This cache sits on the dividing line between a proposed office/industrial park and 602 acres of protected wetland, a rare Atlantic white cedar/black gum/giant rhododendron swamp. The whole natural and political history of the area can be found at The Manchester, NH Urban Open Space Web Site. Under normal circumstances I would not place a geocache near such a sensitive area, but the political reality is that the entire approach to the cache could be bulldozed in the near future, with potentially devastating consequences on the swamp's watershed. Before the 2001 elections, the Sierra Club was bringing both candidates and voters on hikes into the area in order to raise awareness of the issue. Come see what's at stake and make up your own mind. The route to the cache will come close to, but not enter, the wetlands. After logging in, hike either due north or south and you can view the swamps, very dark and spooky places.
The trailhead is off of Hackett Hill Road at the old UNH building, French Hall. Park to the left, under the power lines. The road behind French Hall is gated with 'No Trespassing' signs. I have been assured by Jay Taylor of the Manchester Department of Economic Development that, "The gate on the access road is intended to keep vehicular traffic out of the area. At this point, access by hikers has not been a problem." Please, let's keep it that way. The 602 acres of protected land is now in the hands of The Nature Conservancy. They took possession in August 2001 and have cut nature trails on the north side of their property, off of the road leading to Hillcrest Terrace Retirement Community. Tread softly if you hike into the woods beyond the cache.
This is a 3 waypoint cache. Look for orange ribbons with coordinates tied around trees. Round trip about 2 miles, 75% on roads and the 'phantom parking lots'.
For those who would like to take an alternate route back to their car, follow the trail at the top of the cliff back to the loop road and turn north, following the loop in a clockwise direction.. There is a sidewalk that connects the loop road (N 43° 02.062 W 071° 29.612) to the NW corner of the first parking lot. A well developed trail branches off this sidewalk in a NNE direction (N 43° 02.071 W 071° 29.549) and it will lead you all the way to the stream that flows near the gate.
NOTE TO POTENTIAL 'MONKEYWRENCHERS':
The Nature Conservancy is doing their best to monitor the water quantity and quality within the protected area. To gather data on water levels, they have sunk lengths of perforated pvc pipe into the ground in and around the swamps. These serve as mini wells into which they insert electronic moisture sensors. TNC is building a database of watertable data from these measurements that they can later use as a benchmark for fighting the proposed development of the Hackett Hill property. This study is being thwarted by someone (or something) breaking off the pipes at ground level, making them hard to locate and allowing them to fill with debris. I know that the sight of surveying markers in pristine areas can bring out the eco-saboteur in otherwise law-abiding citizens. Please, please, please don't mess with these pipes. They were put there by the good guys as part of the solution and are not part of the problem.
IMPORTANT NEWS:
The Manchester city government is once again pushing forward on the proposed industrial/office park. Just when I was considering relocating the cache back into the middle of the phantom campus, further away from the wetlands, the whole issue of further development of this property is back. Read about it HERE.