Fly Me to the Moon Traditional Cache
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Size: 
(micro)
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You are looking for a micro cache in a big forest and must park at one of the desigignated spots and hike from there on game trails, people trails, or bushwack. Pay attention to all clues including where to park. Never cross private land to reach a cache without permission.
The Black Hills of South Dakota is an extremely important National resource. Some of the riches mineral deposits in the country, highest point in the United States east of the Rockies, home to our National Shrine, largest wild herd of buffalo (bison), home to many native species, and one of the largest stands of Ponderosa pine are just a few of the important features of the Black Hills without mentioning tourism, agriculture, or picturesque homesteads. The Ponderosa pine is an important source of lumber for fine, pine wood lumber and also produces a canopy that captures sunlight before it can reach the surface. The effect of the captured sunlight is the lack of color as demonstrated from a distance for any viewer by appearing very dark to black. Now this forest is threatened! Insects such as the pine beetle are destroying thousands of trees annually, and the number is increasing. The pine beetle isn’t doing the destruction by itself. Lately, the ipes beetle has joined forces with them by attacking lower portions of the tree. These 2 insects could bring an end to the ponderosa pine forest if they are ignored. Still other threats to the forest exist as well. Other insect such as spiders, grasshoppers, moths and locust are doing their fair share. Man stomps young growth by vehicle and underfoot, and intentionally destroys standing trees. Animals pose a hazard as well. Deer enjoy the taste of new growth and nip the tops off young trees. The porcupine climbs up to the nice, younger, tinder, new bark and eats away leaving the bark stripped from around that portion of the tree which kills all the tree above the chomped area. Squirrels collect acorns and store them in old growth oak for now, but remember the squirrel in the movie “Ice Age.” Those little creatures are cute, but not to be trusted. And, by far the worst enemy is the tree shark. Just a few well-placed chomps and another tree falls. Other natural causes of destruction are draught, lightening, fire, heavy-wet snow, strong wind, heavy rain caused erosion, and hail. The absolute worst scenario is by man when the forest or a portion thereof is declared a wilderness area where-in no management can take place. Only by appropriate management will the forest survive. FTF: rcsearcher
Additional Hints
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