I HID A NEW CONTAINER TODAY (4/8/2025). THE OLD ONE MIGHT BE THERE SOMEWHERE, BUT I COULDN'T FIND IT. AS OF WHEN I HID IT THERE WAS A PRETTY THICK PIECE OF BARK COVERING IT. THE CONTAINER IS STILL A CAMMOED CYLINDER, SIZE SMALL.
Note: There is a new timber trail that cuts off on the left side of the main trail about 1/4 mile from the cache. It was a pretty muddy hike today, but once the mud dries out this should be a much easier path to the cache than the old route. I didn't get those trailhead coordinates, but I have to slog my way back up there again soon to check on a couple of other caches. I will get those coordinates whenever I make it back.
THIS CACHE IS NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES. YOU MUST SOLVE THE PUZZLE TO DETERMINE THE FINAL COORDINATES.
The final is in the PA Gamelands. Follow all Gamelands rules and wear orange during hunting seasons. DO NOT LOOK FOR THIS DURING DEER SEASONS.
THE TALE OF THE TOAD AND THE FROG
Cora and Michael have been married for 4 years. At 1 time, before she married Michael, Cora was Cora Drake. Her mothers' name was Dorothy Drake, but her friends all called her Dotty. Michaels' father was Michael Morse, which makes Michaels' name Michael Jr. Michael (the father) was a very handsome man, and at least 5 of the women he knew said that he was very dashing. Some of his friends actually started to sarcastically call him Dash, which never really caught on outside of his circle of 9 friends.
Cora and Michael both enjoy hiking in the woods, and especially in nature preserves. In fact, they met while they were both hiking in the same preserve one day. They slowly got to know each other and 3 months later they married. They now have 1 son named, what else, Michael III. Today is their 4th anniversary, so they decided to take a walk in the same game preserve where they met.
After walking for a while they came across a small pond with a bench next to it. Curiously there was a number 79 on the bench, but they didn't really pay any attention to it. They decided to sit down on the bench, relax and just observe the fauna and flora in the area. After they were there for about 4 minutes or so they happened to notice a brown, warty toad and a green frog frolicking together through the area. They seemed to enjoy each other's company even though 1 was a toad and 1 was a frog. Cora decided to name the toad Dotty after her mother's nickname. Michael Jr. went along with that idea and named the frog Dash after his father's nickname.
Whenever either the toad or the frog did something the other followed right along. For example, the toad decided to take a little swim in the pond, and the frog jumped right in behind the toad. After about 5 minutes they both jumped on the same lily pad and just sat there quietly. What Cora and Michael Jr didn't realize is that the toad and the frog were watching them as closely as they were watching the toad and the frog. The toad and the frog noticed how happy Cora and Michael Jr were, and decided to get married so that they might be just as happy together. 2 months later they were married and everything worked out well. The toad and the frog lived happily ever after.
So, what did we learn from this story?
- Cora and Michael are married
- Cora had a mother and Michael had a father
- Michael is actually Michael Jr.
- Cora and Michael enjoy hiking at nature preserves
- Cora and Michael have a son
- There is a pond at the nature preserve
- There is a bench at the pond
- The bench has a number on it
- The toad is warty, we don't know if the frog is or not
- The toad and the frog really enjoy being with each other
- The toad and the frog are married
- The toad and the frog lived happily ever after
Did any of this help, or was it all just a distraction? Who knows? All that I can tell you is that everything you need to solve the puzzle is available to you. You just need to figure out where to find it.
The difficulty rating for this cache is based on the puzzle (the actual hide is a simple small cammo cylinder hidden in an ordinary "in the woods" way). The terrain is based on what I encountered along my way to GZ. There may be easier ways to get there, I just do not know. I encountered downed logs, tall vegetation, muddy ground, a quarter mile of steep climbing and plenty of thorns. Bushwacking is required, but there is a trail that gets you at least part of the way there.
