The Lake-to-Lake trail is a 2.4 mile paved all-purpose trail
running northwest from Lake Isaac to the Lake Abram wetlands. Much
of the ground covered by the trail is wetlands, teeming with
wetlands wildlife and vegetation. An elaborate system of boardwalks
traverse the wetlands. The trail disappears for a short stretch at
Bagley Road (Waypoint C - listed below), but a sidewalk on a side
street will get you back to the trail again (at Waypoint D).
The challenge of this cache is mostly physical, which comes
mainly, but not entirely, from the 6-mile round-trip hike or bike
ride. You will not be able to do this cache by motorized
vehicle. The mental challenge is modest, especially if you use
the many hints I've provided.
START HERE: The coordinates above are for Stage 1, a
short distance off the Lake-to-Lake trail at Lake Isaac. (The
parking/trailhead coordinates are listed in the Additional
Waypoints below). Stage 1 is a regular-sized cache that contains
clue cards. Take one clue card with you. On one side of the
card you'll find clues for Stage 2, on the other side you'll find
clues for Stage 3.
The Stage 2 clues should be pretty straightforward. The
coordinates for Stage 2 are shown, but with some of the digits
replaced with the letters A through F. The missing digits can be
determined by answering the 6 questions listed on the card. The
answers can be found along the trail from Lake Isaac to Lake Abram.
(Hint: the waypoints listed below tell you exactly where to find
the answers on the trail - just make sure you get a clue card from
Stage 1 first. Even if you don't use the hints, you might want to
print out the waypoints; they make a nice "tour guide". )
The Stage 3 clues are more cryptic. No need to worry though,
because when you find Stage 2 (a regular-sized cache near Lake
Abram), it should all become clear. You'll also find detailed
instructions there, just in case it doesn't. Decoding the Stage 3
clues will give you the coordinates for the final, which is a short
distance off the trail you just traveled. Please leave the
decoder and the instructions in the Stage 2 cache!
Do not leave any trade items, travel bugs or coins in the Stage
1 and 2 caches. There's plenty of room for these things in the
Stage 3 final.
All caches are within 150 feet of a valid trail. To avoid the
damage caused by unnecessary bushwhacking, stay on the trail until
you are directly across (i.e. at right angles) from the cache. If
you're biking it, ride only on the paved trail and boardwalks and
hike the rest. After you find the final, take the Lake-to-Lake
trail back to the parking lot.
I've included trash bags in all 3 stages, so please cache in and
trash out and help keep this park beautiful!
If you prefer to break the cache up into three 2-mile hikes
(approximately), park at Lake Isaac for Stage 1 and Questions A, B
and C. Then park at Lake Abram (Waypoint F - listed below) for
Stage 2 and Questions D, E and F. Park back at Lake Isaac for the
final.
There's also an
interesting Earthcache at Lake Isaac that
you can do while doing this one, and a few traditional caches
between Waypoints C and D if you have some extra energy to burn.
(If you're running low on energy, there's several places to grab
a bite to eat there too!)
This cache will be archived around
Thanksgiving, 2009
Thanks to the Cleveland Metroparks for
supporting geocaching and permitting this cache!
FTF - jjandi