Grandpa's Homestead Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

GeoCrater: I am regretfully archiving this cache since there's been no word from the owner in the month or more since the last reviewer note was posted. If you want to re-activate the cache during the next couple of months, please contact GeoCrater to see if that's possible. If the cache meets current guidelines, consideration will given to the circumstances surrounding the original archival.

GeoCrater
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Hidden : 6/20/2003
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

The coordinates will take you to the parking area. The walk is not too far. The area has very few visitors. On special holiday week ends there will be a few old timers re-visiting.

The need to populate vast areas of the open West dictated an ever more openhanded land policy by the Federal government in the mid-1800’s. This culminated in the Homestead Act of 1862, a law that would transfer millions of acres to settlers virtually free of charge. Citizens were granted the right to settle on unoccupied public land, which, provided that it be cultivated, they would own after living on it for five continuous years.
Grandpa moved his family from Wyoming to an area near this cache in 1913. One has to admire the tenacity and resilience of the settlers. Farmers and homesteaders who settled in this area were promised water and plenty of it. And so they came to turn the land into farms and build their homes and schools for their children. This they did with great optimism despite the rocky soil and the lack of sufficient water in an arid location.
Grandpa managed to hang on for the five years but like most residence in the area gave up and settled elsewhere. Very few remnants remain of the community. Grandpa’s homestead remains in the family today. You can still see some of the remains of the house and corals if you look closely. The most frequent indicator of homesteads in the area are the rock piles created from attempting to clear the fields for farming.

Your drive to this cache will reveal Grand views of the surrounding mountains. Bring plenty of liquids to drink if you are traveling in the summer. It is dry and hot. There is a little shade and a spot for a picnic at the parking coordinates. The roads are not all paved but you do not need 4WD to reach this location unlike our homestead. The cache is the usual ammo box and is an easy walk from the parking area, no climbing as the area is pretty flat. A lot of the area is designated as National Grass Lands. The only critter besides our own we ran into was Peter Cottontail.

The final coordinates for the cache:
44 29.627 N 121 22.274 W
We have started out modestly since this is our first cache placement. It's original contents include our signature antenna ball, team magnets, various key chains, whistles, happy face coin purses and some magic trick wire puzzles to make it interesting.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ybbx sbe n tenffynaq fvta naq tb rnfg. Vg vf uvqqra va bar bs gur znal ebpx cvyrf.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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