On the Fifth Day of Christmas, mrGreen317 hid for me, a green bucket under the corner of an evergreen tree!
Welcome to the Twelve Buckets of Christmas (12 BoC). Each cache is an on-coordinates letterbox-hybrid cache in a festive-colored 5 gallon bucket, all placed in one of our fine PA state game lands (SGL).
On May 3, 2000, a GPS enthusiast named Dave Ulmer "placed his own container, a black bucket, in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon, near Portland. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot. He shared the waypoint of his "stash" with the online community on sci.geo.satellite-nav..." (text from geocaching.com) Well, you know the rest of the story, and here we are twenty years later!
Since this year, 2020, is the twentieth anniversary year of the origin of geocaching, 12 buckets are to be placed as a Merry Christmas to all our friends in JAGA-land at the close of the year. As has been stated for the past three years of the various 12 ?oC series, the traditional Christmas season actually runs from December 25 through January 5, the "Twelve Days of Christmas". So here is another year-end series of caches hidden for the "Twelve Buckets of Christmas" to grab this Christmas season or any other time of the year when geocaching is on the day's agenda.
For this cache series, be sure to note the specific Christmas-themed letterbox stamp in each of the bucket caches. These notes about the stamp designs may come in handy for a future cache to be published (series final).
This cache location is designed to provide another nice walk amidst some evergreens in an area of SGL already hosting other Christmas-themed and Christmas series caches (but some might be behind puzzles to solve!). If the main gate is open, you might park closer to the cache, but if it is not, the walk is still not bad at all. Park along Wopsy road in front of the main gate (there is space for a few cars); just please do not block any SGL gate or SGL road with your vehicle.
Vegetation Note: Since these caches are hidden in SGL in the non-growing months, it is always possible that access may get more challenging during late spring and summer growth seasons. When considering hide locations, an attempt was made to minimize this potential issue as much as possible, but when searching in the late spring or summer, just keep this in mind. Good, sturdy hiking footwear and possibly long pants (not shorts) are a good suggestion. Always be on the lookout for wild animals and ticks in the game lands.
This cache is located in state game lands, so PLEASE observe all state game land rules and wear orange during hunting seasons. During the primary hunting season, finding this cache is recommended on Sunday only.
Series Information for the Buckets of Christmas
- Each of the Twelve Buckets should have a letterbox stamp in a plastic latching container inside the bucket. Each stamp is different, and the designs will be related to a later series final (aka bonus) cache. PLEASE leave the stamp and inkpad with the latching box in the cache container, either with the log book or somewhere in the cache that is easily accessible. The inkpad/stamp are NOT swag items.
- In the case of a missing stamp, each log book is stamped on the inside cover with the corresponding stamp design for use with the final/bonus cache.
- These caches may be found simply at the published coordinates, like traditional caches, or if preferred, some letterbox-style instructions are provided below, starting from the parking waypoint.
- FTF on each series cache: There is a nice FTF prize with each cache, either in a cloth bag or a cover-stock paper gift box (and labeled accordingly). There will be no additional "FTF Games" at the close of this series as in past years, so all FTF gifts will be collected from each of the caches themselves by the FTF geocacher. An "FTF Leaderboard" for the series may still be used, just for informational purposes. Any additional prizes awarded after the series will be at the discretion of mrGreen317, but these will not look like the online "FTF Games" of past series.
Optional letterbox instructions from parking: From the main SGL gate at the curve in Wopsy Rd, walk (or drive if permitted and if your vehicle can handle the SGL road conditions) 1000 feet from the main gate to a side SGL road leading to the left with another gate. At this point, walking will definitely be required, so walk past this closed second SGL gate about 90 feet into a clearing, and take the path/trail to your right which will soon curve left parallel with other trails through this stand of trees; you will begin to see evergreens on your left and deciduous trees on your right. Walk this path about 700 feet from where it splits from the other paths. To your left, after passing some dirt mounds on the left side, you will see a downed tree/log collection at the edge of one of the evergreens. The bucket is behind those downed items, with the edge of the evergreen's branches covering the green bucket on top to obscure it from view from the path.
A congratulations on FTF goes to ??? . Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Merry Christmas from the 3 "E"s!
(mrGreen317, Sage-Hippo, and littleEEE)