Iron River Walking Trail Multi-Cache
-allenite-: As there's been no cache to find for months, I'm archiving it to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking other cache placements. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future (within 60 days), just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
(small)
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The Iron River Walking Trail Cache begins adjacent to the Iron
River RV Park in the City of Iron River, MI and is a combination of
virtual and traditional caches. You will be taken along the easy
walking trail and visit the surface site remains of three early
iron ore mines before reaching the traditional cache site. At each
of the locations you will find the coordinates for the next stage
in various forms. Enjoy the Hunt and the Walk!
Stage 1 is at the beginning of the Walking Trail, aka Apple Blossom
Trail. Take in some of the history of the area from the information
panels available. Stage 2 will take you to the surface of the Delta
Mine, in operation/production during the period 1920-1925, in which
95,759 tons of iron ore were removed. There were three shafts, all
on the east side of the river. Only shaft #2 was the main producer.
The mining went under the river to the west and continued northward
under Genesee St almost to Adams St (US-2) to a depth of 350’. You
may note several areas where the surface has subsided. Stage 3 will
bring you to the area of the Riverton Mine, in operation/production
during the period 1882-1931, in which 5,581,550 tons of iron ore
were removed. Most of this was taken from the area east of the
river, down to a depth of 902’. Maps show a large pit that is east
of the area of 3 caved shafts on east bank of Iron River and a
caved shaft south of these, and also a caved shaft and 2 cave-ins
on west bank of the river. Stage 4 will bring you to Old RR Trestle
Ruins where the Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul, & Pacific RR came
in at one time. It was built in 1914. You may have noticed that
some of the trails, walkways, were formerly railroad grades in the
area servicing the mining industry. Stage 5 will bring you to the
site of the Chatham Mine, in operation/production during the period
1907-1920, in which 1,381,175 tons of iron ore were removed. The
Chatham One Shaft was the most active, going down 11 levels to 1175
feet, and was located west of the river closer to Selden Road
(M189). The concrete slab at the location you have been directed to
was the slab for a garage or storage building. Chatham Two shaft is
up on the hill to the east. The cache will be found in this
vicinity. It is a 1.2 qt Rubbermaid storage container, initially
with an American Flag Pin, a TPC Golf Ball Place Marker, a mini
Rubik’s Cube, an Old Maid Card Game, a Pocket Angel, and a Grin
& Bear It! sign. Of course a log book and pen is included. A
FTF prize is a Michigan Lotto 47 ticket. We hope it is a big winner
and the person winning will share some with Bearskinner. NOTE: If
you are looking for more information on the mining industry of the
area, you may want to visit the Iron County Museum, located at N
46o 04.112’ / W 088o 07.651’.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Hfr nyy bs lbhe frafrf