Monument Rocks BOD Cache Traditional Cache
Cathy: Archiving at request of property owner. Please remove the geocache container as quickly as possible.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is in the area of Monument Rocks / Chalk Pyramids. There is a road that comes in from the north and one that comes in from the south. NEITHER ROAD SHOULD BE TRAVELED IN WET OR SNOWY CONDITIONS. THE SOUTH ROUTE IS PARTICULARLY BAD WHEN IT IS RAINING OR SNOWING. A car can easily travel the roads if it is dry. The cache is an OD green medical kit about 4x6x2 inches.
This cache is located in an area rich in history from prehistoric and pioneers days. The webpage above gives a lot of history. The cache is close (within 160 feet) of a Butterfield Overland Dispatch marker. That marker is at N 38-47.344, W 100-45.776. The Smokey Hill Trail and the BOD ran through this area. The Smokey Hill Trail was the shortest route to the Colorado gold fields but it was also the most dangerous due to Indian conflicts and various other hardships. A BOD station and fort were located somewhere in this area but I do not know the exact spot. This is open range so watch for cattle on the road.
In prehistoric times this area was covered by an inland sea and many important fossils have been located along the Smokey Hill
River. Fossil hunting is prohibited without the express consent of landowners and you are not likely to get permission. Fossils from this area are in museums all over the world but some of the most important finds are at Sternburg Museum in Hays and at the Keystone Gallery which is located on the highway at the end of the road going south from the cache. On the road going south from the cache you will cross the Smokey Hill River and just north of the river is a grove of native cottonwood trees(the best shade in the world). Nestled in the trees is a ranch house and an impressive stone barn. Do not go into this private property without stopping to get permission. Also on the south route is a historic cemtetery, Pyramid View, if you are into that sort of thing.
The area has a lot of wildlife. We have seen deer, antelope, pheasants, raccoons, turkeys, owls, cliff swallows, hawks, song birds, bats, and rattlesnakes.
While you are in the area check out Keystone Gallery, the Nature Conservancy, the buffalo herd, and Scott City Lake. Scott Lake is unique to the area and truly an oasis on the prairie. El Cuartelope, an Indian Pueblo, is located at the lake as is the the Steele Homestead Museum. The pueblo at Scott Lake is the northern most one ever found. The lake has RV and primative camping and is a great place to fish. Several caches and benchmarks are in the lake area. Another important historical location near the lake is Squaw's Den. A cache is located there. This has to do with the flight of the Cheyenne Indians from the reservation in Oklahoma and their attempt to get back to their home area in the Dakotas. There was a battle with the calvery at Squaw's Den and then the Indians continued on up to Decatur County raiding farms and ranches as they went to replenish their supplies and animals that were lost in the battle with the calvery.
To the south of the lake, the town of Scott City has a very nice historical museum.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
"Bhpu!" Oruvqr naq haqre. "Bhpu!"
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