There is a “cave” hidden down in the woods behind my Grandmother’s property.  To my knowledge it has been well over 5 years since anyone in our family has been able to find it.  Me and my cousins tried a couple years back, but with only vague memories of the path, and with everything overgrown we ended up wandering in the woods until sunset.

This year I was determined to find it.  I started with a map of the general area from google earth, and then took this map around to some family members to see if there was anything they recognized. Everyone has their own path they prefer to take down to it complete with all the best landmarks: “big rock in creek,” “three small creeks and then a big one,” “the big hill,” etc.  I took some notes of where these landmarks kinda were on the map, which by the way on google it’s all just treetops anyway.  From this information we blocked out a square on the map where we thought the cave might be and devised our route.

For any family members reading this…From Grandma’s field…Down the big hill (there’s no tractor path anymore), stay north of the creek, you cross over two small creeks, and then through a big patch of stinging nettles.  I’m smiling in this picture, but they are horrible, best to have a machete or large stick.

When you get to the nettles you may want to give up and go down to the big creek. Don’t, you will be going in the wrong direction.

Instead you need to find the medium-sized creek somewhere in the sea of horrible stinging nettles.

Then you will follow this creek roughly north west up the hill.  Along the path there will be many, many fallen trees and spiders in the way.  It will comfort you to know your only other option is nettles, so just suck it up.

You’ll know its time to cut up the hill when you see these three large rocks up on the hill.  From your direction they will be on the left.

Once you get to the top of the hill…It will all be worth it.  :).

All of our family names are still there 🙂

If you’re worried about the hike back…don’t..  When you get to the cave, you will discover you can see rows of corn from the top, and that there was a clear path there from the neighbor’s pasture all along!

Don’t worry you can still take it back.

P.S. iPhone compasses are not reliable.