The geocache is not at the posted coordinates. This is a simple field puzzle; gather the coordinates from the first stage to determine the location of the cache. A solution checker is available below for those that wish to confirm their coordinates.
This is one of five geocaches placed in this area for the 2024 West Bend $1,000 Cache Ba$h. It's suggested to go counter-clockwise on the trails if you plan to find all of the five new caches placed here, otherwise you'll be backtracking on almost every one. The first four caches are along the RED trail (see attached map if needed), and one of the caches is on the BLUE trail. Start from the parking lot, going north on the ORANGE trail to reach the RED trail. The 5th and final cache is a short walk from parking (150 feet) on the BLUE trail, and is a park and grab. Total distance if following the map to all five geocaches is approximately 1.6 miles round trip, and along the way you'll encounter numerous sculptures created in the early 1980s, which are numbered on the map. Parking is available in the parking lot at N43 28.120 W88 18.265. Hours are from dawn to dusk.
PERMISSION
Cedar Valley Retreat Center is a 100-acre private property with trails, ponds, a creek, woods, prairies, farmland, sculptures, and numerous buildings that host people and events, including retreats and many kinds of art workshops. People are welcome to stroll the grounds to enjoy the peace and quiet of the outdoors. Usually most visitors are requested to check in at the main lodge when walking the grounds (they’re friendly folks), but for those seeking the geocaches here they can go directly to the caches without checking in. Since it is private property please stay on the trails as much as possible.
The cache can be found at N43 27.ABC W88 18.DEF
A = Day of the month listed on cache page when cache was placed
B = Month listed on the cache page when this cache was placed
C = Number of wood horizontal beams/"joists" above your head (about 3 feet long each)
D = Number of letters in the color of the roof top
E = Number of canoes painted on the bottom side of the roof
F = 6 PLUS number of letters in the color of the roof top
A BIT ABOUT COVERED BRIDGES
Covered bridges can be found around the world, and typically have wooden timber diagonal trusses, with a roof and decking. The purpose of the covering was originally to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges typically had a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge can last over 100 years.
The oldest surviving covered bridge in the world is the Kapellbrücke in Switzerland, first built in the 1300s. In the 1800s, worldwide development of cheaper wrought iron and cast iron led to metal rather than timber bridges, which did not need similar protection from the elements, so they no longer needed to be covered. For that reason covered bridges became obsolete, also because most were single-lane, had low width and height clearances, and could not support the heavy loads of modern traffic.
In the United States, although about 14,000 covered bridges have been built, only about 500 to 600 still exist. The relatively small number of surviving bridges are often tourist attractions due to their rarity, quaint appearance, and historical significance.
We hope you enjoy your walk at Cedar Valley!
Placed by members of the
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