This series of mystery caches is meant to teach you more about local flora and fauna, specifically the wildflowers of the Adirondacks. It is also meant to serve as a winter friendly geoart, as there are not a lot of winter friendly hides in the area. A little less than half of the caches (A-J) in this series will also allow you to make the TL geoart I am creating and introduce you to the James Frenette Sr recreational trail system. This dog friendly trail system is located next to the Tupper Lake Country club and golf course and has close to 4 miles of trails used mainly for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking during the winter but are also available for your exploration during the rest of the year as well. See the gallery for trail map and trail names. This series of caches is easiest to do in alphabetical order as this will take you on a big loop through 4 different trails (golf course loop, cranberry lake loop, little logger loop and the skidder trail. All caches are placed just off the trail system in either small or medium lock and lock containers (aside from 1, which is an old nut container). Minimal bushwhacking required.
THIS CACHE IS NOT AT THE PUBLISHED COORDINATES. To get the location of this cache you must figure out the common name of the wildflower below. Once you know the answer, enter it into the puzzle checker and the correct coordinates for the cache and potentially also a hint, shall be revealed. Hope you enjoy this series as well as learning a bit more about the local wildflowers!
Scientific Name: Cichorium intybus
Family: Asteraceae
Color: purple/blue
Flowers: July-September
Habitat: Open fields, roadsides wastelands
This native wildflower is beneficial to wildlife for many reasons. It is used as a forage crop for many farm animals and often used in deer feed plots as well. Because the herb contains a good balance of crude protein, energy and minerals, it is easily and rapidly digested.
People too, have used this flower for many things throughout the ages. Many varieties of this plant are grown as salad leaves. It's roots have long been used as a substitute for coffee. Medicinally, root extracts have been used as a diuretic and laxative, and to treat fevers and jaundice.
The common name for this flower is: _______?
check your answer using the puzzle checker below:
