to the Municipality of Anchorage for use as a park – a positive legacy of the Cold War era.
Today Kincaid Park is a world-class recreation facility featuring a biathlon shooting range, field archery range, hundplatz (dog training park), motocross park, and miles of ski / running / biking / hiking trails. One of the missile launch bunkers has been converted into the multipurpose Kincaid Chalet, while another bunker is a waxing / warming building available for the many school and sporting events held at Kincaid. Other launch and supply bunkers are used for storage and maintenance activities. The Integrated Fire Control Facility’s buildings and radar towers have been torn down, leaving only foundations behind to mark their former presence near the hundplatz.
This cache was established using donations from participants in the Kincaid Park CITO Event held April 16, 2005.
The coordinates listed take you to one of the missile battery bunkers. Look for the 4-digit building number, painted in black on the west face of the bunker. Using these four digits, calculate the actual cache coordinates as follows:
N 61 09.5AB W 150 0C.DE0
A = 2nd building number character divided by 2
B = 3rd building number character
C = 2nd building number character divided by 4
D = 4th building number character
E = 2nd building number character minus 4th building number character
Please rehide the Decon Container cache very very carefully to prevent unplanned discovery! The original large ammo can went missing in winter of 2005-6 due to muggles.
…and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Bapr ntnva, gur ohvyqvat ahzore fvtacyngr unf orra fgbyra. Gur ohvyqvat lbh frrx jnf cnvagrq jvgu gur ahzoref 9801... naq guvf vf gur ahzore lbh arrq gb hfr gb fbyir gur svany.