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Crazy California #35 - Dark Santa Lucias Watchers Multi-Cache

This cache has been archived.

Riansoccer10: Letting this one go.

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Hidden : 4/1/2016
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:

This cache is part of a geo-art series dedicated to interesting facts about California. The caches in this series are all within the La Purisima Mission hiking trail areas. Bring a pen/pencil to sign log sheets, tweezers for any tiny caches, small items to trade, and hiking necessities (food, water, sunscreen, etc.). Beware of poisonous plants and wildlife. Please take care of all caches and replace exactly as found to ensure they last a while.

The mountains that run southeast from Monterey to San Luis Obispo are home to the Dark Watchers.  They are dark, human-shaped phantoms who stand silhouetted against the sky on the ridges and peaks of the Mountains.  Nobody knows what they are, but sightings date back to Chumash Indian legends.  Author John Steinbeck, who won the Nobel Prize and hailed from Monterey County, wrote about the figures in a short story titled "Flight."  He mentioned the hero seeing "a dark form against the sky, a man standing on top of a rock" in the Santa Lucias. 

One sighting by a high school principal who was hunting in the hills, spotted what appeared to be a dark figure in a hat and long cape, standing on a rock across the canyon.  The figure seemed to be scanning the surrounding terrain, and then disappeared when the principal called the other members of his hunting party.

Cache:

This is a two-stage multi.  Stage 1 contains the coordinates to Stage 2.  Both stages are small, non-camo'd containers.  Please replace as found and ensure proper cover to make the hides last!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Fgntr 1: Ovg bs n trbpnpuvat Rnfgre Rtt ba gur tebhaq haqre terrarel, pbzcyvzragf bs Pncgnva Nzrevpn.Fgntr 2: Veba rtt haqre fgvpxf n srj fgrcf bss genvy.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)