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Fore Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

flossmoor: Yeah... this one is gone again. My two-strikes rule applies.

I don't have definitive evidence the park staff has been jacking with this cache. Others checking on my behalf strongly suggest they are. The quick disappearance days after replacement and reactivation suggests they are. Occam's Razor suggests they are. The only other surmisable possibility is a classic Shooter-grade ransacking... but this is not a decon. For more than five years Shakamak has been a geocaching-friendly site, because they know geocaches bring paying visitors to the park who would not otherwise visit (and paying visitors to maintain the geocaches they placed within the park). When gheocachers get to experience a great park, a great park gets enjoyed, and money flows in support of a supportive staff, everyone wins.

If, conversely, park staff feel the need to snipe my geocache, repeatedly, then suddenly the geocacher no longer wins. If park staff choose to disrespect the monetary cost involved in deploying and redeploying the geocaches they opt to remove, then, naturally, I choose to disrespect one of their key sources of monetary flow. Action; reaction.

As a result, I encourage (nay, urge) all geocachers wishing to visit the remaining five geocaches in this park to hold off until the front guardhouse closes for the fall/winter. Once the guardhouse closes for the season the monetary cost to enter Shakamak becomes zero. You get to geocache in Shakamak for free, and they get nothing in return. Most people don't know there is a seasonal nature to the guardhouse and the need to pay to enter. Until now, I have, in their financial interests, kept this secret. No more. Spread the word.

We don't need to fund staff paychecks and maintenance of a park which, for unannounced and unknown reasons, has decided not only to no longer supports us, but actively work against us. So, in regard to supporting THEM, don't... at least, not unless and until they demonstrate in definitive tangible ways their unwavering permanent support and cooperation with the geocaching community.

There are lots of parks within Illinois and Indiana which literally beg for geocaches (many of these do not even generate revenue through entry fees). Frequent them instead.

Admin: please archive this cache.

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Hidden : 9/16/2003
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Cache hidden along a similarly named path in Shakamak State Park.

This path can be entered from one of three common entry points. In any of those three cases, the walk will be lengthy. There are many nice benches and tables along the way for resting and picnicing, so bring plenty of water and perhaps a picnic lunch.

I suppose you could shorten the distance via access from the lake or a road outside the park, but what fun would that be? Stick to the paths, and you can come up with a zero bushwack find.

Cache container is a 15" x 14" x 6" black plastic ammo box (plenty of elbow room for even some of the more portly hitchhikers). Starting contents include:

- logbook
- a couple mechanical pencils
- camera, so I can see yer ugly mug
- extra batteries, for the distressed geocacher encumbered by energy crisis
- a couple Bactine towelettes (I take these things wherever I geocache)
- first finder's gift
- various assorted goodies (keychains, CDs, and the like)
- a geocoin travelbug

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Va 7gu tenqr, V unq n grnpure jub gevrq gb znxr hf zrzbevmr rirel cercbfvgvba. Httu. Cercbfvgvbaf. Lbh xabj: ntnvafg, oruvaq, orybj, orarngu, orgjrra, vafvqr, haqrearngu, hcba, jvguva... qvq gung uryc? Ab, V qvqa'g guvax fb.

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)