Black Bears Domain Traditional Geocache
gpsfun: This cache has been archived. If the owner would like to replace it and have it reinstated, please contact me through my profile.
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-gpsfun
geocaching.com volunteer reviewer
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Not your grandpa's cache, not accessible from the comfort of your motor home or ATV. This is rugged country in the beautiful Wild River drainage and you gotta hike through trailless forest and steep uneven terrain to get to it.
From Gorham NH take route 2 east across the New Hampshire/Maine state line to Route 113 in Gilead, Maine. From the intersection of Routes 2 and 113, drive up the beautiful route 113 along the aptly named Wild River for about 1.6 miles, where you will find a gate (the road is closed in winter) and a good place to park your car.
Parking:
Lat N44 22.407
Long W070 59.339
Across the road from where you parked is a very steep forested hill. Start walking. If you bear to your left a little you will shortly cut the National Forest boundary line, which is blazed and painted red (and an abutter has added yellow paint too). Follow this blaze line up (and I do mean "UP") through dense forest growth for about 3/4 mile until you come to its intersection with another blaze line. Here you will find a rock cairn painted red, bearing tree markers dated 5/93, and an old wooden post.
The cache is located in a hollow beech tree near the red rock cairn. It is a two quart plastic container with a racket ball inside.
I surveyed, blazed, and painted this line in 1993 and like to visit from time to time. The post we cut and painted at the cairn was torn down and mauled by a bear within a month. It is HIS territory and he does not take kindly to our marking it as our own. Since then he, or his progeny, has also attacked and bent the metal "do not disturb the monument" sign too. You may notice a few tooth marks if you look closely.
The actual metal monument marking the boundry point has been missing since last year. Did the bear abscond with it?
Warning: this is a very steep and rugged landscape. You will have to bushwack the entire way. Even though the round trip is under 2-miles it will seem more like twice that. Bring proper footwear, clothing, insect repellant, and plenty of water.
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