Norm's Grind Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This is a small cache container that requires a 400 m vertical climb from behind the Bench area. There and back is a distance of about 4.5 km. Please allow about 3 hours for this cache. Bring your hiking poles. I have gone up Norm’s Grind many times now, most enjoyably with Norm whose many stories about this area have helped to make the hike less of a grind.
From the parking area, go up the trail and follow the fence line for a bit. In this lower part of the walk, you may notice some large mounds. This used to be a coal-mining area but when the disused mine shafts became dangerous to kids playing behind the Bench, they were filled in and covered up, creating the mounds.
This first part of the walk is the steepest. Once past the fence, the climb is less steep.
In these higher reaches of the hike, you are walking through an area that was once prospected for gold. Everywhere, there are large holes in the ground created by the prospectors digging down to the bedrock in search of treasure. Somewhere along the way, there is a little mound encircled by rocks that looks like it might be a grave of a gold prospector.
This is also an old growth forest. Look out for some very old trees that have survived many fires, tree trunks that have been marked with axe blazes, and stumps of trees that have been chopped down with axes. At the end of your hike, look for a very special tree, one with a sign marking “Norm’s Grind, elev. 400 m”. (Sign was not erected by Norm, but by someone else. It's not elev 400m but a vertical ascent of 400m from bottom of hill that is meant.)
See pictures for some of the sights mentioned. Pictures taken of your hike up the hill and any interesting things encountered definitely appreciated.
For the FTF, sign log, post a picture of yourself at Norm’s Grind sign for a $5 gift certificate from Mandolin’s. Email me.
CONGRATS to FTFs, Dumbo09 and FlowerPower2.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Onfr bs snyyra gerr.
Treasures
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