Blue Cross Traditional Cache
matthew633: No longer live in the area. Thanks for enjoying this cache!
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
In 1937, a large galvanized steel cross was constructed near Key West to commemorate the centennial of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Its blue lights light up the night sky high above the right hand side of the road when you're headed out to the airport. From the first moment I saw it, I knew I HAD to put a cache there. I had no idea then how to get up to it or how to get permission for it, but was sure this was my destiny :) It's been a few years now, but it finally came together; and I think it has been well worth it!
To get to this awesome hunk of metal and nearby cache, begin by parking in the lot of the old Metrix building off of Military Rd at the waypoint coords.
The cache and the cross are a few hundred feet up the hill--I admit, it's a bit of a climb! There's no path going up and some overgrowth to plow through but it's a relatively easy climb (I promise it looks worse from the parking lot than it really is--if I can do it, you can too). Not sure I'd try this hill in the snow, however, unless you are seriously hardcore (the cache, however, could still be easily found in the snow).
At the parking coords, locate the barbed wire fence just west of the parking and running up the hill, roughly north and south, perpendicular to the parking. That barbed wire fence marks the end of the property on which you have permission to explore and cache-hunt; please do not trespass onto the neighbor's property beyond the barbed wire fence. It is noteworthy, however, that as you climb up to the cross and cache, you will have to step over a couple remnants of other, much older, torn down and now completely irrelevant barbed wire fence pieces. As these run parallel to the parking lot--not to mention that they are mostly torn down--, they are easily delineated from the still-quite-functional, boundary fence. Watch your step, but otherwise don't worry about those--keep climbing!
You will have to zig and zag a bit to get up the hill but keep a general eye on that barbed wire boundary fence; the cache and cross are about 30 feet from it at the top.
As you climb,feel free to explore a bit: there's LOTS to see. The area is very undisturbed and my botanist friend touring with me today was very excited by it all--I think she took hundreds of pics. We saw all sorts of birds and little wildlife and found lots of tracks and unusual plants and flowers--whole beds of wildflowers--really very pretty even from a non-botanist point of view! I did see a little poison ivy at the bottom of the hill, but not much more along the way, nevertheless, I'd be careful.
The cache container is one that I've been hauling around looking for a spot to place for eons; this seemed to be--finally--the perfect place for it. The cache is NOT anywhere on the cross, its base, or electronics; but it's not far away from it. You will absolutely need a narrow tweezers; maybe even a piece of wire would be helpful to fish the log out with too--it can be tricky. There's no room in the cache for a writing utensil--don't forget yours in the car (I would--ugh)! The log is tiny; please write small. And when you're done, please push the cache container firmly back into its resting place so it remains secure.
!!!Happy Caching!!!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ab Uhagvat