Grateful Dead bonus: He's Gone Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

grateful cacher: Yep, he's gone.....time to let it go......

More
Hidden : 10/7/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Related Web Page

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:


36,086 Songs...
2,317 Concerts...
298 Cities...
30 Years...
11 Members...
1 Band

The Grateful Dead

"There is NOTHING like a Grateful Dead concert, period!"

The Grateful Dead were, are, and always will be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. There has been so much written about them, so many books, so many articles, that anything here would just be rehashing what has already been hashed before. Their music transcended every genre, from classical to country to rock to blues, they played it, they wrote it, they lived it. They are a culture unto themselves with a fan base of Deadheads that stretch from judges to doctors, from lawyers to criminals, from students to teachers, from atheletes to armchair quarterbacks. It seems that for years it just wasn't summer if the Dead weren't touring somewhere, selling out everywhere, and parking lots were full of people holding up a finger or two, asking for a miracle.


The Grateful Dead played in many places, but always had special ties to Oregon, from the early days with the kool aid acid tests, to their relationship with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. They always played somewhere in Oregon when there were in the northwest. I've decided to supplement the recent series of Grateful Dead geocaches in our area with a few of my own. These "bonus" caches will have a tie to the band, either through their music, or their fans, or.....well, who knows, you can never trust a prankster.

The Dead have always been known for their loud and extemporaneous rock music, thanks to the reputation they gained from the Kool Aid Acid Tests, and the music scene in the San Francisco Bay Area when they were first starting out. But some their most meaningful music, the songs that carry a message are not the loud rock that is their forte. The inspiration for this bonus cache is one of those songs, one that has always had a special significance for me. It is a complex song, with many subtle levels of relevance to whoever is listening to it. To get the full understanding of the message one really needs to listen to it, just reading the lyrics does not give the full impact.

"Goin' where the wind don't blow so strange,
Maybe off on some high cold mountain chain.
Lost one round but the price wasn't anything,
A knife in the back and more of the same."


This cache is one that needed a place to really experience the meaning for that song. The song is called "He's Gone", and was written about an incident where the band manager stole money from the band, and was later convicted for doing so. He also was the father of drummer Mickey Hart, which cause Mickey to leave the band for a few years. Since that time, however, the song has come to take on a new meaning, and the band would play it when someone close to them, or the extended Dead family, suffered a personal loss. With the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, it's taken on a new meaning as well. It's the type of song that expresses the loss of someone, and what that loss can mean. If you click on the related web page link at the top of the page, you will see the band performing the song during their 1981 European tour. It's one of the best live versions recorded.

Original hand written lyrics for "He's Gone", by Robert Hunter

"Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride
Hot as a pistol but cool inside"


Geocaching saturation limits kept me from placing this where I wanted to, but it's close enough that a short walk will take you where you'll get the full view. When I looked for a place for this cache, I wanted one "where the wind don't blow so strange", but not on "some high cold mountain range" in the middle of nowhere (and we all know about those east winds out of the gorge, don't we.....). This location gives one a chance to view the beautiful area that we live in, and can enjoy, usually year round. Sometimes we take the nature around us for granted, but the view here is so awesome, that it's impossible to do anything but admire it.

"Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile
Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

The cache is one that most geocachers are familiar with, in a location that is familiar to all as well. Please follow the local parking regulations when searching for the cache. Cache is a small container, with room for small items, so please bring the writing instrument of your choice, and replace as found.

"Now he's gone, now he's gone lord he's gone, he's gone.
Like a steam locomotive, rollin down the track,
He's gone, gone, nothins gonna bring him back...he's gone."

On a personal note, this is my 50th geocache hide (actually 52nd, as two of my personal favorites were adopted), and was one of the goals that I'd set for myself in the geo-world. In 1974, the Dead were burnt out, uninspired, and had personal issues, so they decided to take some time off. They did, and came back two years later, refreshed and ready to resume their "long strange trip" for many, many years. For many of the same reasons, it's time for me as well to take some time off. I want to thank all the cachers that have taken the time to search for my hides, and provided me with feedback to improve them and make them better. Also for helping me to become a better geocacher..... I've always said there are many, many similarities between deadheads and geocachers, and it's fantastic to be a part of both worlds. Can't think of a more fitting cache to end my own long strange trip with.

"Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile...."


Congratulations to INVERTEDVEE for the rapid FTF....."nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile....."

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Znal ner gurer, snpvat, frpbaq sebz gur evtug

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


Advertising with Us