Dolly Sods Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This wind-swept mountain top affords unbelievable views, unique
landscaping, unusual plant life, and a cliff side cache.
Johan Dahle settled near this site in 1781. He was a Hessian
soldier, who had fought with the British (against us) during our
war for Independence, but deserted. The locals persuaded Dahle to
anglicize his name to John Dolly. His decendants settled the area
known as Dolly Sods. There were vast tracts of land that were
virtually treeless, or "sods." This is where the Dolly's allowed
their cattle to graze, thus the name.
With the original sods, and subsequent logging and fires, the
barren areas increased in size. The high altitude, wind and weather
shaped rock formations, and the flagging spruce trees provide the
staging grounds for you to enjoy a great place and find a cache
while in the area.
To reach Dolly Sods, you can follow the brown signs from Rt. 28
(south of Petersburg) or from Rt. 32 (south of Canaan Valley). The
cache site is north of the Red Creek Camp area and just south of
the Bear Rocks Scenic area (where you should park). Take some time
to go on the rocks and enjoy this view, one of the best in the
state.
Follow the coordinates to the edge of a small cliff. There is a
large flat boulder just yards to the south of the site. There are
several large rocks with a natural gap between them. WARNING!!! If
your idea of Geocaching is grabbing a micro from a potted plant in
the town square or a paper towel dispenser at a rest stop, don't
bother to find this cache. YOU MUST GO OVER THE EDGE AND DOWN this
gap about 8 feet to see the cache. It is in a clear plastic
container with a white lid and can be seen in a crevice. PLEASE put
the lid on tightly and put the cache back EXACTLY where you found
it. Every time I've checked the cache it is in a different place.
It is not a hard climb down to the cache for those in average
physical condition. This cache is not recommended for children. Use
caution, as the lichen covered rocks can be slick, especially when
they are wet. The cliff is 20-30 feet, but it is stair-stepped.
After placing the cache, I ascended without using my hands (not
recommended) to gauge the difficulty of this location. It is not
super dangerous, just use caution.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)