Shaker (Shady) Glen, Woburn Multi-cache
Shaker (Shady) Glen, Woburn
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This multi stage cache isn’t for the feint of heart. It involves finding numerous rings and some serious hiking. Although the distance between the farthest east and the farthest west point is less than a mile, there are several points where you will be walking up the side of the glen. One trail covers a vertical change of about 90 feet over a horizontal change of 80 feet. Now for the details about the cache…
This multi consists of a number rings and a final. If you are extremely lucky you will only have to go through four stages to get the final cache. Extremely unlucky and you will have to find eight stages.
What does this mean?
The above coordinates are for the first ring (PVC pipe) that is near the first bridge at the east end of the glen. On that ring are written TWO sets of coordinates. For reference we will call them points M & B. (randomly generated letters) Whichever set of coordinates you choose will lead you to another ring with another TWO sets of coordinates. If you go to M you will find coordinates for L & S or if you go to B you will find Y & G. Again you pick a set to go to and find another ring. Get the point?
At some point you may see a set of coordinates that you saw on an earlier ring. Or, you may even see coordinates for a ring you already found. If you do not go back to a ring you already found, and you do not go to M and then decide to find B as well, you will complete this multi in no more than eight stages. If you get lucky, you can do it in fewer rings. Let us know in your log how many stages you went through.
Some words of caution:
1. I am not kidding about the steep hiking trails. The distance is not long, but it will tax you.
2. Bring bug spray and be aware it is humid in the summer, bring lots of water.
3. Winter and snow will make it much harder to do.
4. Don’t try it at night. Not recommended.
5. The bridges are there for a reason, so please use them. The stream running through the glen in many areas makes for a muddy trek. There are no waypoints or caches hidden under the bridges.
6. Just down stream from the middle bridge is an interesting rock out cropping. Be careful if you walk through there.
7. Not all rings are hidden the same.
8. As with all geocaching, be careful where you trek.
Useful/interesting points in the glen
1. Parking on Waverly - 42 27.845 071 10.848
2. The marker - 42 27.878 071 10.846 The market covered in green
3. The lower bridge Over the river and through the woods...
4. The middle bridge B-E-A-utiful!
5. The upper bridge The quiet side
Still Life on the Bridge
6. A tree with a wooden ladder Picture in Munin’s log
7. Lookout point Picture in Berjr1’s log
8. Snowing on the trailPicture in jdevor’s log
A final word, I would plan at least 2-3 hours to do this cache. It may take even longer. If you start this and stop part way through, list it as a note to let others know how far you got. When you finish the cache, let us know how many rings you went through and how much total time you spent in the glen.
History of the area
The Shakers were a religious sect in England, which fled to America during the late eighteenth century and established a community at New Lebanon, New York. Shortly thereafter, a small group, led by Ann Lee, came to Woburn to start a Shaker “family”. They set up a farm along what is today Lexington Street. Woburn soon proved unfavorable to their settlement so they returned to New York. In 1853 the area where they had lived was given the name Shaker’s Glen. In 1977 a descriptive stone marker was erected at the Summit Street entrance of Shaker Glen to commemorate the Shaker settlement.
About Shaker Glen
Shaker Glen is a densely wooded area on the Shaker Glen Brook. A pond and cattail marsh are located at the lower portion of the glen and an evergreen forest with eastern hemlocks, red cedars, and white pines runs along the northern bank.
Shaker Glen is considered by many to have the finest hemlock grove in Massachusetts. The trees soar to heights of over seventy-five feet. Their graceful branches form a canopy, filtering out noise and shading the forest floor, which is covered with velvety green moss and a cushion of pine needles. British Soldiers, lichen so named for its bright red color, and coral fungus, grow in the moist, rich soil. Along the southern bank of the brook is a hardwood forest with towering oaks and sycamores, black birches, and red maples. The low bushes and shrubs that grow here attract many species of birds and woodland creatures such as squirrels, woodchucks, and foxes. The Shaker Glen Brook has carved its path through the rocks, creating a spectacular ravine.
A marked nature trail extends past the pond and marsh and through the forest on either side of the Shaker Glen Brook. A printed brochure describing fourteen nature stations along the way is available free of charge from the Woburn Conservation Commission office. The upper portion of the glen is quite steep and presents itself as a challenging climb for hikers. An Indian Bowl has been discovered in the rocks.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy the hike,
Loch Cache
Those who have made the trek:
1. Bigrock95 – 7 Stages – 4:15
2 & 3. Lhollo777 & Berjr1 – 9 Stages – 4:00+
4. Munin – 9 Stages – 5:00+?
5. BlueEyz and Bugsy. – 7 Stages – 3:00+/-
6. BrianG (Mr. Lucky) - 3 Stages and luck - 1:10
7. Theseus & the closer "Dan" - 9 Stages - 3 trips - time?
8. doublewe - 8 Stages, 2 trips, 6 hours
9-12. cwren, SteelWolf, Philidelphia Chicken, & Dash-ers (+2 muggles)
- 9 Stages - 2:40 for four people or 10:40 total hours not counting the muggles
13-14. RTMASSACHUSETTS & mandrake666 - ? Stages - 4:00 +/-
16. g-o-cachers - 7 stages - 2:20 Fist Log Find Log
17. Teamhawaii1981 & blueicyrose - 9 stages - 2:35 Fist Log Find Log
18. Fezziwig377 - 9 stages - 3+ hours Find Log
19. Trail Buzzards - 9 stages - 2:30 Find Log
20. The Cannon - 7 stages - 2:35 Find Log
21. CowboyX - 3 stages and luck - ??? Followed BrianG's method Find Log
22. davidbruce - 7 stages – 3.5 hours Find Log
23. algresse – All the rings – 4002B hours Find Log
24. chasandmeg – 9 rings – 4+ hours Find Log
25. jdevor & Sarah – 8 rings – 5 hours First Log Find Log
Correct me if I am wrong!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[first ring]onfr bs gerr
[final] lbh pna gel gb certhrff onfrq ba jurer gur evatf ner cynprq, ohg lbh jvyy cebonoyl raq hc orvat jebat