Making Colorado Beautiful Mystery Cache

This mystery multi-stage cache is to honor the work of my father-in-law, Don Dykstra, who throughout the course of his career has worked to beautify Colorado; first, as a wholesale nursery owner and then as a horticultural broker. Your search will take you to a plaque placed in his honor and to a tree planted in his honor.

Wait.... What exactly is a horticultural broker and why should I care?

When huge construction projects are undertaken (think Pepsi Center, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Sky Ridge Hospital, E-470, Lowry redevelopment, Park Meadows, new housing developments, new apartment complexes, the I-25 TREX project, DIA, Southlands Mall, Flatirons Mall, CONFIDENTIAL’s multi-million dollar home, etc.) do you think the contractors just trucked down to their local Home Depot and bought a bunch of trees and shrubs? No. They went to Don. He in turn worked with experienced and high quality growers throughout the country to supply these projects with the right type, size and quality of trees, perennials and shrubs to complete their project and beautify the area. And not just a couple of these and a few those – HUNDREDS of each in some cases. No small feat. These have become many of the trees and shrubs we use to hide our bison tubes and film canisters to bring people to places they wouldn’t have otherwise gone; to encourage people to stop and enjoy the beauty that’s around them in an urban environment.

Don recently retired. After a lifelong career of beautifying the urban areas of our great state; after being awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Nurseyman’s Association; he is now finally able to relax and enjoy the beauty he brought into the state and have time for some good fishing!

Your mission is to honor him by first visiting Goodson Rec Center where there is a plaque placed in his honor. This will provide clues to get the coordinates for the tree his wife, children, sons and daughter-in-law and grandchildren placed in his honor. And from there you will be VERY CLOSE to the hiding place of the final! When you get to the final take just a few seconds and say “thank you” in the log book for the efforts and work that have largely gone unknown in the greater community.

First Stage:

1. The listed coordinates will take you to the Memorial Tree inside Goodson Rec Center but you don't need to go there.

2. Instead, I've attached a picture of the leaf placed in Don's honor. This will provide the necessary information to solve for Waypoint 2.

Second Stage:

1. Coordinates are at N 39 34.ABC W 104 57.DEF

• A: What color is Don's memorial leaf?
  • 6 - Silver
  • 2 - Gold
  • 5 - Bronze
• B: What length of time is referenced?
  • 9 - Years
  • 4 - Decades
  • 1 - Countless hours
• C: What roles did Don have?
  • 7 - Nurseryman
  • 3 - Broker
  • 1 - Provider
  • 9 - All of the above
• D: What is he being recognized for?
  • 2 - Making Colorado Beautiful
  • 0 - Beautifying Colorado
  • 1 - Making CO Beautiful
• E: What’s the format of his name?
  • 1 - All CAPS
  • 9 - First Letters Capitalized
  • 5 - all lowercase
• F: What’s the last line?
  • 7 - Thank you!
  • 2 - We love you!
  • 4 - We appreciate you!

Check your solutions at.

3. Congratulations! You’ve arrived at the tree planted in Don’s honor. You’re VERY close to the final.

Final Stage:

1. From the tree proceed .01 minutes S and .018 minutes W (about 100' away). This will take you to a good size pine tree next to the path.

2. The cache container is easily visible from the ground although it’s camo’d. A regular size about 10 feet off the ground. Be forewarned that it could be a little sappy.

When you sign the log, please include a quick note thanking Don for his efforts to make the urban areas of Colorado beautiful

THANKS and I hope you enjoyed this caching experience.