Official Stuff
This cache is located in Sandy Creek Park. As of 5/1/21, there is current a $2/person fee to enter the park. Please obey posted park hours (They vary by season and are available online or posted at the gate). DO NOT HUNT OUTSIDE OF POSTED HOURS. Additionally, please make sure we follow all park rules, including:
- Please respect the property and Leave No Trace.
- Park only in designated areas. Do NOT park on the sides of roads or in non-designated parking.
- Please do not park on the dam.
- Please do not enter the water at the dam.
- Please don’t climb on the rocks at the bottom of the dam or enter dangerous areas.
- Please do not dig in the park as no caches are buried.
- Please respect the property and Leave No Trace (Yes-- we said this twice).
Thank you for being respectful of this beautiful park!
The Series
Do you love mystery caches? Do you love D/T (Difficulty/Terrain) ratings? if so, we have a GREAT series for you!!!
The Jackson County Agritourism Geo-Trail 81 series (JCAT-81) has been placed for YOU! We do have to fess up that the series isn’t actually in Jackson County, but it’s a stone’s throw away and an awesome set of caches. If you complete all 81, you will have completed an entire D/T grid. Total fizzy awesomeness!
The majority of the caches are hidden in Sandy Creek Park. There is an entrance fee of $2 per person to enter. Current park hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed on Mondays. (Note: Hours can change-- please check with the park before making your trip plans)
The caches are hidden in a variety of containers and styles. The puzzles will help build your puzzle-solving skills. Be on the lookout for some JCAT-81 Puzzle-Solving events where we will help you solve some of the tougher ones.
This series is a collaborative effort of “The Puzzle Posse”! The Puzzle Posse consists of Bragger407, GeoMonkeyTiger!, LaFavorite Cacher, and poeanne.
This Cache
This cache is rated a 3.0/2.0. You will have mostly a flat path to the cache, but will encounter some terrain near the end! As always, watch out for muggles!! NOTE: This cache was moved on 4/30/21 and the puzzle updated. If you solved the puzzle before then, you will want to verify your coordinates!
This Puzzle
(This puzzle brought to you by GeoMonkeyTiger!)
The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates!
I could tell you where the cache is, but I would rather teach you some history!!
Jackson County is known for cows!! But did you know, that in addition to being delicious and making awesome pants for Ross, cows played an important part in the history of the American West?
After the Civil War there was a shortage of beef in the northern states. Texas ranchers were burdened with five million head of cattle and no railroads on which to ship them to market, so Texas cattlemen looked for the nearest rail heads. Thus began the era of the long cattle drive and Western “cowtowns”!
One of the first major cowtowns was Abilene, KS. However, Ellsworth, KS (4) replaced Abilene, KS (3) as one of the major cowtowns after farming took over the bulk of land around the town, making cattle impossible to drive there. In 1876, Dodge City, KS (4) became the major cowtown in Kansas. Dodge City, KS (5) also was where famous lawman Wyatt Earp got his start! Other major Kansas cowtowns included Great Bend (3), Baxter Springs (3), and Hunnewell (4).
Of course, not all Kansans liked the cattle business. There were reports of lawlessness, cattle drives extracted a huge toll on the land, and Texas cattle was known to carry a tick that spread “Texas Fever” to other cattle. Additionally, many cattle drivers became dissatisfied with the Kansas Pacific Railroad, and stated to move towards the Union Pacific line, which was offering lower prices. The cowtowns began to move.
Nebraska saw the rise of Schuyler (2) and Ogalla (5) as prominent cowtowns. They were a long way from Caldwell, KS (4) (Fun fact: Caldwell (5) was home to Larry Miller who, with the help of his sixth-grade class, successfully campaigned to make the ornate box turtle the official state reptile of Kansas!)!
The drive continued north and west as Medora, ND and Miles City, MT (2) grew as cowtowns. Some claimed that Wyatt Earp left Dodge City, KS (2) to try his hand at mining in Medora, ND (2), but there are no reputable sources that will confirm this.
Hope you learned something about how important cows were to the American West and while you’re at it, found the coordinates!!
Did you see the coordinates there? Trust me! They are there!!
Solution Checker
You can validate your solution with the Certitude checker below!
