Moss bed 1 Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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small container that holds a few items of swag - camo taped to help feed the local skeeter population...
This cache is located in what the locals around here refers to as a “Moss marsh”.
In our local marsh systems, long fibered sphagnum moss grows abundantly. Most gardeners are familiar with the use of sphagnum moss for it’s ability to retain moisture. The harvesting process is labor intensive, in that the product passes many hands, before it actually reaches the store shelf.
The “pulling” of the moss into piles in the marsh is done by hand with large pull forks, which then is loaded onto floats, to be hauled to the drying bed.
You possibly may drive through a typical “moss bed” (open area surrounded by woods) where the moss is spread out to allow the sun to dry it for bailing. When the moss becomes full grown in the marsh, the small field is mowed and dragged, so the moss can be brought to the bed for drying. Usually its spread out so that the sun can dry the top side. Then it is flipped over by hand rakes, so the other side can dry as well.
Once it’s dry, it is bucked up into piles, then bailed by hand and stored under plastic, until it can be hauled into town.
Most of the areas moss is harvested by private entrepreneurs, who then sell it to a local buyer, who happens to be one of the largest producer of sphagnum moss products, in the world. The Mosser Lee Company, which is headquartered in Millston Wisconsin, started the business of retailing sphagnum moss in 1932, operating continuously under the same family ownership, even to this day.
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Peter Bakken, Black River State Forest Superintendent. Geocaches placed within the State Forest requires permission by means of a notification form. We would like to thank the State of Wisconsin for allowing us to place caches within the State Forest so all can enjoy the area as we have.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
whfg sbyybj gur qveg ebnq fbhgu - guvf vf jurer gur zbff vf obhtug sebz gur znefu...