KFC: Old Shagbark Traditional Geocache
Biergardner: Too muggly in this area to replace.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This is the first in a new series dedicated to the young cachers out there. It is not only a cache for the kids but also contains a bit of a lesson. The KFC designation refers to Kid Friendly Cache, not the popular chicken place.
The Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) is a common hickory in the eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 27 m tall, and will live up to 200 years old. Mature Shagbarks are easy to recognize because, as their name implies, they have shaggy bark. This character is however only found on mature trees; young specimens have smooth bark.
The leaves are 30-60 cm long, pinnate, with five (rarely three or seven) leaflets, the terminal three leaflets much larger than the basal pair. The flowers are small wind-pollinated catkins, produced in spring. The fruit is an edible nut, 2.5-4 cm long with a green four-valved cover which splits off at maturity in the fall and a hard, bony shell.
The nuts are edible with an excellent flavor, and are a popular food among those who know them. The trees bear too seldom for them to be grown commercially. Shagbark Hickory wood is used for smoking meat and for making the bows of Native Americans of the northern area.
NOTE: Anyone else interested in adding to this series please follow the theme/style of this cache as we could all learn a bit more about our environment. Thanks.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Funttl Fghzc