Geocaching with NaviCache - Cache Details: The Fill and The Mill

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The Fill and The Mill

by Mooman56 (Finds: 35 Score: 162) (Hidden: 3 Score: 16)

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Coordinates (WGS-84 datum)
N 40° 00.902' W 079° 35.138'
This may not be the actual cache coordinate.

Connellsville, Pennsylvania 15425
United States Near By Caches

Hidden On: 29 Sept 2006
Waypoint (Landmark): N02327
Open Cache:  Unrestricted
Cache type:  Multi-Part
Cache size:   Normal

Difficulty: (easy)
Terrain: (easy)

Misc: Pets are allowed. Parking is available No fees!

Comments:

PLEASE Be careful in the area of the final,
especially on wet, rainy days, because there are a few places that
get extremely slippery!!!

Additional maps for this cache available at:

This cache has been temporarily disabled! Cache container has been removed until I get a chance to remove a rather large tree that has fallen into the cache zone!

Boston has the Boston Commons, New York City has Central Park, and Ligonier even has “The Diamond”, but this is about as close to a centrally located city park that we have around here. The only difference is ours is not located on flat land in the middle of town, but in a hidden little valley. Although it is one of our city’s oldest gathering places and landmarks, a lot of people are oblivious to its existence because of its location. I’ve heard that it has even been referred to as “the underground playground” by small children. It boasts two waterfalls and a variety of greenery enhance the stonework throughout the site, but unfortunately it seems to be visited more by vandals and litterbugs than by families enjoying a picnic in the park! That wasn’t always the case. This place used to be the site of many, many events. The city residents used to have band concerts in the park’s band shell, dances, pep rallies, fireworks and movie nights. In the summer there were Girl Scout picnics and gym classes were held here for the nearby school students. There was also a “spray pool” to cool off in. In the winter the residents used to bring down their old Christmas trees to have a big bonfire. The area in front of the “stage” used to be flooded and frozen for ice skating when the temperature dropped. Unfortunately, not too many people visit the park today and that was the main reason that I wanted to place a cache here.

This is the first cache that I’ve hidden and wanted to make it one that could be enjoyed by the entire family. Feel free to bring along the makings of a picnic and spend some time relaxing in the park. There are benches, picnic tables, pavilions, and charcoal grills located here. There is a baseball/softball field, tennis court, basketball court, and some playground equipment. There is a public restroom that is usually unlocked during daylight hours and two drinking fountains available, although I think they turn the water off to them for the winter (sometime after Labor Day). I believe the park closes at 9 p.m. Oh, yeah, it’s also a great place for a little CITO!

OK, now, my suggested parking coordinates are: N 40°00.845 -W 079°35.185. If you find this parking area, you may have to share it because some locals have decided to use it for their own personal use and park one or two of their semi tractors there often. This shouldn’t be an issue though; there should still be plenty of room to park. There is a reason that I want you to park here even though there are a few other parking areas for the park. The other lots may be easier to find, but not as “cool”! You have to do a little running around and drive down a one way street to get to this lot, but it’s worth it. There is no sign for the park at this lot, follow your GPSr! You may want to bring a flashlight for the short trek to the first stage, especially if it’s not a bright sunny day! This isn’t absolutely necessary, but makes it safer and easier. Small children will need supervision on their way to stage one from listed parking coordinates. Oh, yeah, I should also mention that you will probably lose satellite reception on your way, so you may have to wait a few seconds, once “you’re in the clear”, to regain reception!

For stage one as well as stage two, please try and remember that there is no need to scale any hillsides or wade through any water hazards! It is always best to stay on the path for a while, then back track a little to the caches. As mentioned before, this multi cache is located in a small valley and it may take a while for that GPSr needle to come around to the correct direction, please be patient. My coordinates seem to be pretty good and I actually gave them to a fellow cacher to try and he was able to find the hides. If a few people seem to have trouble, I’ll try and recheck my coordinates. Let me know via email or in your log entries.

There is quite a bit of history right here in this area and I have tried to include some of it in each stage of this cache. Please take the time to read the info and look at the photos included on the sheet in each stage. It should help you understand the name of this cache!

Stage 1 is a small plastic container, spray-painted flat black. It is approx. 9 inches long and 1 ½ inches square. It has its own secret hiding spot.

