"Lure Me Inn" ... A Geocache for The Berry

[Old_Coot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]I've been working on a [url "https://www.geocaching.com/play"]Geocache[/url] project in my shop for quite some time now. A couple years ago, I decided to place a geocache somewhere in the Strawberry Reservoir area where only a boat can get to. Those of you that know me, know I really enjoy fishing the Berry so I thought I would put some special effort into this cache. It was definitely to have a "fishing" theme. [/size][/#800000][/font]
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Unlike most geocaches that are typically well hidden, this one will be quite easy to spot once the treasure hunter gets in the general area.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]A message upon opening the box:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]A look inside the box:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]The stash that will be in it includes books on fishing, videos on fishing, a really cool brochure on the specifics of fishing Strawberry, and the ammo box will include a log book and about 10 brand new (in the box) lures:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]A message inside the ammo box lid:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]The wood carving details:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]The left side of the box:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]The right side of the box:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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Since I came up with the idea of placing this cache, it has taken about two years to get the decorative lures, to build the box, to fabricate the copper roof, to draw and carve the front picture, and to assemble it all. I haven't yet placed the cache but I will in about two weeks. It's been a leisurely and fun project with several people involved with it.

The Box:
Like another one I made, it is fashioned after a bird house. My brother helped me cut the pieces in his wood shop. Thanks Terry! ... [/size][/#800000][/font]

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The wood Carving:
The beautiful wood carving of a cutthroat trout on the front of the cache box was carefully drawn, meticulously carved, and generously donated to the project by my very good friend, and talented artist, Gary Liptrot of Ogden, UT. Thanks Gary! ...[/size][/#800000][/font]
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The Copper Roof:
The copper roof was fabricated by Tim Nimtz who is a very talented artist and coppersmith. His shop, "TNT Copper Fabrications", is located in Clearfield, UT. Thanks Tim! ... [/size][/#800000][/font]

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The Decorative Lures:
The 40 or so lures that adorn the two sides of the cache box (several antique lures) were mostly donated by my good friend Scott Tolentino. Because Scott is the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Fisheries Biologist for Bear Lake, he often collects old spoon lures during his gill netting projects. Scott told me that he is a little superstitious about using these lures to fish with. So he gave them all to me to use to decorate the cache box. Thanks Scott! [/size][/#800000][/font]

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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]As you may have noticed, the name of the geocache is "Lure Me Inn" where the word "Inn" infers that this is good place for Geocache trackables and travel bugs to stop at on their journeys around the world.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]I plan to visit the cache a couple times each year to add coats of Thompson sealer and to replenish the stash with more books, videos, and many more new lures.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]If you don't know what Geocaching is and would like to know more, visit this Website:[/size][/#800000][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4][url "https://www.geocaching.com/play"]https://www.geocaching.com/play[/url][/size][/#800000][/font]
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[wyoguy]

That's as cool as it gets. You and your friends have done a hell of a job on the project! I hope whoever finds it appreciates it!
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[Old_Coot]

Thanks wyoguy,

Yea, I'm pretty sure those who find it will enjoy it. It will be located where only someone who has gotten the exact GPS coordinates off the internet will be able to locate it. Man, I just wish I could be a fly on the tree when they finally find it!
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[RockyRaab]

I hate to say it, but if it ends up anything like the carefully made geocaches I placed, you will soon be frustrated and really ticked off. Because one of the first three finders will take everything including the lures - if not the whole box.

But to close on a happier note, you did a fabulous job on that. I applaud you.
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[albinotrout]

Nice box[cool]
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[Kent]

Ralph, it is definitely a work of art, but I doubt that you will need to make many trips to maintain it, because ly it will be taken by someone who feels that it is too nice to leave for others to enjoy.
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[doggonefishin]

As a fellow cacher, that looks awesome and I would love to give you a favorite point here and now. You may have some theft problems, but the remote location might just keep most of the "turkeys" away. I maintain a fishing cache on a local stream that has been reasonably successful and hasn't been totally looted, (a cow stepped on it once though) so I think yours has a shot to be a memorable find for some time.

TFTC![]
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[Old_Coot]

Kent and everyone else that have warned me ...

Sadly, I am afraid that you are right. It would be my luck that someone would take the whole thing just to be artwork in their own fishing man cave.

I now am re-thinking the whole thing about making it available to the public.

I keep telling myself that if I put it out of sight and where you can only get to it by boat, maybe those geocachers will respect it.

If I could, I'd put it in the visitor's center. But there is already one in the parking lot.

[crazy] [crazy] [crazy]
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[doggonefishin]

Just a thought, but the marina does not have any caches in the area. Perhaps, if you could talk to them, something could be worked out and it could be put somewhere in their facility?

