This cache is placed near the grave site of Col. Loring Peck, a hero of the American Revolution, his wife; and his son, who fought in the war of 1812. We should never forget the effort and sacrifice of these early patriots to secure the freedom we all now enjoy.
The Peck farm and homestead was one of several along the old road between Lake Pleasant and Gilmantown. The road you walk down at the beginning is a remnant of the old road. The farm and homestead have returned to Adirondack wilderness.*
*What is really sad is that since the grave site and the trail to it are on state land in the "Adirondack Park", the state says that not only can't the trail be cleared and maintained, but also the grave site itself - a veteran's grave no less - can not be maintained!! So the reason there are trees down across the graves is not that no one wants to maintain this historical grave site of a patriot, but that New York State prohibits it. "Forever Wild" to a point is OK, but this is crazy. If you agree, contact the DEC and your NY state legislators to protest this policy.
A small sign marks the trailhead. From there it is about a half a mile down a dirt road, cross a small stream, and then though semi-open forest under tall pines. Traveling through this forest you get the sense that the land was cleared but something is different from typical Adirondack woods that have just regrown after being logged 100 years ago.
This is an easy walk and a great cache for kids to tackle. Using the clues described below, they might be able to find the cache without a GPS (in the summer). It would be a good opportunity for simple observation and compass use.
The trailhead parking area is on the southeast side of the road at the crest of a hill. Across the road is a log cabin with a red roof. I'll leave it to you to find the trailhead using Mapquest, Topozone.com or whatever other resources you like. If you need detailed directions, you can stop at the local chamber of commerce tourist information office in town. While you are there, pick up information on some of the other walks, attractions, and facilities in the area.
The listed coordinates are for the actual cache container, not the grave site. You could probably find it just using the coordinates and your geosense, but as we all know GPS readings can vary and easily be off 30 feet. (I've gotten slightly different readings on each visit. The listed coordinates were measured again in March 2014 when I checked the cache for the Mid-Winter Geocaching Get-Together 2014. When I replaced the cache in 2003 the readings were 43° 28.280 x 74° 20.971; 2005 readings were 43° 30.132 x 074° 21.856. The latest posted coordinates are about 40 feet off of the previous ones. Your choice if you want to try averaging or not but I think the latest readings are the most accurate.)
I've hidden a clue container near the trailhead. Using these clues may help you find the cache without relying on your GPS, however blowdown has made it harder to follow them. I may have to revisit and revise the clue sheet.
To find the clues to the actual cache, Look for a small boulder near the trailhead parking area (about 30 feet, bearing 110 degrees magnetic from the sign, just into the woods a few feet.) From this rock, look through the woods on a bearing of approximately 150 magnetic. About 40 paces (120 ft.) is another boulder. Go to this rock, look behind and under it for the clue container. You might want to take pencil and paper so that you can jot down the clue details.
The cache was originally placed 7/26/02, but the original coffee can container wasn't quite watertight. It was replaced in September 2003 with an ammo can. I checked the cache in March 2014 and found the container and contents in good condition and accessible. I placed a very small marker near but not right at the cache location to help winter searchers, because the cache itself will most likely be covered with snow.
After you've found this one, you might want to continue on Beyond The Grave.
In the winter, when Cherry Brook and the beaver swamp behind this cache is well-frozen, a round trip bushwhack between this cache Cherry Beach, and Beyond The Grave is probably the most efficient way to get all 3.
Note: A portion of the trail at the beginning on a road marked "Private Drive," but the site and trail has been in use for as long as I can remember (at least 30 years) and is listed on the local trail maps. The sign is a new addition, probably to prevent people from driving down or parking on the road.The actual parking area is at the historical marker and trailhead on South Shore drive, and a short trail leads to the road. Don't park on or block the private road.
If you are an Amateur Radio Operator, give a call on the Speculator repeater 147.165 (no pl). Several club members are geocachers. Maybe we can meet and compare notes.