Some time back I made plans to be in Laramie for the Memorial Day weekend, mainly to see my family and then put some flowers on Nana's grave. En route, while I was still in Nebraska actually, my grandfather lost his eight year battle with Alzheimer's and we laid him to rest over the weekend. The timing of his death fit neatly in our schedule, as if he didn't want to inconvenience us. It was the last unselfish act of a life largely dedicated to serving others.
It's funny how you don't really know people until they are gone, and going through Grandpa's things I discovered he collected rare coins and first edition books. Looking through a trunk full of early 20th century literature, I came across a bundle of yellowed pages tied together in a leather wrapping. Most of the paper had succumbed to dry rot, but I was able to salvage the attached pages. It is fanciful reading, but then my son-in-law pointed out that it might be real, for he recognized the landmark referenced in the letter.
We spent most of this past Sunday trying to follow the trail of the letter, but we met with little success. It is just one more mystery left by the passing of a great man. Maybe you will have better luck.
You may begin at the posted coordinates, or to treat this as a true letterbox, try to do it without your GPSr. For the latter, go to the north end of 9th Street in Laramie, until you see the sign below:
Drive out of town on Roger Canyon Road for (my favorite number X 0.7) miles until you reach the landmark described in the letter. There will be adequate parking, and if you have driven off of blacktop, you have gone too far. If you drive past the sign below, you have gone too far.
Below are the pages I could salvage. You can click on them for a larger version.
You will be on State Trust land and you will not have to trespass. It should take you about an hour to complete this cache. I am interested in hearing about your adventures, so please feel free to elaborate in the log without posting any hints or spoilers. Respect the area, CITO if needed, practice stealth if warranted, and rehide the cache as you find it so the next person can have the same challenge. Thank you and good luck.
Congratulations "doglover&pups" : First to Find - June 02, 2012