Skeleton Series #3 - Lava Top Multi-Cache
Skeleton Series #3 - Lava Top
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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One of seven related caches in the 1997 Skeleton Burn. Access to the burn and the caches is via Ford Road which begins at the intersection of Goosney and Arnold Market Roads southeast of Bend. For about the first 0.4 miles the road crosses private land and then enters BLM lands. Some sections of the road are very rough and rocky. Follow Ford Road for about 4.4 miles to the starting point. Along the way you will pass near 2 benchmarks (PB0569 & PB0606) and 2 waymarks (WM6HA & WM6FX).
These caches should be accessable most of the year depending on winter snows. During winter dress warmly, during the summer carry plenty of water and a good hat for shade.
The fire openned up the view and exposed the landforms of the area. Within the burn there are four different lava flows: Kelsey, Skeleton, Stookey, and Lava Top. As you do this series of caches, notice the differences in landforms and rock outcrop patterns. All four waypoints for this cache are located in the Lava Top flows while the cache itself is located on Stookey lavas, notice the difference in outcrop pattern. The Lava Top Butte flows were erupted about 75,000 years ago from Lava Top Butte, about 6 miles to the southwest. These flows were tube fed and extend northward and are the same flows which form the Badlands. There are additional caches at some of the caves in the Lava Top flows to the southeast (GCVQXW, GCVQX5, GCVQWQ).
The listed coordinates are a good location to begin from (but feel free to start anywhere). There are four waypoints which must be visited for a total walk of about 2.5 miles. Along the way you will likely pass near an additional benchmark (PB0574). Each waypoint is marked by a 1-inch alluminum disk with a number on it. You need to recorded the number for each waypoint.
Waypoint #A N 43° 56.569’ W 121° 08.748’
Waypoint #B N 43° 56.487’ W 121° 09.352’
Waypoint #C N 43° 56.686’ W 121° 09.793’
Waypoint #D N 43° 56.466’ W 121° 09.706’
Cache Location N 43° 56.XXX W 121° 09.YYY
XXX = Sum of B+C then multiply by 5 and subtract 139
YYY = Sum of A+D then multiply by 2 and add 54
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
N - Qbja Cbaqrebfn
O - Ybj ba Whavcre fant
P - Ybj ba Cbaqrebfn
Q - Ybj ba Cbaqrebfn
Pnpur - Haqre ebpx arne ebhaq ubyrf