The Crosswinds Trails Geocache Series
Shortly after the first of the year the Crosswinds Cache Crew met with the park manager and naturalist to develop plans for 2020 events and geocache series. Shortly after that it became apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic was going to make group meetings and events impossible for most of 2020. One the Crosswinds Cache Crew's objectives is to archive their caches in about a year and launch new caches in new locations to reduce the impact on the area with "Geo-trails" This series is the first for 2020. There is no event associated with this series.
One of the popular features of Crosswinds Marsh is its trails. There are nine named trails. Crosswinds offers seven miles of hiking trails, and 4.5 miles of horseback riding trails
Mallard Trail
No matter what time of year it is, there is evidence of insect activity on the Mallard Trail. When insects lay their eggs on the leaf, twig, or stem of a plant or tree, the plant or tree has a reaction to the egg mass. The plant tries to get rid of the egg mass by growing around it and forming a structure called a gall. However, rather than getting rid of the egg mass, the newly formed gall offers the developing insects protection from weather and predators. Once the insect is ready to leave the gall, it chews its way out, therefore providing a meal for it too. You can identify what type of insect is inside by the shape of the gall and the type of plant or tree it is on. Goldenrod gall fly galls and gall gnat midge galls are common sights on the Mallard Trail.
The cache:
The cache is a medium-sized round lock & lock hidden along the Mallard Trail.
Crosswinds Marsh Rules
No fires
No bikes / ATVs / personal watercraft
No swimming or ice fishing
Dogs must be leashed
No alcohol or illegal substances
No camping
Fishing in designated areas only
Collecting of plants & animals prohibited
Park only at N 42 05.744 W 83 26.552