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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is hidden in the remnants a deserted town. It is a reasonable hike once you get to Holden Village. The five rating is for the extra travel required to get to Holden. The terrain for the hike is closer to a 2.5 rating.
Winston was deserted in 1957 when the nearby Holden mine closed. The residents left abruptly, sometimes leaving dirty dishes in the sink, as they tried to beat their neighbors to other available jobs. Although the site was razed some time ago by the forest service, some relics remain, and this cache occupies one.
The cache is a large ammo box. It contains a log book and some trinkets from Holden Village and its kids.
The cache is likely very difficult to locate from late fall until late spring, due to snow.
Quoting from a pamphlet, "Holden Village is a year-round ecumenical Christian retreat center, rooted in the Lutheran tradition. Each year the Village attracts more than 6,000 people seeking renewal through worship, study, work, recreation, celebration, and conversation."
Suggested access
Much information about travelling to the area of the cache can be found at www.holdenvillage.org.
I'll outline the way at least 99% of all people access this area. You're free to make up your own alternatives, such as backpacking for two or three days.
Suggested parking is at Fields Point Landing (N 47° 58.163, W 120° 12.866). Parking costs $6 per day, or $30 per week. The boat, the Lady II, goes to Stehekin at the end of the lake and back daily. A round-trip ticket to Lucerne, where you need to get off, costs $23. At Lucerne, the boat will be met by busses from Holden Village. Be sure to plan ahead and write (using U.S. Mail!) for reservations from Holden Village if you plan to stay there. (see www.holdenvillage.org for more info). Once at Holden, the cache is a short walk up the road.
Variations
If you're not a paying guest at Holden, you may ride the bus for $6 each direction. This will save you an 11 mile hike with a 2,000 foot elevation gain. Make sure to contact Holden with your intentions, so that they will have bus capacity available. The time between bus arrival and departure at Holden is about one hour, so you would in theory be able to find the cache and return on the same day. If you've come this far, why not stay for a while? See www.holdenvillage.org for more details about what activities you may participate in (meals, lectures, sauna...) if you're not registered.
There is camping available at Holden if permission is requested ahead of time. Water is available to all travels. Meals can be purchased from the dining hall. Please email the Registrar at Holden Village for more information and prices.
On the day you leave Holden, if you leave on the early bus, you may continue on to the end of the lake to visit Stehekin for 90 minutes. This costs only $3 extra IF you purchase your round-trip boat ticket to Stehekin instead of Lucerne. An upgrade later is significantly more expensive.
Note that it doesn't do any good to take the fast boat (Lady Express) to Holden, since it doesn't stop at Lucerne on the way to Stehekin.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Qba'g jbeel nobhg trggvat qvegl, lbh pna nyjnlf pyrna hc bapr lbh trg gb gur pnpur.