Welcome to a short social gathering to kickoff Challenge Forest. What is Challenge Forest? Challenge Forest is a run of 54 challenge caches on Oriole Trail West in Hoosier National Forest. We will gather at the posted coordinates at 8:00 am Central Time. There is parking available at the posted coordinates. I will have a few sweet treats to share, and perhaps a giveaway or two. Please sign the logbook and enjoy some geocaching fellowship. About 8:15 I will have a few bits of info to share about the trail and hides and then we'll grab a group photo. The event will end promptly at 8:30 so that folks can hit the trails if they wish. Hiking is not required in order to attend the event. Please note: this is an outdoor event in the forest...there are neither shelter nor restroom facilities nearby.
About The Trail: -The trail is about 7.5 miles long. If you hope to get all the new caches, you're looking at about 10.5 miles since you'll have to do a down and back on a two mile section.
-There is an additional trailhead with parking that you can leave a shuttle vehicle if you wish to have a shorter hike (see shuttle parking coordinates). If you use this parking area you might be competing with hunters for parking space...I'm guessing there's room for about 8 vehicles there. Speaking of hunters- it's hunting season! Please be aware of your surroundings and wear some blaze orange on the trails. Don't wear white.
-If you are planning a partial hike and want the most caches per mile hiked, you could actually start at the "Shuttle Parking" area. That would get you to the loop much sooner without having such a long section to double back.
-From the highway, you can turn west onto Orange Grove Road and drive past a few of the new caches. There is also parking available near the Family Time Challenge cache.
-From the event coordinates it is about 2.3 miles to the loop. At the loop you will find a trail sign with some basic info on it. If you take a right at the loop it is about another 4 miles to the shuttle parking. There will be one creek crossing in that direction, but it should be dry or manageable. If you take a left at the loop, it is about another 2.3 miles to the shuttle parking area. I believe this direction has four creek crossings, but I anticipate that they will be dry or manageable also.
About the Geocaches: 58 new geocaches will publish the afternoon prior to the event (3 traditionals, 1 multi, 54 challenge caches). The challenges are all preforms and are mostly high difficulty/ mid terrain. I have provided spoiler hints for all the hides and they are very near the trail- so they should all be quick finds.
I hope to see you there. Don't forget to log your Will Attend!