Stage 2 is a 50 cal. Ammo box also spray-painted flat black.

As always, PLEASE rehide each stage EXACTLY as you found it! Thank you!

Clue decoding tables - Top letter or symbol decodes to bottom letter or symbol:

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1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	:	;	<	=	>	?	@	!	"	#	$	%	&	'	(	)	*	+	,	-	.	/

Clues: decode

Stage 1:
Oruvaq gur zhfvp< orlbaq gur tenssvgv< V7ir orra n onq yvggyr obl1 Ohg ubcrshyyl V7yy bayl unir lbh n YVGGYR FGHZCrq1

Second (Final) Stage
ORGJRRA N 8ovt<fgnaqvat9EBPX naq N UNEQ CYNPR8pbapergr jnyy9

Add a Log Entry

CACHE LOGS - May contain hints(spoilers)! decode

12 Apr 2008 by perky2000 (Finds: 25 Score: 115.5) (Hidden: 2 Score: 10.5)
Open Log: Personal use only

This was our first multi-cache! What fun! Mooman, thanks for a very interesting hunt. We loved the history of this one. We did park at your recommended spot and enjoyed the grand entrance. The first cache was a bit tricky, and while hubby was close, I was the first to spy the hiding spot. Then we took some photo's of the area and started off to the next location. This one we found a little more easily. We took a dream catcher key chain and left an Alien Abduction Handbook...someone will get a laugh out of this one. Thanks for an enjoyable hunt!

02 Feb 2008 by blitz_8255 (Finds: 51 Score: 244.5) (Hidden: 3 Score: 10)
Open Log: Personal use only

this was an excellent cache! both parts well hidden and infofmative. I spent many days and evenings in the park playing ball, ice skateing, watching fireworks and summer movies. they used to do arts and crafts for the little ones, I made a plaster of paris santa clause one time.
also used to collect xmas trees for the bonfire, at the time the city paid 2 cents for a green tree and 5 cents for one that was flocked. took a long time to earn a dollar back then. thanks for the flood of memories and the cache!!

29 Oct 2007 by Team_Metamorphosis (Finds: 9 Score: 47.5) (Hidden: 0 Score: 0)
Open Log: Personal use only

We spent another afternoon discovering something we never really knew was here or appreciated to its fullest.

The first stage was really clever. We really liked it.

Thanks for making for a pleasant walk on a brisk autumn day.

TFTC!

28 Sept 2007 by shes_out_there (Finds: 1 Score: 3.5) (Hidden: 0 Score: 0)
Open Log: Personal use only

My first multi and first time to visit this park. Great job with the hide. Really like the history info about the park.

26 Sept 2007 by antaries (Finds: 21 Score: 89.5) (Hidden: 12 Score: 59.5)
Open Log: Personal use only

found it awhile ago on the other site.as before i liked the park great hide thanks for putting this here see ya soon...

12 Mar 2007 by Jigsaw07 (Finds: 9 Score: 41) (Hidden: 1 Score: 6.5)
Open Log: Unrestricted

Finally found Mooman56's hidden gem. Tried yesterday but was unable to locate even though I was basically standing on top of it. Very creative. After finding the 1st cache it was off to the 2nd one. Found without much trouble, thank goodness.

01 Jan 2007 by Possum48 (Finds: 11 Score: 45.5) (Hidden: 3 Score: 14.5)
Open Log: Non-commercial use only

Great day for caching. Mrs Possum48 suggested we go out and cache today because it was sunny and very warm for a New Year's Day. So off we went to Mooman46's first cache.

And what a cache it is. First stage was a great hide. The clue was a bit confusing and I suggest he rethink it but she found it never the less. Having passed this park many times during my life but never having gone into it I enjoyed the history lesson at this first stage.

After entering the coords for the second stage in my GPSr off we went to it. Had to stop and take a short rest (out of shape due to lack of exercise the last few months with a knee problem). She saw the falls in the distance and had to walk over to them as I rested. Finally made the last short walk to the second stage and spotted it without any problem. Nice hiding spot though.

Took the camera out of the cache and found the camera not working properly. The winding mechanism seems to just wind and wind and wind. Didn't use your camera but used mine instead. You may want to check it out and replace it if necessary. Will post pix later when I get a chance.

Put my signature label in the log book and took the pink eyeglass croche and left a blue Porche 911.

