Willamette Meridian - IX Traditional Cache
Hidden : 3/20/2009
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

FTF: April 3, 2009 - By: BikingToby.

 

 

THIS IS A DAY CACHE ONLY!
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE ATTRIBUTES!
WHAT IS THE WILLAMETTE MERIDIAN AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

        GPS systems and satellites aside, the real reason people know where they are going on their travels, is because of a more than 100 year old system of land markers made of cedar stakes and chiseled stone.

        You might not care too much about latitude and longitude, when it's time to travel to the grocery store. But ask an astronaut, a land surveyor or even a lost tourist with a navigation system in his car and the lines mean the world.

        The Willamette Meridian is the principle survey line from which the rectangular surveys of Oregon and Washington were commenced. William Ives, Deputy Surveyor, commenced the survey of the Willamette Meridian from the initial point near Portland, OR. on June 4, 1851. The Oregon Base Line was chosen so that it would not cross the Columbia River and the Willamette Meridian would lie west of Vancouver Lake.

        Passing this point on August 14, 1851, William Ives and his crew of 5 men surveyed the 110 miles from Portland, OR. to a point in Washington State on Puget Sound, 8 miles North of this point in 74 days and marking trees every half mile. Many of these markings may be found today.

        The original Red Cedar Stake was driven by the first Surveyor General of Oregon, John B. Preston, who was appointed by President Millard Fillmore. The stake was replaced by a large stone in July 25, 1855. The stone was vandalized sometime in the 1980s and replaced with the current marker, as well as an accompanying bronze plaque.

        This Willamette Stone State Heritage Site is located about 4 miles West of downtown Portland, OR. on Skyline Boulevard, in the West Hills, overlooking the Tualatin Valley and the Willamette River watershed.

        The Willamette Meridian and Oregon Base Line, running from the Pacific Ocean to the Idaho border, were established as reference lines for the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) and the basis of land claims in the Oregon Territory. For the most part, land surveying, (your)property lines, and all land descriptions throughout Oregon and Washington are based on this PLSS.
        Now that you know the importance of the Willamette Meridian, it's time to get onto the cache description. Whether you choose to seek only this cache or continue with the series, you will be looking for a Pill Bottle container with only a logbook.

        Please bring your own pen(cil) and Do Not Use Stamps or Stickers in the logbook. This cache may be logged independently of any other cache.

        If you choose to complete the challenge, you must collect All 8 Codewords located at the top of the logbook within each of the 8 caches within the WM series 1-8. When assembled, the Codewords will provide the coordinates to the Final Cache, as listed below:
 

The Final Cache is: "Willamette Meridian - X, The Challenge!" (GC1NV1G)


With regards to your cache page log(s):

        (1) Please, Please Do Not Include Codewords or Hints within your cache logs!
        (2) If you have more accurate cache coordinates, please feel free to include them in your cache log.
        (3) If you need of a Hint, you must request it by E-Mail from the cache owner.
        

PARKING: Parking is very limited and along side of the road by a couple of nearby orange gates.

To claim a find on this cache you must sign the log. If you don't have a writing tool, I will except blood or mud. If you photograph it post only the photo of the logsheet.

 

 

 

 

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

unatvat ba gerr Vs lbh ner hfvat n fznegcubar lbh znl unir gb rkcnaq lbhe frnepu. Guvf jnf cynprq hfvat n TCFE

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)

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