I think number 1 sounds like a viable theory. Number 2 is a little doubtful, because most of the anti-government whackos are actually fairly competent about caching weapons and supplies.
Still, it's possible. What has the weather been like in the Soldier Hollow area the last few years? Heavy rains might wash away the overburden from a cache.
I wonder if there's a gun thief who burgled a gun shop now sweating over whether the cops can recover prints from a ten-year-rusted weapon?
"...anti-government whackos..."
Who you calling a whacko, pilgrim?
prambo
IMHO the most likely reason such a rifle was in the woods in a location 5 miles away from the Olympic venue is that it was placed there by someone seeking a story to demonize the .50 BMG rifles and/or someone seeking the Reward for stopping a terrorist activity. The theif angle is possible but very doubtful because the rifle should show up on a hot sheet somewhere. The cache angle is also doubtful as such a cache would be almost impossible to retrieve in a Utah winter. The fact that it is winter when this rifle turns up makes me even more suspicous. Why was it not covered in snow?
Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown