Mussel Soup Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Penn Cove mussels are treasures in a shell. This lowly shellfish grows naturally here, attaching itself to rocks on the beach, wharf pilings, boat hulls, or anything else that spends some time in the water.
Mussels in Penn Cove are very tender and never chewy. Why? Two basic reasons. 1.) Two fresh-water river systems feed into the east side of Whidbey Island and therefore, Penn Cove. They bring alot of nutrient-rich water from the mountains. To the west is the Olympic Mountain Range. The Mountains absorb much of the precipitation coming off of the Pacific Ocean, creating a rain shadow in the vicinity of Penn Cove. 2.) The climate here is warmer and drier than, say , Seattle. This makes for a good microclimate for algae growth. Mussels love to eat algae, and here they grow quickly.
The Penn Cove Mussel Farm can be seen in the bay just east of the cache location. This farm is a group of 42 anchored rafts that contain 30,000 lines where mussels attach themselves and grow. These mussels are harvestable after only a year's worth of growth. Mussels here are not harveted until after they have a customer. The Penn Cove Mussel Farm doesn't harvest the mussels and sell them; they sell them first, and then go get them.
As for the cache, it is located within a small camping area owned and operated by Captain Whidbey Inn. I have obtained permission from the owner to place this cache, and you are welcome to park in the campground or the lot in order to begin your search. The owner does not condone any night caching. Other workers may ot know about the cache
There is no need to trample through the vegetation, and the cache might almost be considered wheelchair accessible. Have fun in your search, and place the cache back exactly as you found it. Please respect the flora, handle any vegetation in a delicate manner.
Finding the cache deserves a lower rating than noted. However, because of periodic high muggle activity, the rating is given a two. Please, beware of snoopy eyes, and if caching with a group, only one person need grab and replace the cache. It should be a very fast easy find. In the past, cache containers here have been muggled, so please place cache back exactly as found with a covering of cammo. Cache has been stocked effective 4/6/13.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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