A night cache
adventure around Gates Pond.
Those of you familiar with the National Treasure movie
know that the origins of the story trace back to 1832. In an early
scene, Charles Carroll, the last living signer of the Declaration
of Independence, passed on a clue for finding the treasure to
Thomas Gates, the great great grandfather of Benjamin Franklin
Gates. Carroll and the Gates family had been close for many years,
it’s believed that Carroll and Thomas Gates grandfather,
Harold Gates (1738-1804) of Hudson, MA met in college and formed a
deep, long-lasting relationship.
As it turns out, Charles Carroll was wealthy
in his own right and acknowledged as one of the richest men in
America. He was a State Senator from Maryland, and interestingly
enough had been commissioned to a diplomatic mission to Canada in
1776. Why is that interesting? Recently, diaries from private
libraries now made public reveal that Carroll stopped in Hudson, MA
several times, presumably on his trips between Maryland and Canada.
One entry from the diary of a Gates family member gives an
indication of Carroll’s thinking at the time: “He was
particularly obsessed with this patch of woodlands [now the area of
Gates Pond], and could be heard saying to himself
‘they’ll never find it here’”. There are
several similar entries in other diaries and it’s now rumored
that Carroll hid some of his riches, and possibly some of the National Treasure, in
this area.
We have spent considerable time in these woods
looking for clues that could lead to Carroll’s treasure, and
now invite you to share in the startling discoveries we made. Not
surprisingly, Carroll’s close association with the Gates
family has resulted in a series of challenges and mysteries to be
solved in order to reach the final reward.
TO COMPLETE
THIS ADVENTURE YOU WILL NEED:
- A headlamp or
good flashlight (extra batteries recommended). It’s best to
hold the flashlight at eye-level as you search.
- Something to
write with
- A few hours
to spare
We also
recommend the following:
- Hiking boots
or sturdy footwear
- Water,
snacks
- Notifying
next of kin
- In the
extreme cold, a small pick axe or hammer to break through the ice
(no, we’re not kidding)
- 3 AAA
batteries – you shouldn’t need them, but you could be
happy you brought them
TO GET
STARTED:
Follow the main path and then side path to the
posted coordinates. Use your flashlight to find a single red tack.
Follow single red tacks until you see two red tacks. Stage 1 is
located within 20 ft of the two red tacks.
LAST:
THIS IS A NIGHT CACHE, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT
DURING THE DAY. It is NOT snow-friendly. Please do not include
cache-specific comments in your logs and/or blogs so that others
can enjoy the full adventure.