Thanks for the great hide, the nice walk and of course the great history lesson at both finds.

27 Nov 2006 by Lj (Finds: 29 Score: 135) (Hidden: 0 Score: 0)
Open Log: Personal use only

This place sure brought back some memories. My sister worked as a playground director (there are a few years between my sister and I. So I was just a kid and she was all official and grown-up she was in her teens. Now it‘s like where the same age funny what 40 years will do.) for the Dunbar Playground. Yes Dunbar has/had a playground, ball field slide, monkey bars, slide, swings, seesaw and one of those thing you spin around on, it wasn‘t big and fancy like East park but we had fun. At the end of the Summer all of the area playgrounds got together, here at East Park, and had a talent show. It was some big doing and afterwards we would get ice-cream. I still remember the play we put together, and making the props out of old cardboard boxes, from where else but Peachin’s. Yes fond memories indeed that for letting me explore an old haunt.

(TF)2
Lj

04 Nov 2006 by 4MRnutz (Finds: 30 Score: 151.5) (Hidden: 12 Score: 53.5)
Open Log: Unrestricted

Back logging a few finds on here. This cache was awesome. The creativity Mooman showed here inspired some of our newer hides. Below is the log from 2006.

Wow great hunt! We have been to the park before, but never knew all of the history. Great job! Stage one was very creative, and it took us awhile. Our youngest cacher ended up finding it! Stage two was hidden well and we had a great stroll getting there. My wife said that this might be the best we've done yet! Took some play dough, erasers, and the anchor TB. Left some play dough, Christmas ornaments, and a dream catcher TB. Thanks for the hunt!!

14 Oct 2006 by Quest Master (Finds: 105 Score: 511.5) (Hidden: 45 Score: 210)
Open Log: Unrestricted

This was our final stop on a tour of caches in the Laurel Highlands on this beautiful fall day. I was really impressed by this cache. I must have driven by this park dozens of times without knowing that it existed. I enjoy exploring the backroads of Fayette County but I just never bothered with the backstreets of Connellsvile. That's probably a shame because Connellsville is an interesting place. If you look closely enough, you can see that there was great wealth in this town once upon a time and this park is evidence of that. We took care to find the recommended parking spot because we wanted to get the full effect. It was hard to find the way in but we eventually got there. The most interesting thing was the overgrown cemetery adjacent to this parking spot. It's seemingly abandoned right here in the middle of the city. We thought this very unusual and the strangeness of it was enhanced by the neighbors just across the street that were going hog wild decorating for a halloween party. They laid out a cemetery of their own complete with open coffins, bones, skulls, and dismembered body parts. It was a surreal scene! We took in this spectacle first before locating the tunnel and getting on with the business of finding the cache. We were completely stumped by the first stage until I kicked at the hide and exposed it. That was a dirty rotten trick! We leisurely made our way to the final taking in the sights of this "underground playground" and learning all about the history of this place. We checked out the falls, backtracked to the road, and made good use of the otherwised disused infrastucture that led us to the prize. The cache is still chock full of good stuff but we didn't make trades. Thanks for showing us this part of your world. Johnny, Eric, and Erin.

01 Oct 2006 by JimBat (Finds: 11 Score: 55.5) (Hidden: 0 Score: 0)
Open Log: Personal use only

JimBat stopped by today to drop off a TB and to see the finishing touches Mooman56 put on his cache. When he first thought about hiding a cache here he gave me a tour of the place and asked me what I thought. Then he gave me some coordinates to check for him of some likely hiding spots. He didnt let me read the information sheets at stage 1 or the final so I stopped by today to read about this place. It sure looks like he done alot of research on this place and the surrounding area so stop by and check it out. TFTC

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1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	:	;	<	=	>	?	@	!	"	#	$	%	&	'	(	)	*	+	,	-	.	/

!	"	#	$	%	&	'	(	)	*	+	,	-	.	/	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	:	;	<	=	>	?
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	:	;	<	=	>	?	@	!	"	#	$	%	&	'	(	)	*	+	,	-	.	/

!	"	#	$	%	&	'	(	)	*	+	,	-	.	/	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	:	;	<	=	>	?
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	:	;	<	=	>	?	@	!	"	#	$	%	&	'	(	)	*	+	,	-	.	/