Indian Mines Traditional Cache
Mongo: ### ARCHIVE OF CACHE DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE ###
Hello stlhiker,
I hate to see any cache go, but I am archiving this cache since there's been no response from, nor action by the cache owner within the time frame requested in the last reviewer note.
CACHE ARCHIVAL IS PERMANENT
Regretfully,
Mongo
YOU CAN FIND THE REVIEWER FOR YOUR AREA BY CLICKING HERE.
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
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This cache is a pill bottle hidden on a ridge in West Tyson park,
enjoy the views on the walk in and out from the cache, no trails
here so enjoy the bushwhack in, the cache is placed in the middle
of some of West Tyson's flint quarries from the days of the native
americans
We were hiking along this ridge in West Tyson enjoying the views
and making our way back to the trail after some exploring. As we
approached the high point of the ridge, we found ourselves walking
through, over and around numerous pits and holes. We were walking
right through what used to be a major mining site for the native
americans. The Crescent Hills that stretch through West Tyson Park,
Tyson Research Center and Lone Elk Park have a very high
concentration of flint and chert. Native americans would travel to
the crescent hills to take advantage of the high- quality flint
they found there. The Crescent Hills quarries were some of the
largest flint quarries in the nation. The Meramec river valley had
small villages, but the flint mining from the Crescent Hills had an
impact all over the midwest. Tribes from the upper Missouri River
valley wanted the flint too, so flint was quarried in the Crescent
Hills and then carried 8 miles overland to the Missouri River. This
saved tribes an 85 mile paddle down the Missouri and Mississippi
Rivers and up the Meramec River to get to the Crescent Hills. The
flint mined in the Crescent Hills was used as arrowheads and spear
tips, scrapers, and other uses around the village. Now, the
circular pits you walk around are the only remnants of their
mining. You can see a few of the pits on the Flint Quarry and
Chubb, but the area around the cache has the most pits I've seen in
a single area, it's pretty amazing to walk through here so make you
you give yourself enough time to enjoy the area. Here's some more
history of area-
http://www.grgstl.org/Portals/0/Documents/2010-05-26%20GB35%20Rock%20Hollow.pdf
and
http://www.rollanet.org/~conorw/cwome/glencoe-from_the_beginning.htm
The cache can be accessed from the parking at Allen Road by the
railroad tracks or you can get to the cache via the main west tyson
park. Either way will be a scenic, rugged hike. You can get most of
the way on trails, but you'll have moderate bushwhacking on the
last bit, nothing too steep, just basic ridge walking. Come
prepared with good boots and water. A hiking stick and some snacks
wouldn't be a bad idea either. While you're on the ridge, head on
down to the Tyson Valley Overlook-
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC163VV and
enjoy the view there.
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NOTICE: Please be
respectful of the posted park hours. If you enter the park after
hours you are trespassing. If you are stopped you can be ticketed
or arrested and will put the future of geocaching in the parks
in jeopardy. Special permission to
hide caches in St. Louis County parks is NOT needed as long as the
Groundspeak rules are followed. "Blanket Permission" has been
worked out in advance with the park service. DO NOT CALL THE PARK
as they cannot handle the calls. The Groundspeak cache reviewer
does need to know exactly how and where the caches are hidden and
what type of containers are used. The geocaching liaisons will
notify the park service of new caches. Remember NO AMMO BOXES or
PVC PIPE caches.
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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