Hey Omahiker!

“This weekend I had considered going to a geocaching CITO (cache in, trash out) event sorta near you. It ended up being canceled... and was really too far for just one day anyway... But have you been to this place? It sounds way cool. Then I googled on the Net and found some of the tales and folklore associated with it:

(this was the listing for it)

THE CACHE EVENT:
Pahuk Bluff - Pawnee Holy Site CITO II

Pahuk is a Pawnee Indian ancestral sacred area on the register of National Historical sites. Adjacent to the Platte River, near Cedar Bluffs are 140 hilly acres complete with hiking trails, a natural spring, marsh, woodlands and tall grass prairie. This site was also home to Neopolis, Nebraska’s first territorial capital.

Thanks to Dr. Louis and Geraldine Gilbert, Pahuk has been carefully preserved in its natural state and emphasis placed on the importance of all living things. They are no longer able to keep up with the needs of the land. Volunteers are needed to continue the land stewardship they created.

Jim and Cherrie Clarke direct and care take Pahuk. They invite you to spend a day in the outdoors to work and play in one of Nebraska’s most beautiful areas. Cherrie is a historian, teacher/naturalist and storyteller sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council. In return for your help they’ll take you on a historic hike, taking you back to the time when the great Pawnee reigned. You’ll hear the historic legends of the land, learn about the Pawnee and enjoy the wildlife.

What kind of help is needed? Nearly 100 years ago the land was fenced with barb wire. Through the years it has fallen with pieces sticking out of the ground and surrounding trees, creating hazards for wildlife. With your help the land can be rid of this eyesore and animals protected. So this time we'll focus on removing the barb wire

When? April 29th 9:45 We’ll leave promptly at 9:45. If you arrive late it will be impossible to find us as we are going deep into the woods for the day. Driving time from Fremont is 20 minutes, 50 minutes from Lincoln, 1 hr. from Omaha.

What to bring:
Work gloves, wire cutters and insect spray if you need it. Maybe a shovel or two.
Sack lunch and enough drinking water for the day.
You may want to bring a sheet or something lightweight to picnic on. A small back pack works best to carry things in.

IMPORTANT: Wear long pants and socks, no shorts and comfortable walking shoes.

We’ll provide cold lemonade, ice tea and cookies at the end of the day. We hope to have a fun and enjoyable day in the woods. Thank you so much, your help is needed and valued.

Jim & Cherrie Clarke”

“lizs, thanks for bringing this site to my attention. I had never heard of it before. Although it is in Saunders county, where Memphis (my store) is, it looks like it's about 35-40 miles from there. I am embarrassed that you seem to know more about Nebraska historical sites than I do. Was this event cancelled because of the wet weather?

Maybe we will drive out there when we have some free time, it sounds really interesting.”

“...probably the ticks are abundant already due to the warm spring. Tuck those pants into your boots!!!”

“Here is the page for it, which also links to a map that shows exactly where it is. (Click on the map on the page to get a full Mapquest map you can zoom in on).

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=68177a0c-ce7c-4bf7-9a6a-fb299a7f52e0&log=y&decrypt=

You may have to sign up to be a member of www.geocaching.com to see it. I dunno....

Here are what some logs said on the page:

Cache Logs
April 24 by Cachnut (aka) oldmil81 (481 found)
BUMMER!!
[view this log on a separate page]


April 24 by Cachnut II (158 found)
DRAT!! Was really looking forward to returning to this unique and beautiful area. Had even talked PDQ into coming to Fremont to share the experience. We really enjoyed the CITO last year. Hopefully things will work out for the Gilbert's.
[view this log on a separate page]


April 23 by Team Kryptos (372 found)
Can we update the coords? Surely we could find somewhere that needs help. It would be short notice but a spontaneous event may be fun.
[view this log on a separate page]


April 22 by YXJoe (125 found)
Truly a shame.. I was so looking forward to seeing everyone and doing some good work for this location.
YXJoe
[view this log on a separate page]


April 22 by McGator (325 found)
See entry below on cancellation.
[view this log on a separate page]


April 22 by McGator (325 found)
Bad news folks. The Pahuk CITO has been cancelled. The Gilberts who own the place are reconsidering their future interest in the place and have asked that all tours be cancelled until further notice. Cherrie Clark passes her deep regrets to everyone. She also wanted to thank those who have come in the past and to those who planned to come to help in this worthwhile project.
[view this log on a separate page]
last edited: 4/29/06 10:57:39 AM”

“hmmm, they might be concerned that if the place is too "historical" it might be taken over by university archaeologists, and they will lose control of their own property. This recently happened to some of my husband's relatives, whose property includes an Indian historical site.”

“It's a privilege and a curse to own a site like this...if you tell the proper authorities what you have found, so that it can be preserved, they might slap some sanctions on you so that you can no longer farm it or graze your own livestock there.
last edited: 4/29/06 11:09:25 AM”