For younger geocachers: A Giant Rabbit and a Park Mystery
This geocache is inspired by the famous play and movie Harvey, written by Denver author Mary Coyle Chase. The story is about a kind man and his imaginary friend—a giant rabbit invisible to everyone except a man named Elwood P. Dowd! The play was so popular it won a Pulitzer Prize and later became a classic movie starring James Stewart as Elwood. Mary Coyle Chase and her family once owned land right here, which later became part of Staunton State Park.
Your mission is to answer a few easy, fun questions about Harvey and its creator. The answers will help you open a combination lock on a nearby structure (not close to the cabin). As you explore, please do not come closer to the Chase Cabin than the interpretive display along the Chase Meadow Trail.
Mary Coyle Chase, a native of Denver, left her job as a society reporter for the Rocky Mountain News to become a playwright and freelance writer. In addition to her plays, she wrote short stories and children's books. Mary had grown up listening to Irish tales about imaginary animals known as pookahs. She wrote the play Harvey about a man named Elwood P. Dowd who had a giant rabbit as an imaginary friend. The rabbit was invisible to all except Elwood. For that play, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1945, and was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. The play was made into a movie in 1950, starring James Stewart, and she co-wrote the screenplay. Mary and her family owned vacation property where you would be standing to find this cache, and their land and structures are now part of Staunton State Park (SSP).
The original 1944 Broadway stage production of Harvey was highly successful, running for 1,755 performances at New York's 48th Street Theater. When James Stewart performed as Elwood P. Dowd in the 1950 film of "Harvey," it was his third excursion in the role! He first performed the role on Broadway in July 1947. He filled in for Frank Fay (the original lead), and in 1948, Mr. Stewart again filled in for the vacationing Mr. Fay.
Jimmy Stewart returned to Broadway in 1970, at the age of sixty-two, with Helen Hayes cast as Elwood's sister Veta. He returned to Broadway again in 1972 and also brought Elwood to television in the 'Hallmark Playhouse' production of "Harvey". Stewart’s final appearance as Elwood was in the 1975 London stage version of "Harvey". The video of "Harvey" is the best-selling video in the Museum Store of The Jimmy Stewart Museum. The great, tall rabbit continues to appeal to Jimmy Stewart fans of all ages.
The coordinates above will take you near the historic Chase Cabin. One of the key elements of the development of Staunton State Park (SSP) was the acquisition of this property, along with part of the Davis Ranch. It allowed an access to the main road (S. Elk Creek Road), and allowed the Park Entrance that avoids visitors traveling through the local neighborhoods. As part of the acquisition in 2006-2008, the Park also acquired the Chase Cabin, and the gray Chase Chalet, which was built nearby and both are now Staff residences. Please note that there is a marshy area to the south and east of Chase Cabin, and you should avoid this area by walking around. Please respect the historic cabin and the no trespassing signs, and respect the privacy of the resident staff member.
You can most easily access this cache using the Chase Meadow (CM) trail which is hiker-only. You can also get close to the CM trail via the Staunton Ranch (SR) and Historic Cabin (HC) trails (on which horses and bicycles are allowed), or using the Davis Ponds (DP) hiker-only trail. As you travel along CM trail you will see an interpretive sign and audio display about the Chase Cablin and Frances Chase. The geocache has been moved from its original location closer to the Chase Cabin and is now a short distance west from the CM trail and southwest from the cabin sign and audio display.
You are looking for a man-made structure above the ground, not attached to the historic cabin, which has a combination lock. You will not need to walk on any dirt roads or go into no-trespassing areas.
The answers to the following questions and directions will allow you to open the lock and log this cache.
A. How many times does Batman appear in the play or movie Harvey?
B. Take the number of letters the word “Harvey” has in it, and subtract 6.
C. ow many invisible rabbits have been seen in Staunton State Park?
D. How many movies other than “Harvey" feaure a giant invisible rabbit as a key character?
The answers from the above questions (in alphabetical order) become the 4 digits for the combination lock.
Good Luck, and be sure to sign the log book, and spin the dials on the lock after you close it back into the original position with the hasp closed.
This cache is located within Staunton State Park, which has one public entrance along S. Elk Creek Road, six miles west of Conifer, about 1.5 miles off U.S. Highway 285. Parking along either side of S. Elk Creek Road and Upper Ranch Road adjacent to the park boundary is prohibited. All vehicles entering the park must have a daily park pass or a CO state park annual or special pass.
The Park is open year-round, and day use hours at 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. A walk-in campground (up to ¼ mile from parking) is open for public use, and overnight parking is currently permitted only for those staying in the campground. During summer and autumn weekends, the park may reach capacity, and cars are allowed to enter only if a parking space is available. All Park trails are natural surface, some trails are hiker-only, but other trails are multiuse for bicycles and horses also. Information about the park can be found at Staunton State Park website
All visitors must follow park rules and regulations. These include dogs on leash at all times, clean up after pets, travel on developed trails to the extent feasible, leave no trace, respect areas closed for resource management, and be careful around wildlife (especially mountain lions, coyotes, and black bears). Fires are strictly prohibited, except for camp stoves with an on/off switch in the designated campsites and grilles found in the picnic areas. No motorized vehicles are allowed on trails within the Park. An exception is the special tracked chairs that the Park offers to visitors who cannot access selected trails on their own mobility. Pack your own trash out of the back country, and trash receptacles are located near the parking areas. Also, be prepared for changing weather, bring adequate water and footwear, and trails may be snow-covered or icy in winter.