Have Fe Will Travel Mystery Cache
Nomex: No response from owner. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A drive-up parking area, with light traffic, elevation 6194 feet.
Best if children and pets stay in car. No hiking is required.
The coordinates given are not for the cache and may be disregarded. Cache is located at N 39° AB.CDE W 120° FG.HIJ
This cache reminds us of the gratitude that we humans owe to the great element IRON, the cheapest and one of the most abundant of all metals.
Huge amounts of iron are used to make steel, which is used to make paper clips, skyscrapers and everything in between, such as planes, trains and automobiles. In addition, iron helps keep plants and animals alive. Iron plays a role in the creation of chlorophyll in plants and is an essential part of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen within our red blood cells. Without Fe we could not exist, really.
The location of this cache provides a handsome visual of the history of the area, especially the transcontinental railroad and the major highways still in use today. Easiest approach starts at Donner Memorial State Park on Donner Pass Road (old Hwy 40) near Truckee, CA. A waypoint is provided for the sign at the entrance to the park at elevation 6169 feet. (A visit to the Museum is always a plus.) Drive W on Donner Pass Rd for 4.0 miles to parking spot. You will drive along Donner Lake, with boats of all kinds and humans enjoying a grand scenery. You will get many great views of Donner Peak and the snowsheds that cross the mountain. Parking will be at your left near Nevada County sign. Please do not wander around this area since a drop off is nearby. (Children and pets please stay in car.) No hiking required. Return by going over the summit or drive back 1.0 miles to Donner Lake Rd towards I-80.
This cache will not be available in winter since Hwy 40 closes for the season. The owners of the cache will let you know when the road is open.
To solve this puzzle you'll need a few transportation history dates:
date 1: President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act, which authorized the construction of the first transcontinental railroad.
date 2: R/R Camp 20 became the town of Colfax, CA
date 3: The Central Pacific and Union Pacific met at Promontory Summit, Utah for the driving of the golden spike
date 4: Casey Jones rode the "Cannonball" into history
date 5: US Route 66 was first established and ran from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles (1926). US 40 and US 50 were also commissioned,
both ending in Oakland, CA. (date not used)
date 6: US 40 Western terminus was changed to the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco by way of a ferry connection across San Francisco Bay. (date not used)
date 7: A nostalgic tune was written by Green, Brown and Homer ("Sentimental Journey") and still evokes memories of train travel (1944). (date not used)
date 8: Congress creates Amtrak with the Rail Passenger Service Act.
date 9: US 66 was officially decommissioned
AB= first 2 digits of date 4
C= last digit of date 2
D= date 2 minus date 1
E= third digit in date 9
FG= first 2 digits of date 3
H= first digit of any of these dates
I = D
J= third digit of date 8
CHECKSUM = A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H+I+J = 46
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
npebff gur ebnq
Treasures
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