Papa Bear Smith Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A child-friendly cache located along the Smith's Island Nature Trail. Papa Bear Smith is one bear of a three bear cache series. The other caches in the series are Mama Bear Smith and Baby Bear Smith.
Papa Bear Smith is hidden at Smith's Island Recreation Area, which is maintained by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and many volunteers. This recreation area is great for outdoor enthusiasts, fishing, and bird watching. The nature trail is well maintained and is easy to navigate as it is hard packed with wood chips. The trail is abundant with wildflowers in the spring and animals are certain to be seen year-round. Be sure to take some time to stop and rest on the dock that overlooks the great Mississippi River.
You can visit the Smith's Island Nature Trail website at the following link:
http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/missriver/SmithsIsland/Smith.htm
You can also visit the Featured National Recreation Trails website highlighting Smith's Island Nature Trail at the following link:
http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/trailNRT/SmithIs-IA.html
Now Papa Bear Smith normally is a good father, but he was supposed to be watching Baby Bear Smith while Mama Bear Smith was out shopping. Unfortunately while he was distracted by the Iowa Hawkeyes football game, Baby Bear Smith slipped out the back door of the Smith's den and wandered off. Papa Bear Smith has looked high and low on Smith's Island, but Baby Bear Smith is nowhere to be found.
This is where he needs some help to find Baby Bear Smith. When you locate Papa Bear Smith there will be some coordinates inside the cache container, which is an ammo box. You will need to make note of the coordinates and use them to help find Baby Bear Smith. It's a big world out there and time is of the essence.
This cache will not be too difficult to locate as it is close to the trail, but some stealth may be required to prevent muggles from discovering the cache. If you choose to locate this cache first, continue to follow the trail in the same direction and follow the loop around to get to the next cache.
Note: (Please Read)
This Papa Bear Smith cache has been placed on U.S Army Corp of Engineers property with the expressed written permission from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Thomson Park Rangers. Permit #MR-06-01
Unauthorized cache(s) on Corp of Engineers property will be removed and the responsible person(s) may be cited under the Federal Code of Regulations, Title 36, Part 327.
Thomson Park Rangers have requested that the seeker(s) of this cache remain on the hard packed trail as long as possible to avoid excessive trampling of vegetation. There is also an old homestead on the property that they do not want damaged, defaced, or dismantled in any way, shape, or form. Please respect all park property to allow this cache to remain for the enjoyment of everyone.
Please be sure to cover the cache container completely and after your visit and thank you for your patronage to a SpaceCowboy & PattyAnn Geocache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cyrnfr er-pbire gur pbagnvare jvgu angheny pnzb nsgre fvtavat va. Gunax lbh!