602. Oregon, Holt County (MO009)

The fact that I could joke that I made it to Oregon was probably the highlight of visiting the town. The courthouse did not impress me at all. It wasn’t terrible, but it was definitely on the low end of “OK”. But what could I really expect? The is was a pretty small town and a pretty small county so the answer to that question should really be “not much”.

I feel I should give some credit where credit is due. The courthouse stage definitely beat most of the gazebos and stages I’ve seen at other nicer courthouses. It also only now began to sink in that I would be crossing the route of Messieurs Lewis, Clark, York, and the Corps of Discovery (and don’t even begin to think I forgot Sacagawea). Even the simple drive here has given me a certain amount of appreciation for what they must have seen. The fog shrouded valleys, the rolling hills, the raging torrents that were only little blue lines on a map weeks before… And I had the benefit of roads and bridges. I was both impressed that they all accomplished as much as they did, and yet saddened that the most important members of the expedition were also those who were paid and given the least. Being remembered by history, while of some value to us, would probably be of little solace to them.

As for the cache, it called itself a MEGA CACHE. Usually when a cache calls itself a large, I take it with a grain of salt. Well, this one sure wasn’t tiny. I’m not entirely sure it it can be considered large, but since I could have probably fit my entire arm in it, I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. It’s some kind of liquid propellant storage canister from the 1960’s, and it was more than durable! So I signed the log and grabbed/dropped off a couple of pairs of trackables. I even left some uni-coins, too. Once I had sealed it back up, I got to moving again, no native guide or husky valet to aid me, and made my way further north, taking a detour in…