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Turquoise Cache Traditional Cache

Hidden : 8/19/2001
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

An easy cache located near the abandoned mineral mines west of Orogrande, NM. Great for rockhounds.

"Ole Perk" S. M. Perkins, wandering the Jarilla Mountains west of present-day Orogrande, was captured by Mescalero Apaches--but when the Apaches noticed Ole Perk was deformed, they released him and he continued on seeking riches. Near the turn of the century, he found mineral deposits that resulted in a rush to the area. His property later became known as the Mannie (or Nannie) Baird mine and it also became the site of Brice, New Mexico.

Then George E. Moffett, around 1905, discovered a gold nugget "as large as a man's finger", and so the town east of Brice came to be called Oro grande (big gold) instead of Jarilla Junction. This started a gold rush and for several years, Orogrande was a hub of mining activity. Hundreds of miners flocked to the area and hastily built houses. However, as is often the case, the amount of gold was less than could support all of the activity, so the town slowly dried up. All that is left today is a post office and a few highway-side businesses.

The cache is located a little northwest of Orogrande in the midsts of the mining area. (Be careful with small children as there are plenty of old open mines in the area.) Turquoise is abundant, and even the casual rockhound will have a blast here.

To reach the cache take the dirt road turnoff just north of Orogrande (at 32 deg 23.238' N, 106 deg 5.871' W). Follow the road a mile or two up the riverbed. The road is passible with 2WD, but the more clearance you have, the further you'll get before you'll want to get out and walk. The cache is on a ridge on one of the hills and will require a short, easy hike.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Svaq gur ybar gnyy lhppn naq jnyx guvegl cnprf RAR. Vg vf uvqqra va gur yrqtr nybat gur evqtr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)