Located along the Appalachian Trail not far from Black Rock, this offset cache honors two people who have given large quantities of time and sweat to the preservation and upkeep of the Trail – Walter J. “Pogo” Rheinheimer Jr. and Paula M. Strain. Pogo (1958-1974) was a young and energetic member of the Mountain Club of Maryland who loved hiking and assisting with trail upkeep. He drowned in a water accident at age sixteen. The Mountain Club named the campground at these coordinates in his honor.
Paula M. Strain has written a book, “The Blue Hills of Maryland – History Along the Appalachian on South Mountain and the Catoctins,” that encompasses history and lore of the areas adjacent to the AT from Harper’s Ferry to Pen Mar, Md. Ms. Strain has also maintained a 3.5-mile section of the trail on South Mountain for many years and served as archivist for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC).
It is from her book that we learned of the Centennial Road (Bagtown to Wolfsville) that early patriots traversed first on foot and later in wagons to celebrate the nations humble beginnings each July 4th. It is along this Road that you will hike to access this cache if you approach from the west.
The cache can be accessed by through hikers on the trail or from the west by parking at the end of White Oak Road near Mt. Aetna. The blue (water) trailhead is at N39:34.950, W077:35.324. From White Oak Road, the hike is about two miles round trip, rising through approximately 700’ of elevation. Though not particularly steep, the trail is rocky and good hiking shoes are suggested.
The cache is offset. The above coordinates lead to the brown Pogo Camp sign. Assign alphabet letters (a,b,c,d,e,f, etc.) to each of the eight date numerals on the sign. Plug the corresponding numbers into the following coordinates.
N 39:34 CDG W 077:35 XYZ
where X is D minus C, Y is A minus E and Z is F minus G. The cache is a large micro or a small regular. It contains no writing piece. Small trade items are possible. Along with a log, the cache contains a signature toothpick tube.