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 who had a giant rabbit as an imaginary friend. 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 probably 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, by Mary Coyle Chase 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 respect the privacy of the resident staff member.
You can access this cache using the Staunton Ranch (SR) and Historic Cabin (HC) trails (on which horses and bicycles are allowed), or using the Davis Ponds (DP) and Chase Meadow (CM) trails (which are hiker-only). As you travel along CM trail in either direction, you will cross a wide dirt road perpendicular to the trail, within sight of the historic Shower House. You can travel along the park maintenance road, you will go a short distance until you see the historic Chase Cabin on the downhill side. [Note that you may see a Berg Lane on the map, but there is no public access into the park from that direction.]
You are looking for a man-made structure above the ground, not attached to the historic cabin, which has a combination lock. The answers to the following questions and directions will allow you to open the lock and log this cache. It would be very desirable for you to watch the original Harvey movie, which is widely available on-line, but you may also find the answers with easily available sources such as Wikipedia, and other websites which have short clips from the movie, or lists of quotes from the play. Either way, enjoy this classic fantasy movie, and the experience of finding out some of the historical heritage of SSP while gaining the answers to these questions:
A.
James Stewart, the famous and beloved actor, remembered his role in this play/movie as one of his favorites. The main character, Elwood P. Dowd, was a very friendly and pleasant man, who liked to spend his afternoons in the local pub. It earned him one of his five Academy Award nominations, but the leading actress who played his sister Veta, was the recipient of the Oscar for her role in this movie. What was her name?
1 - Josephine Hull
3 - Peggy Dow
5 - Victoria Horne
7 - Grayce Mills
B.
Veta and her daughter Myrtle Mae live with Elwood in the house where she and Elwood grew up, that was left to Elwood only on their mother’s death. Elwood was changed after her death, and Veta was exasperated by Elwood’s behavior, especially when he introduced everyone to Harvey. What event was the final straw in Veta deciding to have Elwood committed to the local mental hospital?
2 - He invited a friend who had just been released from jail over for dinner.
5 - He had a painting of himself with Harvey commissioned, and hung it over the fireplace, covering her mother’s portrait. (see picture above)
6 - He invited the young psychiatrist and his assistant over to Charlie’s Place for a drink after work.
9 - He came home unexpectedly when Veta and Myrtle Mae were hosting a high society event at the house one afternoon.
C.
How did Harvey get his name?
0 - It was given to him by his maternal grandfather.
4- He earned it in a legendary battle where the Scots drove the Vikings out of their lands.
8- It was a name that Elwood liked, although he didn’t know any human with that name.
9- It was an Americanized version of a classic Irish name for a visitor from overseas.
D.
The actor named Jessie White, who played a mental health orderly in the play/movie, became more famous to later generations in an acting role as:
1 - He played the frustrated maintenance man in the Maytag commercials.
3 - He played the fire chief in the movie Towering Inferno.
5 - He played a furniture truck driver in the movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
8 - He supplied the voice of HAL 9000 in the movie 2001.
The answers from the above questions (in alphabetical order) become the 4 starting digits for the combination lock. However, before opening the lock, you must subtract the year of Mary Chase’s death from the answers to the questions. For example, if the four answers for the questions are 3-7-4-9, and Mary Chase died in 1990, then the combination would be 3749-1990=1759.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
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 ($10) 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. Horse trailers are admitted if space is available for parking trailers in a new, dedicated, unpaved parking area. 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.