Gift Box Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Hidden in the deep, lush Rustic Canyon you can find both the Gift Box and a mysterious dam topped with a thundering waterfall.
Rustic Canyon is strange. It feels very different from other nearby canyons. The vegetation is thick, the rocks odd, and the trail often leads into the stream. There is regular evidence of past habitation and rumors that it once was the home of California Nazis, toiling in seclusion until the time was right to claim Los Angeles for the Furor. Among the most impressive artifacts of this mysterious past is the thirty foot tall (at least) concrete dam over which the the creek forms very large and loud waterfall.
The most direct path to the dam is to follow the trail which begins in at the eastern edge of the Will Rogers State Park polo field. This trail has been recently upgraded and the brush trimmed back, but only until it reaches the canyon floor. The trail wanders in and out of the creek, so be prepared to get your feet wet. Once in the canyon, just keep hiking; there is no way to miss the dam and its waterfall. I was unable to get a GPS signal at the dam's base, so you'll need to find the less-used of the the two nearby trails that lead up to the high side of the dam. The more used trail looks to be the remnants of an actual road for driving up to the dam and is much wider than the trail that leads to the cache. The cache location is the east side of the dam, above the canyon treetops and offers both a fine view and an appreciation of how loud the waterfall over the dam really is.
The hike can be tricky in the creek-bound parts, and icky for those adverse to salamanders and dragonflies. The climb out the canyon the cache location is a bit of a scramble, but nothing an agile ten-year-old couldn't manage.
The Gift Box is starting out with:
Five recordable DVDs in rare Apple Camp sleeves.
Aviator Playing Cards Pack
Avalon Hotel Body Cream
Rabbit in a Sheriff's Costume
Architecture Review Board Envelope
Illuminated Pen
Mind of the Married Man Matchbox
Hand-made Ceramic Mug In a Sock
The Letter S
Carlsbad Caverns Postcard
Finger Splint
Camera for Finder Self-Portraits
Jell-o
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gurer vf irel fznyy zrgny cbfg oneryl fgvpxvat bhg bs gur fbvy nobhg sbhe srrg sebz gur pnpur.
Treasures
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