Fern Prairie Settlement Viewpoint Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Moun10Bike: The cache owner is not responding to issues with this listing, so I must regretfully archive it. If the cache turns up or is replaced in the future, email me and I will review it for unarchival.

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Hidden : 10/18/2004
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
3.5 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

This is a hike along singletrack to the North Eastern viewpoint of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, Whistle Lake area. These paths are usually not as swampy as some others during the wet months due to good drainage.This is a challenging hike or mt bike ride. My GPSr said .7 miles one way, on the way back to the car. There are a variety of alternate trails that can be followed to reach the cache which is at around 450 feet elevation.

This is an Eastern viewpoint towards March Point (the oil refineries) and the Swinomish Reservation.

From the 1850s through the 1870s the first white settlers of Fidalgo Island set up claims on a peninsula that is now known as March Point.  At the time it was an area with sparse trees called Fern Prairie.  They were hunters, trappers, farmers, prospectors and surveyor's.
Here are some of the names of those early settlers. I found this information within a great book called "At Home on Fidalgo":
Enoch Compton
Jack Carr
William Munks
William Bonner
Charles and Robert Beale
Hiram March
James Kavanaugh
Henery Barkhousen
John and Almira Griffin

Fidalgo Island was so densly forested that the people had to use the waterways for transportation until they built a road in the 60s from March point west into the island.

The first school on the island, Fidalgo School, was built on March Point in 1868.

Parking Waypoint -  N 48 28.394  W 122 36.308

I highly recommend mountain biking this one - not because you need to, but beacause you would want to!

The cache is a blue thermos and is chocked full of goodies.  

Maps of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands as well as the AMAZING book 'At Home on Fidalgo' can be obtained in town at 'The Business' (1717 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes, WA 98221).  Proceeds benefit the Community Forest lands Conservation Easement Program.   
Please help save our woods!
PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB the native plants and wildlife while searching for this cache. A spoiler picture of the cache location has been provided to help reduce the impact of searching in the wrong place. The City of Anacortes has been kind enough not to remove the cache from this amazing and delicate place. Please return the favor by being absolutely respectful of the resources on which you are standing. Pack out any litter found in the area. Go to Anacortes Community Forest Lands for more information on the City of Anacortes parks system.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gur pnpur vf ybpngrq haqre n ybt gung vf orybj fbzr irel lbhat Jrfgrea Erq Prqne fncyvatf. Gur pnpur vf pbirerq ol fbzr ynetr fgvpxf naq bgure qroevf sebz gur vzzrqvngr nern.

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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