This cache is part of the Oregon History
Lesson series!
Antelope. A tiny town, as far away from anything as you can get. Except for maybe Fossil, but that's another cache. In 1981, a very bizarre thing happened here. A man, The Baghwan Shree Rajneesh (from India) purchased a dilapidated ranch near Antelope, Oregon, which became the site of Rajneeshpuram, a community of several thousand red-robed disciples. Money was poured into building a commune for followers of "Osho" to live in their own designated way. Osho himself, a white bearded fellow of amazing wealth, seemed to enjoy the status of extravagant prophet amongst his followers. He owned a garage full (someone counted there were 93) of Rolls-Royces, and built a beautifully paved road (now unfortunately pocked and overgrown with invasive high desert weeds) in the middle of NOWHERE to drive them on. The group, within a few months had taken over the town of Antelope, and then the elections (through unscrupulous means) for Wasco County. They renamed Antelope, the little town on the high desert, Rajneesh. Rajneeshpuram, the headquarters of the entire commune, was situated on the Big Muddy Ranch, off of Cold Camp road in Wasco and Jefferson County. The group shocked and alienated the local population, and within a few years had lowered themselves to crimes (the first biological attacks on citizens in the USA) that cost them their ranch and -at least- for the leadership, their right to remain in the USA. We are sure the group still exists, somewhere. As kids growing up in Oregon, both Zzzoey and illDRIVE were as aware as kids can be.. of this whole drama. The town of Antelope later took back its name, and its dignity.
Bypassed by road and rail, this tiny berg struggles with its own existence. The history is long and winding, and the road from Shaniko is too. Antelope was like many frontier towns, it burned down once or twice, it recovered. People stayed against all odds. Now it is a delicious example of small town America, with big trees and that delightful small-town pride. Take time to explore!
The cache consists of a log book in a film cannister, with a small pencil, but don't count on the pencil being sharp. Bring your own writing utensil. Take time to absorb the remoteness of the town.
This is an offset cache. Go to the posted coordinates and do the following: Count the number of letters inside the quotes on the metal plaque at the base of the flagpole. This number is ZZ. Now do some basic math.
(10 x ZZ) + 16 = www = _______
(6 x ZZ) - 17 = yyy = _______
The final coordinates are:N44* 54.www = _____
120* 43.yyy = _____
*Osho died in 1990 of heart failure in Poona, India
