The Elves Cross That Bridge When They Come to it Traditional Cache
Hidden : 4/10/2005
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Consistent with the themes of many other Elves caches, this micro takes you to a spectacular view of Pittsburgh, plus a nice urban biking trail.

There's a walking and biking trail -- part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail -- that runs all along the north shore of the Allegheny River. We've added a cache to it, which you can do as a stop during a bike ride, or as a park and grab, since there's ample parking right across River Avenue from the cache location.

Walk up, up, up the ramps onto an old railroad bridge that will carry you over a channel to the tip of Herr's Island (also the home of the venerable Ben Herr cache). If the ramps weren't quite so long, we'd rate the cache wheelchair accessible. It sure is from the Island side. When you've crossed the bridge, you will have a beautiful view of downtown from the east, looking over the water. Check out the cool stepping stone compass-map representing the three rivers and Herr's Island inlaid into the crushed limestone path. It's a Waymark! The log-only micro is nearby. Bring a scrivener's implement, and if you don't have one of those, bring a pen or pencil.

About the bridge... why did a railroad run to this tiny island? Part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, this bridge linked the railroad at "CQ" tower on the north shore to a loop servicing the stockyards and meat packing plants on Herr's Island. It appears to be one of the oldest surviving river bridges in the area. It employs vertical end posts in a manner similar to covered bridge trusses; most truss bridges built after the 1880s used inclined end posts at the portals. This one was built in 1903. Nowadays, Herr's Island stinks of yuppies in their condos rather than of cattle and pigs in their pens.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Vg'f zntargvp, ohg abg nggnpurq gb gur byq envyebnq oevqtr tveqref.

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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