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Cohen's Retreat - A River Road Cache, Redux Traditional Cache

Hidden : 3/11/2010
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The cache is located near a boat ramp in Allendale County on the Savannah River, off of Highway 3, The River Road. The River Road is one of the oldest continually used routes in South Carolina.

This cache is a replacement for the original GCHVAN that was archived in '05.

The River Road runs from the Cherokee homeland areas in the upstate and Blue Ridge Mountains to the coastal plain and considerably predates European settlement.

There were numerous southbound routes north of the fall line (around Augusta) that forded the deep gulches or diverted ancient travelers to other beachfront areas for trade, ritual and pleasure, but below Augusta, everyone used the "River Road." This remained the case until the War of Northern Aggression when the area along the river suffered a terminal economic blow. (Practically anywhere along this road, on a short walk along any freshly plowed firebreak, you will find pottery fragments from the early-mid 1800s, but no other artifacts between then and the 1950s.)

In the area of the cache there are numerous chert outcroppings that became the source of the projectile points (arrowheads) that were traded with the coastal dwellers for shells, shellfish, yaupon holly leaves (the only native plant with caffeine), saw palmetto berries (an aphrodisiac), dried fish and visiting rights/guest gifts. To this day, splinters from the manufacture of these points are extremely common along the roadside near Kings Creek just a few miles to the north.

There's an artesian well near the cache site that may (or may not) have the virtues of Healing Springs, but nonetheless is good drinking water. You can bring your boat, canoe or kayak for easy access to a lonely section of a beautiful river.

The cache container is an ammo box that is usually above the high water mark.

It is tethered to a small tree that should be out of sight from folks at the boat ramp. Please cover it well when you leave.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)