Magnuson Munitions Traditional Cache
grossi: Thanks to the 475 people who logged this cache over the past three years!
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With all of the improvements and upgrades that have been implemented in the last few years, it's sometimes easy to forget that Magnuson Park was once a military installation: Sand Point Naval Air Station. However, a few remaining structures remind us that this used to be military land.
The land of Magnuson Park was originally purchased over a century ago and given to the federal government to develop into a military base. When military use officially began on the peninsula, Sand Point Naval Air Station comprised 207 acres. At the height of military use during the Second World War, the base covered 537 acres. This included barracks and parking areas along the west side of Sand Point Way NE, a radio transmitter station located more than a mile to the southwest, and a water reservoir at the top of View Ridge.
Many of the military structures have been removed since Sand Point Naval Air Station was deactivated on June 30, 1970. In the 1970s, after the first part of Sand Point was transferred to the City of Seattle, almost 120 acres of existing runways, tarmac and taxiways were also demolished. Warren G. Magnuson Park, named after the long-serving U.S. Senator, officially opened on May 29, 1977.
Despite all of the restorative work that has been done here in Magnuson, there are still places where its former incarnation as a military base are obvious. What used to be stored in here? Munitions, quite possibly. Every other time I’ve walked along this little side loop, the doors to this former military storage area have been padlocked. The day when I placed the cache, the doors were unlocked, which seemed quite unusual. The cache will be located while standing just outside of the storage area’s doors. The container is a bit delicate; please handle with care.
The operating hours for Magnuson Park vary with the seasons. From May 1 to Labor Day, the park is open from 4 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. From Labor Day to April 30, the park is open from 4 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[spoiler]: ba gur evtug-unaq qbbe; jurer jbhyq lbh fgber nzzb?
Treasures
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