Top Secret: Project Blue Rose

“Once upon a time, there was a place of great goodness called the White Lodge. Fawns gamboled there amidst happy, laughing spirits. The sounds of innocence and laughter filled the air. Generally speaking, a ghastly place. But, I am pleased to note, there is another place—its opposite—of almost unimaginable power, full of dark forces and vicious secrets. This place I speak of is known as the Black Lodge. And I intend to find it.”—Former FBI Special Agent Windom Earle

Among the many joys of geocaching is combining that activity with my love of the weird, the esoteric, the outre. A fair number of the caches that I've placed — about 150 currently active — have themes ranging from daikaiju to horror movies, such as Curse (Night) of the Demon, The Blair Witch, and Sinister; from the fiction of Karl Edward Wagner to my own horror tales; from Bigfoot to Twin Peaks. I already had a couple of Twin Peaks–themed caches in the wild — "Fire Walk With Me" (GC35QJY) and "Let's Rock" (GC5W99P) — but I am glad to announce that a bunch of new ones are about to be released in the Greensboro area.

I've spent considerable the past couple of weeks acquiring supplies, customizing and stocking containers, scouting locations, and placing the hides. And at last, everything is in place. The cache listings have been completed and submitted to geocaching.com. They should go live in the next few days.

Jack Rabbit's Palace?

There are seven caches in the series, titled "Project Blue Rose." The first six caches contain clues to lead the intrepid hunter to the seventh, which is titled "The Black Lodge" and is hidden in a fashion well-suited to its name. There's no need to keep it a secret that the majority of the caches are hidden in Northeast Park in northeastern Guilford County. The final, however, resides quite some distance away, in a place that some geocachers — and most of the general public — probably wish to avoid. I'll reveal no further details here, but I'll be looking forward to seeing how well the series is received.

Yesterday, I was off work, so I spent the entire day hiking through woods, clambering in and out of creeks and chasms, hiding caches in places that seemed apt for the subject matter. I did find what might have been the perfect setting for a Twin Peaks–themed cache, but for the fact it is right next to a popular overlook, and I fear that any cache placed there would soon disappear. If you know about "Jack Rabbit's Palace" from Twin Peaks: The Return, the site would certainly stand out to you. Alas, I ended up bypassing it and found another location that seemed apt for a cache related to The White Lodge.

I've set these caches to be available to premium members only, so unless you're a paid member of geocaching.com, you won't be able to view the listings (when they're available), but if you are, I hope you'll find these to be a treat. Here's the list of 'em:

• PROJECT BLUE ROSE #1: The Fireman (GC7KT41)
• PROJECT BLUE ROSE #2: Mike, the One-Armed Man (GC7KT5A)
• PROJECT BLUE ROSE #3: The Arm, a.k.a. The Little Man from Another Place (GC7KT62)
• PROJECT BLUE ROSE #4: The Killer BOB (GC7KT6Q)
• PROJECT BLUE ROSE #5: The Woodsman (GC7KT7B)
• PROJECT BLUE ROSE #6: Judy (GC7KT89)
• PROJECT BLUE ROSE #7: The Black Lodge (GC7KN86)

If you're a local geocacher (I know a number of you follow this blog), I expect you to be out yonder as soon as these are published. I can't help but wonder, though... who among you will — or will not — pass through the Black Lodge and achieve "perfect" courage....

“The legend of the Black Lodge says that every spirit must pass through it on the way to perfection. There, you will meet your shadow self. My people call it ‘The Dweller on the Threshold.’ But it is said that if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will utterly annihilate your soul.”—Deputy Tommy “Hawk” Hill, Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department

A few of the sights along the way...