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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Welcome to Beaver Dam 2.0! The cache is hidden in Pod Meadow, a beautiful conservation land home to much wildlife such as the beaver, (hence the name of the cache.) The terrain getting to the cache can range greatly in difficulty. Depending on recent rain, water levels, fallen trees, missing bridges and how active the beavers are, it can range from a 2 to a 5. In other words, it can be a bit of adventure getting to the first stage!
This cache is an (upgraded) replacement for the original Beaver Dam Cache http://coord.info/GC238FN . The original location transformed into a poison ivy thicket surrounded by deep mud and, well, just basically nasty. So, Team Chubba decided to take the opportunity to make a major upgrade to the cache; we think you’ll find it quite unique! Even if you found the original cache it is definitely worth a revisit. The listed coordinates are for the first stage. You’ll get the coordinates for the final stage at the first stage. We put some extra effort into creating the first stage hide so please try to leave things setup for the next person. You’ll know what we mean ;-). The final stage is a regular sized locking plastic container, decked out with a log book and trade items. As of recent, the beavers have been quite active in producing a rather inconvenient body of water and downed trees between you and the cache. While not officially winter friendly (especially with recent NE snowfalls), a few inches of snow shouldn’t be a problem. Please don’t damage any of the beaver dams or things like that. Try to stay on the trail as much as possible. Check out the some of the beaver activity (downed trees, footprints, beaver trails, etc.). Check out this geo-oddity at coordinates N 42° 19.9647' W 071° 22.9506'. How do you think it got there? For more information and some history, check out the Town of Wayland web site: http://www.wayland.ma.us/pages/WaylandMA_Conservation/cons/pod (From WayCon website) Location: The Pod Meadow Conservation Area is located just off of Old Connecticut Path (Route 126), just south of the Hultman Aqueduct in Southwest Wayland. Access: The entrances to Pod Meadow are located off of Old Connecticut Path and on Wallace Street. A public parking area, with a Conservation area sign, is located off of Old Connecticut Path, between Hawthorne Road and Simpson Road, on the opposite side of the street. History: Pod Meadow Conservation Area (25 acres) is part of an original 600-acre grant made to Elizabeth Glover in 1639. The land was settled (and farmed) during the early years because it lay astride the centuries-old Great Trail of the Indians which became a major highway in the colonial era and is now known as Old Connecticut Path, or Route 126. The Richardson family acquired the farm in 1866. In the early 1900s they raised dairy cows, supplying milk to Cochituate, Natick and Saxonville. During the 1920s, the Richardsons operated a tent-camping business. From 1929 to 1955 they produced eggs and poultry products for market. Some of the land is still in the ownership of the Richardson family. In 1959 the 25-acre Pod Meadow Conservation portion of the farm was sold to the New England Sand & Gravel Company, with the understanding that after removal of the gravel, the land would be sold back to the Richardsons. In 1969, the Town acquired the parcel for conservation purposes. Natural Habitat/Wildlife: - The beautiful ponds in this conservation area have grown and shrunk over the years as a result of changes in the activities of resident beavers. The ponds are now higher that usual due to well maintained dams. - The steep bluff is an ice contact shelf, formed when a huge block of ice sat in the area that is now the pond, while sediment-laden water flowed past. Over time, sediments were deposited under the flowing water. Then, later, when the huge block of ice melted, only the steep bluff and pond depression remained. - The sedimentary geology made this a lucrative area for mining sand and gravel - some evidence of mining near the ice contact shelf itself can still be seen (for example, near the top of the high "shelf" is a tree growing out of an "island" of unmined sediment). - The pond area is prime habitat for waterfowl - wood ducks, pied-billed grebes, Canada geese, and green herons are common, along with tree swallows, bank swallows, and warblers. This pond is also perfect habitat for turtles - in the spring and summer painted turtles and snapping turtles abound. Dragonflies and damsel flies are common. - Vernal pools harbor wood frogs, fairy shrimp, and mole salamanders. Listen for frog choruses in the springtime.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgntr 1: vg fubhyq or cerggl boivbhf! Guvax ornire ubzr.
Svany: Guvax nobhg jung orniref yvxr naq jr'er fher lbh'yy ybt n svaq!