TNT, Tornados
And Frat Boys
When my friend thegreentara and I did this one, it was August, and it was a mean bushwhack in the summer. This is a beautiful virgin hardwood forest spread out over rolling hills. A fire trail takes you within a quarter mile of the cache, but there is no trail from there and the understory is thick as silly string at an 8-year-old’s birthday party. We crossed two streams, or perhaps it was the same creek twice.
Along the way, we were fascinated by thousands of beech blight aphids covering many beech tree limbs and trunks. The first thing we noticed was a blue spray paint like stain around the base of these trees that spread out like tentacles under the infested limbs. Then we saw the bugs. Tiny white insects cover the limbs by the thousands and when you breathe on them, they dance a frenzied jig and exude that blue inky substance all over your shoes if you don’t step lively.
But it’s the boulders that are the star of this show. Dubbed URB’s, or Unexplained Resting Boulders, they were discovered in the mid 90’s. At this cache site, about 100 yards apart, there are two mature sycamore trees that have huge boulders resting high in the tree bowers. They are estimated to be about 200 lbs each. One is 45ft off the ground and the other is nearly 60ft up.
A third one is 4.4 miles away to the southwest (N39 12.203 W86 21.991) in an 80ft chestnut oak tree and is named Gobbler’s Rock for the turkey hunter that first discovered it. Gobbler’s Rock is a wedge shaped sandstone boulder estimated to weigh more than 400lbs, and it is nestled in the tree branches nearly 30ft from the forest floor. Nojob’s Indy Star Misdirection cache is located here.
The closest road is the fire trail, so it’s clear that no heavy equipment could be brought in to place the stones in this dense forest. Theories range from the thoughtful to the absurd, but the simple truth is no one knows how these rocks got up there or how long they’ve been there. From the logs on this cache, here are some theories, conjectures and tall tales:
...it was just the paintball equivalent of a fun day in the woods with Paul Bunyan and Blue the ox. That's it!! Those trees are Paul Bunyan's slingshots, but he forgot where he left his boulders when his giant mama called him in for lunch.Cache Commando said, ‘My theory is, some IU students with too much time and too much beer put them up there.’ He’s not the only one with this theory. Jim Allen, Yellowwood property manager said of the stones, ‘Maybe it's some kind of club that goes around putting rocks in trees and they have a little dinner celebration afterward. I've heard that rumor. Or it could be some college kids that don't have anything better to do.’
Show Me the Cache said, ‘I'll guess that the rocks were placed there when the trees were young but strong enough to support them.’ (But the forest service says they could not have grown upwards with the trees because the young saplings could not have withstood the weight.)
oracle1 said, ‘From a theoretical perspective, the gentleman that we met offered up his opinion on how the rocks came to be in the trees (we also located both rocks as well). He stated that the forest service used to use explosives to prepare ponds for fire fighting and sometimes rocks were thrown up in the air as a result. I am not sure if I buy that (based on the landscape observed where the rocks are) but it is a theory.’
Wally Ketchum said, ‘I really do know how the rocks got up there, but Willy threatened to stash me in a tree if I revealed the truth. You see, Willy used to be part of a small, elite group associated with the CIA, and, well, the rest will have to remain a secret.’
Willie Ketchum said, ‘Wally and I solved the mystery of how the rocks got up there! We climbed one of the trees and found that the rocks are decorative styrofoam rocks.’
Oldraven said, ‘Sooooo, how did those get up THERE???? Much speculation amongst the group. Block & Tackle?? Rope?? Aliens?? I guess it is best to just enjoy the area and not try to figure too much.’
Sailnut said, ‘The blasting theory sounds best to me but it could have been a tornado I guess. The other trees didn't really show any sign of a tornado in the area.’
Kirklin cachers said, ‘Not sure about the big bang theory we are leaning towards the UFO idea.’
4d earth said, ‘I found the trees how strange. Linda Blair was on coast to coast a.m. (coasttocoastam.com) Art bells old show talking about this. The theory is that Bigfoot but them up there. Maybe to kill the game on the surrounding trails? also look on BFRO.net. To find more information on this they have seen Bigfoot in the area although it has been several years now.’
Bluegillfisherman said, ‘THEY WHO MAKE THE CROP CIRCLES DID IT!’
My personal theory, ‘Maybe a great sucking vortex from outer space. A wormhole from Planet Boulder, and they're markers for future alien landings. Or, it was just the paintball equivalent of a fun day in the woods with Paul Bunyan and Blue the ox. That's it!! Those trees are Paul Bunyan's slingshots, but he forgot where he left his boulders when his giant mama called him in for lunch.’
Whatever you choose to believe, this cache is well worth the trip. So check it out and cook up a theory or two of your own. You won’t be disappointed.