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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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As an avid caver,I have long thought of Rushmore Cave as one of our finer examples of the underground wilderness,in the Black Hills. After talking with the owners of the cave,they have graciously allowed me to place this cache on their property.
Rushmore Cave has its beginning in 1876,at the height of the gold rush.The miners in Hayward,were using a method of mining called hydraulic mining. To use this technique,one needs large amounts of water from a reliable source. In order to have a reliable water source, a large flume was built on the hillside above the town. As luck would have it,one day the flume sprang a leak. A group of miners were sent to fix the flume,so mining could resume. Upon finding the leak,the miners noticed that the water was not flowing down the hill,but rather into it,through a small hole. The miners began to open up the hole,and at last,Rushmore Cave was discovered.
The cave then became a local curiousity for the surrounding communities. Over the years,the cave began to get more popular,and in 1927,the owners of the property,the Ferguson family, decided to turn it into a "show cave",with the name of Hermosa Crystal Cave. For your money,you got a ladder thrown down into the opening,a lantern,and a "Have fun!" as all the tours were unguided. You were on your own to explore the cave. This went on until WWII,and the cave then shut down.
In 1952,the cave re-opened with the new name of Beautiful Rushmore Cave. At this time,the Pullen family purchased the cave,and began the laborious task of installing lights,stairs,and rails. With this accomplished,the era of the modern show cave was born,and the cave has been a popular attraction ever since.
In 2007,the cave was purchased by four local businessmen,and now several additions have been made to property.
The cache container is a thermos. It's fairly small...about 6 inches long,and 3 inches in diameter,so there's not a lot of room for swag. You won't have a lot of options when it comes to muggles,but try your best to replace the cache with a wee bit of camo. Enjoy!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Guvax " Erq "