Welcome to the FF25 Night Cache
This cache is a night cache, meaning it is designed to be done at night. It was placed for GCAX1X1 Fall Fest 2025, but is not part of the GeoChallenge and is NOT a challenge challenge cache. This is NOT a park & grab. This cache will be approximately 4km hike round trip from parking to the cache and back. You will be walking down overgrown trails, through mucky creek beds, and doing a 20-30m bushwack to find this cache. You will need a good flashlight with lots of batteries, a GPS device that is able to complete waypoint projections, and boots that you don't mind getting muddy. Please check the attributes for and do not attempt anything outside of your comfort zone.
The cache IS NOT at the posted coordinates. But, this is where you will start your adventure...
This cache is part of the Hatchley Gadget Trail. This moderate hike winds through the Hatchley Tract, a hiking tract with several gadget and/or unusual caches for you to find. These caches are not your typical peanut butter jar in a tree - read the directions on the cache page thoroughly to enjoy the experience. To complete the gadget trail, expect a 3.5-4km round trip hike with some bushwacking. This area becomes VERY wet during the late winter and spring, and you may wish to bring bug repellent, rubber boots, and your thinking caps.
The Legend of the Ringing Woods
Long before this trail had a name, the valley was home to a trapper named Elias Harrow. He was known for two things: the silver hand-bells he carried to push animals into his snares—and the fortune in coins he supposedly buried somewhere along this creek.
One winter night Elias ventured out as a storm rolled in and never returned. Searchers found only his bells hanging in the trees, swaying without wind. Ever since, hikers who dare to cross the old bridge after dark tell of faint chiming that lures them off the path. Some say Elias still guards the hoard he hid, ringing those bells to frighten away intruders… or guide the worthy.
Tonight you must decide which you are.
Begin on the bridge where the creek whispers below. Nearby lies a clue—the first key to Elias’s trail.
When you find it, follow the fire tacks into the creek bed. Sometimes the water runs black and cold, sometimes it’s nothing but stones, so choose your boots with care. The ghost lights will direct you:
The forest will tighten around you until you reach a large X, said to mark where Elias first staked his claim.
Here you must think like a trapper: project a waypoint 22 m at a bearing of 33 degrees and move silently to avoid waking the spirit.
Ahead, the night will fill with a sound that isn’t there—bells ringing though no hands move them. Use the tool you collected at Stage 1 to reveal the final hiding place of Elias’s treasure.
But the cache is locked tight, just as legend says he left it. To break the seal, scan the trees for the ghost’s final sign and speak his colors in order: orange, green, yellow, red.
Replace every piece exactly as you found it so the spirit rests undisturbed. This trek earns its terrain rating—night hiking here is challenging even for the living.
Come prepared, step lightly, and perhaps you will leave with more than a find: you may carry the tale of Elias Harrow, the bell-ringer of the creek, whose treasure still waits in the dark.
A few notes about this cache:
- The cache is a 30 cal plastic ammo can, so there is room for trade items/trackables if you wish.
- Check the attributes! They will often give you an idea of what you are looking for and what to expect at/near GZ
- Remember that you must sign the log in order to claim the find. Group names are fine, but all caches should be present at the time of the find.
- Play attention to the DT ratings and don't do anything above your comfort level.
- If you have issues with any of the caches, please reach out to one of the Event Organizers (Pasha88 and bigguy14760) for assistance.
This cache is being placed for Fall Fest 2025! by a proud member of:
