This path was built by WV's 9th Governor William A. MacCorkle. He constructed a mansion on top of the south hill overlooking downtown Charleston and appropriately named it Sunrise. He found that Bridge Road was too steep for the oxen to pull carts loaded with stone used during construction of his new home. He then excavated this path for the sole purpose of allowing the oxen a gentler grade to pull the carts of stone up the hill. In the late 1900s the mansion was used as a children's museum until the summer of 2003 when the Clay Center opened downtown. The mansion is currently home to a law firm that painstakingly restored it to it's original grandeur. The path is owned and maintained by a land trust. It is more commonly known as the Sunrise Carriage Trail.
To get started go to the posted coordinates. Parking is available on Justice Row, however it is an unmarked street. There is a “no outlet” sign at the entrance. Be careful entering and exiting this sharp turn. You can also park downtown and walk across the South Side Bridge to get to the starting point. Please note that all phases of this cache can (AND MUST!) be done from the main paths. When permission was granted to use this trail for geocaching, we were instructed to keep people on the path and not allow hiking up and down the hillside. The main path is a gravel road, not too steep. If you prefer a shortcut you may use the steps on the right just after Part 3. This reduces the distance between the 3rd point and the final cache location. If you choose the shortcut you will miss a cave and also a monument erected by the Governor in memory of his daughter that was killed in an auto accident. As you proceed up the hill do not use either of the two sets of steps that are on your left (they lead to private property). The gravel will be rough on wheelchairs. It is bike friendly (maybe not for road bikes), jogger friendly, and dog friendly. This cache is available daylight to dusk 365 days a year. The path is closed at night. Remember to be careful entering and exiting the parking area “Justice Row” AKA (no outlet).
Part 1 The posted coordinates are for the starting point of the multi.
Part 2 From the posted coordinates, refer to both plaques for the clues to the 2nd part. To find coordinates for a, find the sum of the digits in the earliest year then add 685. To find b, find the sum of the digits in the most recent year then add 367.
38 20 a
81 38 b
Part 3 At the second location multiply the number of spies by 4 then add 769 to find c. Find the sum of the digits in the year reburied and add to 393 to find d.
38 20 c
81 38 d
Part 4 CACHE At the 3rd location you will find a clue to achieve the final cache location. The cache is a small container. It can hold small items and travel bugs. You should allow about 45 minutes for this find.
Happy Hunting.
