The Los Flores Ranch Park Open Space offers 1,778 extraordinary acres and over 22 miles of scenic trails, vistas, wildlife, 40+ geocaches, and is located smack dab in the middle of the Solomon Hills.
The Solomon Hills are named after Salomon Pico, the 19th century Mexican Californio patriot and bandit. Pico and his bandit gang lurked in these hills and ambushed men riding through who were carrying saddlebags full of gold intended to buy herds of cattle. It is rumored by many that Pico buried a fortune in stolen gold somewhere amongst these very hills!
***Please read the entire description before attempting!***
This gadget cache may take a while; it is rated a difficulty of 3.5! You will want to bring along a notepad and a writing utensil!
The trick of this cache is not finding the treasure (aka "Salomon's Strongbox”), the trick will be deciphering the code that will open Salomon’s Strongbox. The cache itself is hidden in a very traditional manner. However, to claim a find, your name must make it onto the physical log!
DO NOT force anything. Do not bring pry bars, acetylene torches, bolt cutters, dynamite, or any other aggressive tools to open the cache. It will become very obvious how to open the cache when you find it.
You will need to find three (3) object clues around ground zero in order to figure out how to open the cache. All of the clues are firmly SECURED within 25 feet of the cache (the chain, locks or ammo can are NOT clues) and are hiding in plain sight. Use the first letter of each clue to open the lock. For example, if you found a decorative plastic "Apple" as one of the clues, you would use A on the lock. After you find the 3 clues, then putting the letters in the correct order is the next challenge. Do NOT move the clues. Leave them exactly where they are! NO need to climb, lift or move anything to find the clues; again - they are hiding in plain sight!
As usual, please re-hide the cache just as well or better than you found it. The cache should not be visible to passers by. Please latch the cache tight when re-securing and sit it upright.
**NOTE: Cell reception within the park is sporadic. Bookmarking and downloading for offline use of this cache and others at the park prior to arrival is strongly advised. See this Los Flores Ranch Park Bookmark List.**
The cache is easily accessible via the Watershed Trail (see Waypoint coordinates below). There are picnic tables and drinking water along some of the trails. All rules apply accessing the ranch. Open Friday-Sunday 8am-7pm Spring/Summer. Friday-Sunday 9am-5pm Fall/Winter. Enter and register at the Visitor's Center (see Parking waypoint below). Please see the Los Flores Ranch Park Facebook Page for updates.
Thanks to WVTim for this cache concept!