This cache is located in Robinson’s Woods, owned by the Cape
Elizabeth Land Trust. Evidently, the land was considered too rocky
for farming, and so was never developed. Consequently, the land is
home to old growth forest, holding trees estimated at 300 years
old. Wildlife is abundant. The woods are home to porcupines,
raccoons, skunks, possums, red fox, coyotes, red and grey
squirrels, and many birds, including owls. There are many vernal
pools, which provide breeding habitat for yellow-spotted
salamanders. Please keep your dogs out of the pools, as they could
disturb developing eggs with one bounce. This a dog friendly area,
even though it is also a preserve… a rare combo, so please keep
dogs on leash.
This area has well developed trails. This cache is on the Outer
Loop trail (marked with white blazes). The distance to this cache
from the parking area is about 2/10’s of a mile from the trail
head, about a 7 minute walk. The cache is winter friendly and
should be able to be found even with snow on the ground. You may
want to use snowshoes with deep snow. The Outer Loop trail is about
2.4 miles in circumference. You don’t need to walk the entire trail
to do this cache, but it is a nice hike if you do!
You may want to do our other cache,
"Within the Lair" GCX8AV also on the Outer Loop trail, and is
about a 17 minute walk from the trail head, in the opposite
direction. You may reach both caches by either following the Outer
Loop trail, or you can take the Wildflower trail shortcut between
them.
The cache is located near a vernal pool, which is a sensitive
breeding site for yellow-spotted salamanders, so please use care in
the area. This salamander spends most of its time under logs or
stones or in burrows that have been made by other animals, such as
moles. Adults maintain a small home range rarely exceeding a few
square meters, although they migrate up to 500 meters to reach a
breeding pond. This salamander is secretive, avoiding others of the
same species, never basking, and exhibiting little movement except
during breeding season. It may even remain in a single burrow all
year except during breeding season. This salamander occurs in
mature deciduous forests with ponds. The yellow-spotted salamander
hunts for food in woodlands where it feeds on worms, mollusks,
spiders, and insects. Its larvae eat a broad range of aquatic
invertebrates including mosquito and beetle larvae, as well as
small animals in the leaf litter at the pond edge. Scientists are
concerned that this species of salamanders may become eliminated
due to decreased water levels, habitat destruction and reduced
water quality.
This cache is a small, well camouflaged container. It is filled
with tiny treasures. Please keep all trade items small. Bring a
writing utensil, and rehide the cache well.
First to find - TeamHorwich