To access the cache I recommend taking the Rock Circuit Trail
counter clockwise. Park at the lot at N 42°26.567' E 71°04.766',
cross the highway, and enter the Fells at Gate 52. If you're in the
mood for a modest hike with a bit of climbing (and wild
blueberries!), take the Rock Circuit Trail from Gate 52. If you
want a little less climbing you can take the Fells Path to the
Black Rock Path to Pinnacle Path, which then crosses the Rock
Circuit trail. The paths are fire roads, not hiking trails, and
they are easier going. To identify paths and trails you can use the
trail map which should be on display at the parking area.
There are other places one can park that are quite close to the
cache; if you want a quick in-and-out rather than a nice walk or
hike, I'll leave it to you to find them.
The cache itself is in a little valley just off the Rock Circuit
Trail. This part of the park is normally not heavily used, so
Muggle problems are unlikely, but there have been occasional
infestations of paintballers. You may see their spoor.
The Surprise is roughly 160 feet NE of the cache; you will do
best to return to the Rock Circuit trail and continue
counterclockwise, following the white blazes. You will climb a
small rock, pass through another little valley, and then be
confronted by what looks like a stiff climb, but is actually pretty
easy if you use your hands a little bit. If you don't already know
that corner of the park, you'll get a sudden, pleasant surprise at
the top. And if you look around, you might even find a benchmark
:-)
It is also possible to approach the cache by traversing the Rock
Circuit Trail in a clockwise direction, but that more or less
spoils the surprise, as it quickly becomes obvious what's
happening.
Safety note: when there are leaves or snow on the ground, parts
of the Rock Circuit Trail can become quite slippery. In places, you
will want to climb with your hands.
The cache itself is a 10-cup Rubbermaid container. It was
initially stocked with
- For the First to Find, an unactivated pair of dog tags for a
Travel Bug
- A blue logbook with mechanical pencil
- A singing top
- A small, magnetic calculator
- A pair of brass candlesticks
- One container of genuine, glow-in-the-dark Mars Mud
- Two AA batteries to feed those hungry GPS units
- A pair of Thinsulate "geocacher's mittens"—the mitten part
peels back and they become fingerless gloves
The coordinates were obtained by averaging 7 GPS readings taken
over four visits. There's substantial variation in signal, so the
coordinates may get you only within 20 or 30 feet of the cache. If
that's not good enough, consult the first paragraph of the
hint.
The second paragraph of the hint explains the surprise, so you
needn't bother trying to decode it while in the field.