Join us for an extraordinary adventure on the Happy Valley PA GeoTour!
Prepare to explore breathtaking vistas, stunning local and state parks, and captivating historical sites as we guide you through an unforgettable geocaching experience.
Our dedicated team of volunteers has carefully curated cache types to keep the tour both interesting and challenging, ensuring an exciting journey for all participants.
Prepare to embark on a quest that will challenge your skills, ignite your curiosity, and leave you with a profound appreciation for the wonders of Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Happy Valley, uncover hidden treasures, and delve into the region's fascinating history. So grab your geocaching gear, lace up your hiking boots, and get ready to create memories that will last a lifetime. Happy caching!
https://happyvalley.com/d/happy-valley-pa-geotour
Be sure to wander around the grounds, buildings and/or even take a tour as the area has much history to offer. However, it is not necessary to do any of that in order to find the cache.
This is a letterbox style of geocache, so you will need to follow a set of instructions to find the cache. There is a stamp in the container, it is not swag. You will need to bring your own stamp pad if you would like to take an impression.
The posted coordinates will take you to an old well, with memorial stones placed around it. On the side with the largest stones:
A. Locate the stone for Anonymous Donations and locate the SECOND date. Your direction in degrees will be the day of the month followed by the third digit of the year.
Example: If the date is December 25, 1999, then the direction will be 259°
B. Locate the stone for Art J. Rooney Sr and locate the council number. Your distance in feet will be the third digit followed by the second digit.
Example: If the council # is 275, then the distance would be 57 feet.
Once you have figured out the distance and bearing, proceed to that location. That will be your trailhead for the start of the letterbox directions. Be sure to stay on the trails. If you come to a clearing, stay on the trail, do not cut through the field/lawn as that will throw off your step count. Also, when the directions say to go right or left, that is from the direction you were coming from, not the direction you are in when reading the signs.
Letterbox directions:
Once at the trailhead (see above for how to get to the trailhead), look around and you will see a support cable for a utility pole several feet away. Put your back to the cable and face the trailhead.
1. Walk about 50 steps along the trail into the woods. You should see a trail sign with the name of one trail on it. If that trail name starts with W, go left. If that trail name starts with C, go right.
2. Walk about 110 steps along the correct trail. You should see a trail sign with the name of one trail on it. If the name on this trail sign is the same as the trail name you saw on the first sign, go left. If the trail name is different from the trail name on the first sign, go right.
3. Walk about 40 steps along the correct trail This should bring you to two signs on the same post. Look at the trail name that has two arrows associated with it. If it starts with W, go right. If it starts with O, go left.
4. Walk about 125 steps along the correct trail. This will bring you to two signs on the same post. Both signs contain rules for the area. (If you are at a sign that doesn't contain rules or a post with only one sign, or a sign with multiple posts, you are at the wrong sign.) Use the top sign. You will see the following sentence: "These trails are made possible by the efforts of _____ _____. Count the number of letters in the words of those two blanks. If that is an odd number continue forward along the trail another 75 steps and look left at the base of a multi trunk bush. If that number is even, take the trail back the way you came. Go 13 steps and look left for a cinder block.
After returning the cache to it's hiding location, please cover it at least as good as you found it.
Please note that although the container is a regular sized container, there is no room for swag. The stamp is of a woodland critter that you might have encountered during your journey to the final. The log is small, so you will not be able to leave your stamp, but feel free to take an impression of the critter. Bring your own stamp pad and/or pen.
Some interesting historical information about the area you hiked...
Old Boalsburg Road
Old Boalsburg Road was one section of the winding road that was traveled in the mid-1800s between Boalsburg and the Farmer’s High School, later named Pennsylvania State University. The road was bypassed in 1933 by the nearby four-lane road, Boal Avenue or Business Route 322. When the west end of the road was cut off in the 1960s by the relocation of what is now Route 45West, the Commonwealth abandoned the upkeep of Old Boalsburg Road.
In an effort to preserve the historical value of the path and remember those who traveled the road before us, the path was restored in 2011 by the Gladys and Joseph Hart family, their children, and grandchildren who live nearby on Kennard Road, the next section west of this Boalsburg-to-State College road.
For additional information: https://centrehistory.org/?post_type=cchs_article&s=boalsburg
CONGRATULATIONS TO KTUJON ON THE FTF!!!