HART'S HILL Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Screw-top plastic bottle containing a few trinkets - located near the summit.
I became a Wakefield resident at age 7 in November 1942 – at that time there was a network of FIRE LOOKOUT TOWERS in this north-of-Boston area. In the tower was a Geodetic map and a pelorus for taking bearings. The rangers could pinpoint the location of a fire by taking bearings on the smoke column and plotting the cross bearings on their maps; communication between towers was by telephone, I think, though they may have had radios.
There is a picture at:
(visit link)
The concrete footings for the Wakefield fire tower are still there on the bald summit of Hart’s Hill, but the tower itself is long gone! Below, to the west, is Crystal Lake, our drinking water supply. When the foliage is off the trees, Wakefield Square can be seen to the north.
The photo (inside the front cover of the cache visitor log) was taken in May 1953, and shows Reading Commuter train No. 153 steaming past Wakefield Junction Station. (It also is long gone.) Above the locomotive cab, you can make out Hart’s Hill Fire Tower in the haze. At the right is the edge of Crystal Lake.
The CACHE IS LOCATED NEAR THE SUMMIT. It was originally an ammo box, but a muggle stole it; so it is now a large plastic screw-top container. There is parking in the J.J. ROUND PARK, aka HART’S HILL RESERVATION on Main Street. Look for the trail at the edge of the parking lot. It is a short hike, less than 500 feet, but the ascent is fairly steep.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[New container hidden on 7 April 2013 is at a slightly different location, about 40 feet NW from the previous place whose coordinates are still given above; so modify your search accordingly, and please carefully replace and hide the cache after your find. If you can, bring a TRASH BAG and help clean some of the junk off this beautiful and historic place.]