The cache is not at the listed coordinates. The coordinates are
for the parking lot of the boardwalk. This is a very simple
two-part puzzle cache. The real purpose of this cache is to bring
you here to experience the sights and sounds the boardwalk has to
offer. First, a little information about Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in
general, and this particular site within the refuge.
About Wheeler Wildlife Refuge
Wheeler NWR was established in 1938 by Executive Order of
President Roosevelt to provide habitat for migrating and wintering
birds. It was the first National Wildlife Refuge which included a
multi-purpose reservoir. In addition to migratory birds, the Refuge
hosts 47 mammal species, 285 songbird species, 74 species of
reptiles and amphibians, and 115 fish species. There are also 10
federally listed endangered or threatened species that live in the
Wheeler NWR. The refuge receives approximately 650,000 visitors
annually who come to fish, hunt and observe wildlife.
Of the 35,000 acres in the Refuge, approximately 19,000 acres
are land and approximately 16,000 acres are water. The land acreage
of Wheeler NWR includes 10,000 acres of forested wetlands and
upland hardwoods. The remaining land acreage consists of
approximately 3,000 acres of pine plantations, and 4,000 to 5,000
acres of farmland.
About The Boardwalk
Here at the Beaverdam Swamp Boardwalk, you will journey into the
largest Tupelo swamp in Alabama, and observe many of the state’s
largest water tupelo trees (also know as the tupelo gum), one of
the main species of hardwoods found in the forested wetlands of the
Wheeler NWR. You may also be able to spot various species of small
fish, snakes, frogs, turtles, and other reptiles and amphibians, as
well as various songbirds.
This is also the location of Site #25 of the North Alabama
Birding Trail. As you walk along the boardwalk, keep an eye on the
canopy for Eastern Wood-Pewee, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, flocks of
Tufted Titmice, the Great-crested Flycatcher, various woodpeckers,
Red-eyed Vireos, and a variety of warblers.
The walk from the parking lot to the end of the boardwalk and
back is slightly less than 1 mile (1/2 mile each direction). On the
way in, the first half of the walk is a well maintained hard packed
level gravel trail. The second half of the walk is on the
boardwalk. The entire trail and boardwalk should normally be
wheelchair accessible (as long as no trees have fallen onto the
trail and/or damaged the boardwalk).
How To Get Here
From I-565, you can easily view the parking area which is only
about 200 feet from the side of the highway, But at that point, you
are still at least 4 miles away via. road (depending on which
direction you are traveling). Because getting to the parking area
can be a bit of a challenge for anyone not familiar with the area,
and who might not have detailed maps on their GPS, I am including
some helpful directions.
If you are headed East on I-565, take exit 5. This exit will
take you back over the Interstate on a long, curved ramp to a
traffic light at County Line Road. Turn right there. Then, as soon
as you cross back over I-565, take the first right. This road will
head mostly west, basically paralleling I-565 until it dead-ends at
the parking lot approximately 2 miles away.
If you are headed West on I-565, take exit 8 and turn right at
the end of the ramp. Turn left at the first traffic light onto
Madison Blvd. Turn left at the traffic light on County Line Road.
Then, as soon as you cross over I-565, take the first right. This
road will head mostly west, basically paralleling I-565 until it
dead-ends at the parking lot approximately 2 miles away.
About The Cache - Solving The Puzzle
Once you have arrived at the parking lot (i.e., the trailhead),
your task is to enjoy the walk all the way to the end of the
boardwalk. As you walk, there are no clues to gather, and no
questions to answer - just enjoy the walk and the sights and
sounds. But be sure to take your GPSr along, because you will
need it.
Once you are at the end of the boardwalk, take a reading of your
location with your GPSr. Take as many readings as you think you
need in order to get a reasonably accurate waypoint for the end of
the boardwalk (I took readings at the center of the middle bench at
the end). This puzzle cache assumes your GPSr is configured in a
fairly standard way, using WGS84 as your map datum, and degree and
decimal minute (ddd mm.mmm) format - the same default format used
by geocaching.com.
Once you have this reading, add 0.57 minutes to your north
reading. Subtract 0.76 minutes from your west reading. These new
coordinates become the waypoint for the cache. The cache is
constructed of 1-inch PVC pipe and appropriate end pieces.
Precautions
- As you enjoy your stroll through this intriguing place, please
be aware that some of the wooden planks of the boardwalk can be
very slippery when wet, much like walking on ice. Please
stay mindful of this if it has rained recently.
- Also, be aware that this IS a swamp, so mosquitoes, gnats, and
various other small flying/biting/stinging insects may be a pest
during the warmer months. Insect repellant should be considered
when appropriate.
- When you get to the final cache location, unless you are in a
4WD, consider parking on the road rather than pulling off on the
side of the road if it has rained recently. Even though the side of
the road may look grassy and solid, it can be VERY soft and muddy
after a soaking rain. Parking on the road should be very safe due
to the fact that the only traffic here will be going to/from the
boardwalk (i.e., sometimes less than 2 cars/hour), and your car
will be visible for hundreds of feet in either direction.
The Clue
The clue is a spoiler if you have properly completed the first
part of the puzzle. Otherwise, the clue is pretty much useless. But
you really shouldn’t need the clue if you 1) took accurate readings
at the first stage, 2) did your math correctly, and 3) keep in mind
what the cache container is made from.
Permission to use the end of the Beaverdam Swamp Boardwalk as a
starting reference coordinate for determining the second/final
stage location for this geocache was granted by Dwight Cooley,
Project Leader, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
(visit link).