[Az-Geocaching] Utah Geocache brings out bomb squad

[Scott Wood]

At 10:37 AM 2/27/2003 -0700, you wrote:

>This cache really does look suspicious - particularly because of Team My Blue
>Heaven's having visited it on January 25. :-)  Perhaps Scott can describe the

I don't know how many people have been to the Hill AFB area, I have spent 
quite a lot of time there.  The base borders the interstate on the East 
side of the road.  Where is particular cache was hidden is a little ways 
from the actual active base, but right outside the gate to the museum, 
which you really should visit if you ever find yourself in that area.  All 
of this is a way North of Salt Lake City.

I found that cache at about 7:30 am after staying over night in Provo, 
which is just south of SLC.  The entrance to the museum is pretty much the 
only thing on the Eastbound off ramp from the freeway, to the West are a 
number of gas stations and fast food places.  The entrance gate to the 
museum is no more than 500 feet or so from the freeway.  As mentioned in 
the story, there is a small bridge for a canal that runs along the freeway, 
and is between the freeway and the gate to the museum.

I actually had an interesting experience at this cache when I found it, I 
actually sort of got caught finding it, but didn't post it in the logs 
since I was in Idaho with a pretty bad internet connection at the time.

I pulled off the freeway and parked near the gate to the museum on the 
south side of the road.  I no more than got out of the car that I realized 
that the cache was actually under the North end of the bridge.  Before I 
could start walking over there, a red pickup pulled up to talk to me, he 
had just left the museum.  He asked if I needed any help finding my way 
into the museum.  I told him no, that even though I had been there many 
times, I was just stopping to stretch my legs during a long drive, which 
was sort of true.  He still seemed a little suspicious so I started talking 
to him about having been active duty in the Air Force and that I used to 
work on A-10s.  I went on to tell him how odd I thought that the 1973 model 
A-10 was that is in the Hill museum.  He knew exactly what I was talking 
about and we chatted a little more.  He told me how he was jealous of me 
since he had always wanted to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum.  We said 
our good-byes and he was on his way.

That left the coast pretty much clear to head over to the north side of the 
bridge and claim the cache.  As you saw in the video, it is a small, red 
tackle box.  It was hidden just inside the culvert that goes through the 
bridge.  From where the cache was hidden, the only people that can really 
see you from the interstate are cars that are heading North.  If they see 
you, it is because they are looking back over their shoulders, but you are 
right out in plain sight.

Given the location of the cache, and the layout of the streets in the area, 
I suspect that the closures in the area were the road into the museum, it 
should have actually made any difference to the entrance to the base which 
is about 3/4 miles from there.  I suspect that it also closed atleast the 
Northbound lanes of the interstate.

I have to admit, when I found the cache I was somewhat amazed that it was 
still there, I figured it would have been found by accident long before 
this.  I am also surprised that our keychain was still in the cache. :-)


In liberty,

Scott

wood@myblueheaven.com
www.myblueheaven.com