HIDDEN VALLEY Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Trailhead is across the road from the NEW MINAS water tower on highway 101. Trail leads to a "Hidden Valley" and cache is located inside the valley.
This has been a favorite spot of mine since I was a young Boy Scout. It is located in the area of the old New Minas Scout camp which burned down in the 60s I believe. It is a beautiful spot. The Hidden Valley is quite small but has a waterfall pouring over the side and down through the valley and out the entrance and exit to the valley.
As you walk south from the trailhead you will find the trail is easy walking, but does cross the brook three times. Early on you will walk beside a small waterfall cascading down beside the trail.
The trail offers several forks, but trust to your GPS and you should be fine. You will need to take a right hand fork about 500 meters in. The Hidden Valley is about 270 meters beyond that fork. You will see the remains of some old stoves along the trail that were once part of the Scout camp. At time of placement there is a silver fender on the corner where you need to turn right.
Follow the trail to the end until you see the spot where the brook leaves the valley.The entrance to the valley requires you to walk beside the brook as it cascades out of the valley through a narrow crevice. It can be wet going, but is easily navigatable by small children.
When placing the cache I was disappointed to see that some kids have left the remains of a small fort and their personal refuse strewn around one side of the valley, but it still has a magical feel to it.
The cache itself is hidden on the right side of the valley as you enter and should be an easy find with the hint. The tree cover and the valley itself offered an accuracy of only 8 meters when we placed the cache, so the hint may be needed.
I have alway made everyone I have taken there to swear to secrecy on the location. So SHHH! Take time to cross the brook inside the valley and explore the waterfall tumbling into the valley on the back left corner. It has often been a favorite spot for a picnic as well.
The cache is well stocked and starts out with two travel bugs. One is ours and is beginning its journey into the offroad. The other is an ATV that we are moving along. Our travel bug that started its journey here...has been to Florida...the Czech Republic...and is as of August 09 making it's way around Sweden...very cool for a bug from Hidden Valley!
You may park beside the road or park at the end of the cul-de-sac in the subdivision by the water tower and cross the highway through the culvert in drier times.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur pnpur vf va n yhapuobk fvmrq ebpx pnir arne rlr yriry ba gur evtug fvqr bs gur inyyrl jnyy arne jurer lbh ragre gur inyyrl.
Treasures
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