RETURN OF THE BEAVER Multi-Cache
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The cache is in the Pennsylvania section of White Clay Creek Preserve and is the northern most of the many caches along this river. Plan on a mile hike
This is a 2 stage cache, that has been modified from the initial 4 stage cache (Stream Sentinnel & Return of the Beaver) since the first two stages are covered by a new Earth Cache.
This will take about mile total walk on nice trails
The closest place to park is at Lot #1 on London Tract Road near Broad Run Road. stay on the trails, bushwacking can be painful with the prevalent wild multi-flora rose thorns and is not needed for more than 25 feet
PART 1 Following the trail from the parking lot southward--you will be walking on the old RR grade. The posted coordinates are for the location of the first beaver dam built and the small RR bridge over the tiny stream. Find out when the bridge was built--look on the side of the bridge. The second number in the date on the bridge is “A” in the final cache co-ordinates. As check, that should be between 0.1 to 0.2 miles away.
FINAL CACHE Part 2 Use the information you have gotten so far to fill in the ammo box cache co-ordinates:
N 39 45.5"A"3 and W 75 45."A"53
As you go to the final cache, just stay on the right “track” which may not be the normal blue blaze trail. You can always go further downstream to see the remains of three trestle foundations where the railroad crossed the stream. There might even be a geocache at one of them
In 1993 the Pennsylvania Game Commission relocated a pair of beaver to the White Clay Creek. Other than man, the beaver is the only animal that can modify and change his environment. That change was evident as you walk along the trail that uses the old RR grade. What was a swampy area to the west became a series of small ponds and active beaver dams. Each year the colony has grown. Besides the beaver, the ponds are home to painted turtles and northern water snakes (non-poisonous). On a warm sunny day, check out the remains of abandoned beaver lodge (just 0.1 miles further north on the path fron cache location) that is the favorite place for the snakes to sun themselves. (8/08 update) The beavers have moved on to other parts of the park and the ponds have reverted bach to swampy meadows. This is still a nice walk along the old RR bed that is now a trail.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cneg 1: Ybbx ng gbc fvqr bs oevqtr, ahzoref phg vagb pbapergr.
Cneg 2: Nf EE orq tbrf guebhtu n aneebj phg, ybbx oruvaq gur ynetr 2aq gerr ba gur uvtu fvqr bs gur phg nobhg 20' bss genvy
Treasures
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