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Cold War Cache Multi-Cache

This cache has been archived.

ILReviewer: Since I haven't heard from the owner I'm reluctantly archiving this cache. If the owner wishes to reactivate this cache, please e-mail me at IllinoisGeocacher@yahoo.com and I'll unarchive it as soon as I can.

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Hidden : 6/24/2010
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

This is an easy off-set whose purpose is to bring you to two sites with an interesting history. The cache is not at the posted coordinates.

This cache will take you to two areas related to Nike Missile Site C-80. Starting in the late 1950s, the city of Chicago was surrounded by a ring of air defense missiles. Site C-80 in Arlington Heights was one of the largest in the system. The launch site was located south of Central (across from the hospital), where the Army Reserve and surrounding golf course are now located. In fact, the golf course was created by the Arlington Heights Park District after it took ownership of some of the land. Some may remember the 5 radar towers that remained well into the 1970s. The launch site had two smaller areas to the south associated with it. These were most likely IFC (Integrated Firing Control) sites. By protocol, any IFC needed to be at least 3,000 feet away from the launch site.

Today, there is little evidence that remains from the IFCs. Stage One will take you to one of the IFCs, which is now Heritage Park and Juliette Lowe School. Here you will gather the information that will take you to the other nearby IFC. At the second IFC site, there are at least two remaining artifacts: one is a concrete pad near the cache; the other is an eight-foot-tall chain link fence on the east side of the area (I doubt that zoning ordinances would allow a fence that high, complete with barbed wire!). If you are curious (after you make the find), you might check out historicaerials.com where an aerial photo from the early 1960s clearly shows all three sites of C-80; the concrete pad served as the base of one of the buildings visible in the photo.

TO MAKE THE FIND: the posted coordinates will take you to a landmark in Heritage Park. Count the nearby steps, let this number be x. Insert x into the following formulae:

N 42° 03.??? [???=x + 150]

W 87° 59.??? [???=645 – x]

The resulting coordinates will take you to the second IFC site and the cache. Please BYOP.

I was inspired to hide this cache after finding the Tightest Ship cache at Nike Park in Addison, where a radar tower still stands.

My own research is basic at best; if anyone has more detailed info, please email me and I will include it in the cache description.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)