This cache is in a quarry which supplied the raw material for mould
and glass-making operations in the nearby town of Dunbar. I do not
know the exact dates of operation but I do know that it was most
active during the early part of the twentieth century. The quarry
employed approximately 30 men to drill, shoot, load, haul, and
process thirty or forty boxcar loads of sand per week. Stone from
the quarry was crushed into sand at a sandmill (see pic) which was
located about 500 yards from the cache site. An electric winch
brought a train of a dozen empty ore carts up to the quarry from
the mill and gravity brought the loaded carts back down the steep,
narrow-gage tramway. The descent of this 60,000 pound roller
coaster was a tricky business. The friction brakes on the carts
were the only means of keeping it under control. It is really scary
to think what might have happened if it had ever gotten away from
them!
This is quite the clever cache if I do say so myself. It should
not be difficult to find but getting there can be tricky. You can
expect to experience some difficulty with GPS reception on the
final approach to the cache but not at the actual cache location
(hint). The hunt will be much safer and more enjoyable if you bring
a flashlight (hint, hint).
Directions: from Dunbar, follow the "arrows" for Irishtown and
take Hardy Hill Road for 1.0 miles to Twin Oaks Drive. Go .2 miles
on Twin Oaks to a very small parking area on the right at 39°
57.520', -79° 35.969'. The trail to the cache is hidden behind a
big pile of dirt on the other side of the road.
Note: This cache is located on Pennsylvania State
Gamelands. During the peak deer season (November 15 - December 15,
except Sundays), you must "wear a minimum of 250 square
inches of daylight fluorescent orange-colored material on the head,
chest and back combined or, in lieu thereof, a hat of the same
colored material. The material shall be worn so it is visible in a
360° arc".
