Bear Den Cliffs Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The cache is located at the Bear's Den Natural Area in Gilsum. The parking lot for the Bear's Den Natural Area is on the right heading up the hill on Route 10 toward Gilsum from Keene. After parking, walk along an old logging road in the woods that starts from the back edge of the parking lot to the base of the cliffs. Take the trail (unmarked) to the left that winds between the boulders up to the top of the cliffs.
The Bear's Den Natural Area is a state forest of almost 100 acres containing cliffs with views, caves, geological potholes, and an abandoned mica mine. Evidence of bear, moose and bobcat are commonly found in this forest. An easy-to-follow logging road runs through the forest from the parking lot to the base of the cliffs. There is a trail (unmarked) to the left of the boulders and caves at the base of the cliffs that winds between the rocks up to the top of the cliffs. The trail up to the cliffs continues along the upper edge of the cliffs. The cache is an ammo can located above the cliffs in the woods behind a flat viewing ledge that juts out just beyond the top of the trail.
WARNING: Do not allow children to go up to the cliffs unless you will be very closely supervising them at all times. You should not allow a child up on the cliffs unless you will be holding the child's hand at all times. The trail up to the top of the cliffs is narrow and steep, it can be slippery, and there are crevases. At the top of the cliffs, the trail runs very close to the cliff edge, so it would be very easy for a child to trip or accidentally fall over the edge.
The bear den that is referred to in the name of this state forest is a deep cave about 20 feet in length located in the middle of the boulders at the base of the cliffs. The entrance to the cave is located underneath a large projecting stone that forms part of the cliff-side.
Congratulations to FTF - wemedge!! We are honored to have such an experienced geocacher as wemedge as the FTF.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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