With all the fine work you have put into it, I can understand your concern for having some dufus hauling it off.
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[BagABigOne]

That is really awesome. Great workmanship everyone. I hope that the unappreciative dorks don't vandalize it or steal it altogether. That's a neat idea, the best looking geocache I have yet seen.
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[Old_Coot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]Well friends, I finally got the Geocache placed. Its new home is on an island on the east side of Strawberry Reservoir. As I have said before, the only way you can get to it is by boat. I suspect that anyone looking for it will be pleasantly surprised when they get to it. [/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]Oh, and by the way, we actually placed TWO geocaches there in that same area. The second one has not yet been officially reviewed and published but should be in a couple of days. The second one is pretty darn cool too! ... but a whole lot more camouflaged than "Lure Me Inn" is and is more of a challenge to find.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]Here is [/size][/#800000][/font][url "https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6Q5YR_lure-me-inn?guid=c0ca66ab-fc00-4d7e-8b86-69496d324c68"][font "Comic Sans MS"][#0000ff][size 4]the Geocache page to get the coordinates[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url][font "Comic Sans MS"][#0000ff][size 4] for "Lure Me Inn":[/size][/#0000ff][/font]
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[url "https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6Q5YR_lure-me-inn?guid=c0ca66ab-fc00-4d7e-8b86-69496d324c68"][font "Comic Sans MS"][#0000ff][size 4]https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6Q5YR_lure-me-inn?guid=c0ca66ab-fc00-4d7e-8b86-69496d324c68[/size][/#0000ff][/font][/url]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 4]--- Coot ---[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[Kent]

Ralph, I wish you the best with your geocache. If someone decides to take or destroy it, may they be cursed with bad luck catching fish.
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[Old_Coot]

[quote kentofnsl]If someone decides to take or destroy it, may they be cursed with bad luck catching fish.[/quote]

Lol ... Now I hadn't thought of that one!

I thought a LOT about trying to get it in the visitor's center.

I strongly considered asking the Strawberry Bay Marina if we could put it in their lodge/store.

But even as good as those two options sounded, everything considered, I still decided to place it on the big island.

My hopes are that the only folks who are anxious enough to do what it takes to go find it, will be decent folks. I could be very wrong but hey, I made up my mind and I'm giving geocachers the benefit of a doubt.
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[JiggyJus10]

Absolutely. The world would be a much better place if we had more men like Old Coot.
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[RockyRaab]

Your faith in geocachers might be warranted. But what about the sleazebags who go ashore to take a dump or "party" a bit?
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[Old_Coot]

I picked a spot far enough away and through a hard enough treck through the brush that I think casual visitors probably won't see or find it. I figured that they would have probably dumped well before they ever got up that high.

Also, my logic is that since it located on an island, with no other way to get to it other than by boat, there won't be anyone driving or casually walking there. I figured that there would only be two types of people in that general area ... those who needed to relieve themselves and geocachers.

But I was wrong! A BFTer here on the board PMed me to let me know that he went out looking for it but he didn't have the GPS coordinates. So he was just kind of wandering around looking for it. He didn't find the geocache but, low and behold, he actually found a hunter's camp with a stash of its own and a pretty elaborate setup. I would have never believed it. I sure hope some drunken camper/hunter doesn't find it or that nice geocache will be toast!

I am keeping my fingers crossed hoping that lots of geocachers can find and enjoy it.
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[Old_Coot]

Thanks Justin,

Hey, I'll bet you and your kids are Geocachers aren't you? Next time you're up there in your boat, go check it out. It is pretty darn cool!

Oh, and if you do beach your boat there to go find the cache, there is actually another very cool cache that we placed up there about 3 or 4 hundred yards east of "Lure Me Inn". That other one is "Cutthroat Canyon Cave". And trust me, that one will last for ages! It is bullet proof, well protected and very camouflaged! I absolutely LOVE that "Cutthroat Canyon Cave" cache!

Here is its Geocache page:

[url "https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6K0PF_cutthroat-canyon-cave"]https://www.geocaching.com/...utthroat-canyon-cave[/url]

Nobody had found either "[url "https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6Q5YR_lure-me-inn"]Lure Me Inn[/url]" or "[url "https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6K0PF_cutthroat-canyon-cave"]Cutthroat Canyon Cave[/url]" yet. So there are 2 prestigious First-To-Finds (FTF) up for grabs right now! That might not be the case after this weekend however.

Remember, to get the coordinates, you have to have an account on [url "https://www.geocaching.com/play/search"]Geocaching.com[/url]. You can read everything about the caches without signing in but to see the actual coordinates, you have to sign in. And, like BFT, there are no strings attached to just having an account. They will encourage you to buy a Premium account but you don't need to to get all the info about any geocache.
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[submoa]

Very nicely done!
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[Tin-Can]

Ralph, that is AWESOME ! Not a geocacher, and don't know enough about Strawberry to find the Island let alone that box. But I have been a wood hobbyist and I can appreciate beautiful workmanship when I see it. Kudos to you and all those that contributed
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[mtncat1]

well when i got my fortune cookie last night i new it would be a good day. my nephew and i went to strawberry to look for lure me in and after some serious bushwhacking found it what a great job Ralph did putting this together , we spent 20 minutes or so ready and admiring the nicest cache i have ever seen .by the way the cache has been found once before and was unmolested. thanks again []
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