The first six caches in this series will all provide clues to the coordinates of the final, bonus cache (GC59P0F). The first six can all be found hanging in the species of tree in the cache title.
Cache is a small camoed bison hanging just above head height.
Important
Southwest of the cache about 100 feet, if you look towards the lake you'll see a brown sign on a yellow post containing historical information about the Battle of Lake Pontchartrain. The first digit in the day of the month that the British surrendered will give you "F" in the coordinates of the final, bonus cache in this series.
Info about Bald Cypress trees:
Range
The native range extends from Delaware Bay south to Florida and west to East Texas and southeastern Oklahoma, and also inland up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers north to southern Illinois and Indiana. Mature planted specimens are seen as far north as Pittsburgh and Ottawa, Ontario.
Description
It is a large tree, reaching 25–40 m (rarely 44 m) tall and a trunk diameter of 2–3 m, rarely to 5 m. The bark is gray-brown to red-brown, shallowly vertically fissured, with a stringy texture. The leaves are borne on deciduous branchlets that are spirally arranged on the stem, but twisted at the base to lie in two horizontal ranks, 1–2 cm long and 1–2 mm broad; unlike most other species in the family Cupressaceae, it is deciduous, losing its leaves in the winter months, hence the name 'bald'.
Interesting Facts
Bald cypress trees growing in swamps have a peculiarity of growth called cypress knees. These are woody projections from the root system project above the ground or water. Their function was once thought to be to provide oxygen to the roots, which grow in the low dissolved oxygen (DO) waters typical of a swamp (as in mangroves). However, evidence for this is scant; in fact, roots of swamp-dwelling specimens whose knees are removed do not decrease in oxygen content and the trees continue to thrive. Another more likely function is structural support and stabilization. Bald cypress trees growing on flood-prone sites tend to form buttressed bases, but trees grown on drier sites may lack this feature. Buttressed bases and a strong, intertwined root system allow them to resist very strong winds; even hurricanes rarely overturn them.
In 2012 Scuba divers discovered an underwater forest several miles off the coast of Mobile, AL below 60 feet of water. The forest contains trees that have been dated to approximately 52,000 years old. The forest contains trees so well-preserved that when they are cut, they still smell like fresh Cypress sap. The team, which has not yet published their results in a peer-reviewed journal, is currently applying for grants to explore the site more thoroughly. It is estimated that they have less than two years before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the submerged forest.