Most geocachers take on a memorable and/or challenging cache for their "find" milestones. As we approached our 500th find, we scoured the web for good candidates for this event. We chose to go after "Captain McHarry's Vault" in southern Indiana as it is recognized as the most difficult in the Louisville area. It sits atop a very high hill and there are no "good" ways to get to the top. Ground level elevation at the base of the hill is 462' while the top is 814'. This elevation change occurs in just under 1100'.
Legend has it that in the mid 1800s, Captain McHarry had himself interred standing up and looking out of the porthole in this vault overlooking the Ohio River so he could curse the other riverboat captains with whom he did not get along. Click here for more info.
Unfortunately, time and vandals have not been kind to the vault. The door's supporting stone on the right hand side (facing the vault) is missing and root growth between the stone blocks is slowly forcing the structure entrance to shift and become unstable. Fortunately the good captain's body was moved to Cave Hill Cemetery long ago to be with his wife. You can see his present resting place by peeking through the door of the Irvin Mausoleum at: N 38°14.630 W 085°43.164. In the winter the vault can be viewed from the Kentucky side of the river by standing on the Riverview Park levee in southern Louisville.
