Part of the Erie Canal Adventure Lab Trail
The cache is not at the posted coordinates. Posted coordinates are however, near 1 of 3 bathrooms located in the park. (There are also bathrooms at the Hatchery, and at Powder Horn lodge, near the playground.)
This cache requires that you download the Geocaching Adventure Lab app from your app store. Once installed, and you are close to the location, open the app. The closest adventures will be displayed. You will need to choose the "Powder Mills Park" Adventure Lab cache. One of the fun aspects of playing an Adventure Lab Cache is that you will get a Lab Cache find at each location! If you complete this adventure you will receive five Lab Cache finds, and once you sign the log for this bonus cache you will have a mystery find as well.
The adventure will take you to 5 locations - each location will require a question to be answered.
Once you have completed the adventure, you will have the secret phrase needed to find this cache from the journal entries. Take a drive or a hike through Powder Mills Park, and learn about all about the park and it's history. Adventure Lab link QR code in gallery.
The puzzle:
Old Bill worked for the mill for many years. He was a loyal employee, and he enjoyed working there. He lived in a rooming house in the village. The rooms were rented sometimes by the day to travelers, especially those passing thru via the canal. He did not necessarily trust some of the other local workers that lived there as he did, but the rent was affordable.
Now, Ol' Bill was by no means rich, but he did have a few items of value or importance to him. Some cash, coins, jewelry that belonged to his mother and a few other special items he kept in a small blue box. Due to his mistrust of the other occupants at the rooming house, he decided to hide his blue box near the mill. There was no safe in a rooming house such as his, and a safe deposit box would cost him too much.
Mr. Rand, the owner of the mill, was very cautious and strictly forbid hunting, fishing, trapping or camping on his land, to avoid any errant sparks that could cause an explosion. When milling blasting powder, a single spark could be very dangerous. Because of this strict policy, Bill knew his valuables would be safe, and no one would likely stumble upon them accidentally.
Even though Mr. Rand was extremely cautious, several explosions occurred over the years. In one of these explosions, Ol' Bill was hit in the head by flying debris, enough to knock him out for quite a time. No one else was injured in the blast. The Rands were very kind and had the men carry him up to Oakridge, their home, and called for the doctor. He soon gained consciousness and spent a few days recovering at their residence from his superficial injuries. Eventually his cuts and bruises healed, but he never regained his lost memories. He could not remember much from the years immediately preceding the accident.
In his dreams, or when he let his mind wander, sometimes flickers of memories would come to him. He pictured a tree with a burl as big as a wrecking ball, and a creek curving like a snake. But he no longer knew what these scenes meant, or exactly where they were. He assumed his valuables went missing while he recovered at Oakridge and that the men in his rooming house were to blame, but he was not sure enough to go to the police.
When you complete the adventure lab, you will have the place Ol' Bill dreamed about. Put the phrase from the journal entries (in order NO SPACES) into certitude to get the location of Ol' Bill's lost treasure.
Appx 1 mile round trip. Difficulty and terrain rating are to account for the adventure lab and this cache.
Trackables, aka TB's will fit in this container. All about trackables here: Travel Bugs
You must sign the physical paper log to claim this find. If you take something, please leave something as well.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.