Yep! I climbed way up there. A first for me!
I wanted my 100th geocache find to be special, and it turned out to be just that way!
On June 21, 2011, we took advantage of the first day of summer for a free pass to the Rocky Mountains National Park. We thought it would be an afternoon drive, but instead got home 11 fun-filled hours later. The only thing missing was family and friends to share it with. I'll try to do my photo-best here.
Not only did I find an awesome "high-altitude" 100th cache, but parts of the 12,000 foot high Rocky Mountain highway was lined with 20-feet layers of snow; and a big, black, hungry, moose ignored us as we took photos of him. Then, he sauntered across the highway directly in FRONT of us while we had front-row (free) seats!
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| We got a lot of photos of this guy before he decided to change course. |
Before that, we stood in the edge of the forest almost an hour catching glimpses of a huge, brown mama moose and two lighter brown babies forging along a small creek. (I ran out of film on my 300 mm lens camera except for one photo of the baby moose.)
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| Mama moose going after her babies who had ventured too close to the photographers. |
When we turned around to head back to the road, we discovered about 30 elk standing there just WATCHING us. Too funny.
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| The elk watching us watch the moose. If you click on the photo, you might see the ones in the background. |
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| We followed this lazy, ice-cold, mountain water run-off looking for a path to the cache. |
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| We thought the cache would be around here someplace. |
Boy, was I wrong! Instead, it was up on the big HILL overlooking Estes Park with the snow-covered mountains in the background.
Here's what my geocaching website had to say about the site:
“In 1904, Albert Birch engaged Carl Piltz, a blacksmith and a talented local stonemason, to build a small, one-story bungalow atop a rocky crag just north of the main street of the village of Estes Park.’ With a stunning view of Longs Peak and a dramatic location atop a perhaps 150 feet high rock outcropping, the stone bungalow with a massive fireplace, wrap-around porch on the south and west sides, and large window openings must have been a showcase jewel of turn-of-the-century rustic stone masonry craftsmanship. Unfortunately, on a bitterly cold night of December 21, 1907, the stone bungalow burnt because the floor joists under the fireplace had ignited. The massive stonework walls, fireplaces, porch and a staircase that partially descends the rock face remain. However, the ruins continue to be a cherished and romantic Estes Park skyline landmark since the unfortunate fire of 1907.” (Register Nomination, 2001).
If there is a short path, we didn't find it.
Instead, we took a huffing-puffing trail around and up the side of the hill. I had to stop and rest every few minutes, but it was absolutely worth every step!
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| The trail below - where we just came from |
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| That's a cabin and an outhouse we passed on the way up, but I didn't use it!!! |
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| I told hubby, ours was a two-seater. Remember the days, Sandy? |
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| Whew! We made it! Still looking for the 100th cache, though! |
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| Oh Look!!! THERE IT IS!!!! An ammo can cache!!! |
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| What we found... |
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| What we left behind... |
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| ...and memories of a very good day... |
~Linda AKA Starcatcher55
