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WaStatePks100: Potholes Traditional Geocache

Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:

This cache was originally placed in 2013 as part of the Washington State Parks Centennial GeoTour - "100 caches in 100 parks to celebrate 100 years" - cosponsored by Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA).


Potholes State Park is a 640-acre camping park with 6,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on Potholes Reservoir (also known as O'Sullivan Reservoir) near Moses Lake. Potholes Reservoir is often confused with the Pothole Lakes themselves, which are a 30- to 45-minute drive from the park. The terrain is desert with freshwater marshes.

The park offers day-use activities, boating, and camping. Day-use activities include picnicking, hiking, bird watching, volleyball, and horseshoes. There are four boat ramps and 60 feet of dock on the reservoir. Besides boating, water activities include fishing, swimming, kayaking, and water skiing. The camping area has 121 tent and RV spaces, four cabins, and a group site.

Park hours:
Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk
Winter: 8:00 a.m. to dusk

The cache: This cache is placed a short distance off the graveled Nature Trail close to O’Sullivan Dam and Potholes Reservoir. There is a small light-use trail that leads you to the cache. The park manager and lead maintenance person selected the location and planted the 4x4 support post.

The geocache container is one of Mr. Gadget #2's signature birdhouse puzzles. Finding the cache is the easy part; claiming a find requires you to locate and sign the log. Sorry: No name in the logbook is a No Find for this cache.

You do NOT need to use excessive force to open the cache container; study it and figure out the steps to gain access. Keep in mind the cache is made of wood, and precautions have been used to keep it moisture-resistant, but there always is a chance the wood may draw moisture, causing it to swell and become difficult to open.


  1. This geocache has an approved Permit to be placed at this location on property managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Visitors are responsible for acquainting themselves with policies and rules pertaining to State Parks areas.
  2. The following items may not be placed in the geocache: food, illegal substances, medications, personal hygiene products, pornographic materials, hazardous materials, or weapons of any type.
  3. By searching for the cache, visitors agree that they are responsible for their own actions, and acknowledge that neither the State of Washington nor the cache owner is responsible for any loss or injury that may occur in relation to such search.
  4. Report any incident, problem, or violation to State Parks staff.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Cyrnf qb abg sbepr

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)