A 5-part multi-cache challenge that will take you through a
picturesque section of the Blue Hills. The hike is about a one mile
loop around the reservation. The stops are within 50 feet of the
well traveled, wide trails. In the summer, stage #1 may be a bit
overgrown. At each stop along the way you will receive the
coordinates to find the next stop and an additional number. Make
sure you remember what that extra number is or you'll have
difficulty at the final.
This area of the reservation was the site of the 1930's St.
Moritz Winter Carnival. There are man-made ponds created for
skating and the remains of a ski jump can be seen at intersection
marker 4205. The trailhead can be reached from the parking lot of
the Shea Skating Rink on Willard Street in Quincy.
"Located only minutes from the bustle of
downtown Boston, the MDC Blue Hills Reservation stretches over
7,000 acres from Quincy to Dedham, Milton to Randolph, providing a
green oasis in an urban environment. Rising above the horizon,
Great Blue Hill reaches a height of 635 feet, the highest of the 22
hills in the Blue Hills chain. From the rocky summit visitors can
see over the entire metropolitan area. With its scenic views,
varied terrain and 125 miles of trails, the Blue Hills Reservation
offers endless hours of enjoyment for the outdoor enthusiast.
The Blue Hills were so named by early European explorers who,
while sailing along the coastline, noticed the bluish hue on the
slopes when viewed from a distance. More than ten thousand years
before those Europeans arrived, Native Americans made their home in
the hills. The Natives referred to themselves as Massachusett, or
"people of the great hills". Eventually the Europeans began
settling in this region. The colonists built houses and barns,
cleared fields for crops and livestock and logged the hillsides for
lumber.
In 1893, the Metropolitan Parks Commission purchased the lands of
Blue Hills Reservation as one of the first areas set aside for
public recreation. Today, the reservation is rich in both
archaeological and historic resources. Sixteen historic structures
listed on the National Register tell the fascinating tales of
Native Americans, explorers, farmers, quarry workers and inventors.
Additionally the Blue Hills Weather Observatory, a National
Historic Landmark, sits atop Great Blue Hill, as a crowning
feature.
The living treasures of the Blue Hills include flora, fauna and
natural phenomena -from coyotes to copperheads, dogwoods to lady's
slippers, and turkey vultures to dragonflies. Trails traverse
upland and bottomland forests, marsh, swamp and pond edges, meadows
and an Atlantic white cedar bog. A great variety of plant and
animal life thrive in the diverse habitats, including several rare
and endangered species in Massachusetts, such as the timber
rattlesnake." - The Department of Conservation and
Recreation
NOTE: We have redone this cache and
lowered the difficulty level. Today we found that the container at
stage #3 had been muggled. This is the third one that has gone
missing. While looking for it we found the original container that
we had placed there years ago! How strange. We decided to use it
again and leave it only a few inches from where it was originally.
At stage #4 the GPS reception is poor so we suggest that you take
the hint along in case you need it. This is such a nice area for
walking that we don't want to archive the cache. We are going to
see if we can keep it from being muggled this time.
This area is open in the winter but the cache will be difficult
to find after a heavy snowfall.