Geocaching has been going on since the year 2000, when people could start carrying around personal GPS devices. Treasure hunting has been going on for probably as long as humans have had the curiosity to seek out hidden valuables and solve puzzles. Also, a tip of the hat to marble hunters, painted stones, benchmarking, trigpointing, orienteering, letterboxing, waymarking.
In the Portland Metro area of Oregon every June, there is an annual civic festival which has been going on for over a century. Among many other events, there is a “medallion treasure hunt” which is a free, fun activity for all the people in the area. For two weeks, a clue is released each day. This series of geocaches is to honor each of the hides, a tribute to the clue writer(s), and a celebration of all the people who participated.
For seasoned medallion hunters, the locations for this series will be all too familiar--one may not even need the coordinates! The first six to be hidden will mirror hide locations since the hunt re-started in 2014 after an eight-year hiatus.
My hope in this series is to give some peace and satisfaction to people like myself who remember not finding the hides every time we drive by the area, as well as to recruit new hunters who love to hunt for treasure! It’s always an exciting journey--discovering new parks, making new friends--the thrill of the chase! Join in the fun, and enjoy the hunt!
For the first year ever
The clues numbered 16
Listening for ducks
And looking for towers
Follow those old country roads
By Archimedes’ lever
And reach down low
In this park, a bit further south, the medallion was found at 45.520932, -122.846173 by Glorie Gary and Aaron Kaio in 2019. It was their second time making a Rose Festival medallion find! The location of this geocache holds a special place for me--I was searching for the medallion in that fateful year in this location, and came across Marvin Calhoun, a seasoned treasure hunter who was also looking for the prize! It was the first time since I began searching for the medallion in 2014 that I met another hunter in the field. It made me feel like I was part of a bigger event, not just going solo. Since then, I've been enjoying the treasure hunting community and have a made a lot of friends!
This residential park is long and lanky and is great for bicycling or walking. It’s so wonderful to have natural areas so close to residences in the area. This park is part of the well maintained Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District (THPRD) trail system. There is a "Pirate" playground very near the cache, and also a neat natural play area down by the creek--a great place for kids. Parking is a little tricky because it's residential, but there are paved paths from all parking. Great for bicycling! The path to the cache is on uneven ground so tread carefully. A little further down the trail is a place that reminds me of the story, Bridge to Terebithia.
Please rehide carefully and make sure to close the container well.
* * * Congrats to Leedog12 for the FTF! * * *