Geocachers on the trail to a 5/5 in Siberia (where terrain
ratings go to 10)
could be…but actually the painting is Siberia, ca. 1875 by
Jozef Chelmonski.
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About Siberia
Until the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1905, Siberia
remained in large part an unexplored and uninhabited region. A few
hardy explorers and traders ventured into this frozen wasteland.
And, as it turns out, prisons, or gulags, were built to house
political and other prisoners. Those particularly lovely items
lasted until recent times. Many suspect they thrive even today.
The Trans-Siberian railway brought immigrants and they have been
successful to this day in exploiting Siberia’s great wealth of
natural resources. The railway brings them to factories and
ports.
Much of Siberia experiences severe winters and accompanying
frigid temperatures (among the lowest ever recorded in an inhabited
region). But that doesn’t stop people from visiting. Among the
newest windfalls to affect the region, surprisingly enough, is
tourism. With the breakup of the Former Soviet Union, and the
growing reliance upon Russia on foreign tourist dollars, Siberia is
the destination of choice for many.
About Irkutsk
Irkutsk is in many ways the heart of Siberia, with its proximity to
Lake Baikal, status as a major transportation hub on the
trans-Siberian railway, and a plethora of scientific and research
institutes, including a branch of the Siberian Academy of Sciences.
As a local writer once noted, "To miss seeing Irkutsk is to miss
Siberia. "
Some of the most famous names in Russian history were exiled to
Irkutsk, where in the late 19th century up to a third of the city's
population was comprised of exiles. Alexander Radishchev, Josef
Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Sergei Kirov, Mikhail Frunze and
Vyacheslav Molotov were all exiled to the area for varying amounts
of time, as were participants in the Decembrists' uprising of
1825.
In the late 19th century, gold was discovered in the nearby Lena
Basin, and the Siberian Gold Rush began. People came to the region
hoping to strike it rich, and those who were successful built
sprawling classical mansions and financed public buildings, some of
which still stand today.
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About the Cache
The cache is less than a mile from the car and within 10 feet of
the trail. It was supposed to be near the confluence of the Siberia
and Bear creeks. However, a deteriorating trail forced a move
closer to the trailhead. Trailhead coords are N34 10.972 W116
59.194. While you are here, grab the other caches we planted along
the lower part of the trail. As always with caches in the forest
please be aware of the critters that call the forest home. Please
replace the cache the same way we hid it so the next cacher can
enjoy the find. This cache is part of our "Don’t send me to
Siberia" series, which include GCWAPD, GCWAPN, GCWAPR, AND
GCT1KY.
This cache was placed by a member of...
