Ape Route Suggestions...?

[+Angry Marmot]

Hey gang. A buddy is flying into town and we were thinking of doing APE tomorow to get a little hiking or biking in while he's here. We haven't been up to this area caching before and haven't hiked up there in about 10 years. I was wondering if anyone could suggest where to park and/or some good general routes to take. We're not looking for any spoilers on the actual caches just some tips on general routes that will allow us to hit some other caches along the way. Again we're not sure whether we are going to bike or hike, so any suggestions there would be appreciated to. We'll be heading there from northbend so if anyone has suggestions of other ones to hit that would be great too as we have the whole day to hunt stuff down.

 

Thanks for the advice and have a good one! -TAM

[+Prying Pandora]

Park at the Iron Horse State Park parking lot by Iron Horse (East). It will cost $5.00 to park there, but it's right at the entrance to the tunnel. The tunnel is just over 2 miles long and there is another cache inside, Bloody Fingers, Dirty Diapers... . When you emerge, look for Iron Horse and continue on to the APE cache from there. There is a new cache there, Old Bald Bison. It is a puzzle and I haven't done it yet, but I believe it is in the tunnel too. Have fun and dress warm, the tunnel is cold! There are many more caches if you continue down the trail, so go as far as you can! If you leave a car at Rattlesnake Lake you can do a 22 mile trip one way and pick up a lot of caches like they did at this event.

Edited October 13, 2005 by Prying Pandora

[+WeightMan]

If you want to continue down the trail, but don't want to do the 22 mile bike trip, you can pick up Avalanche Shed, return back up the trail to the Annette Lake trail, and follow that down to the Asahel Curtis trailhead. You would have had to park a car there, of course and parking there requires a NW Nature Pass. A one day pass is $5 and can be purchased ahead of time at REI.

[+Allanon]

There is a new cache there, Old Bald Bison. It is a puzzle and I haven't done it yet, but I believe it is in the tunnel too. Have fun and dress warm, the tunnel is cold!

The final is definitely inside the tunnel (I don't think that's a secret), the trick is in finding it (and even that isn't that difficult). Just do some calculations before you go and you should do fine.

 

As for the tunnel being cold, it was 'cool', but not so bad that you can't keep yourself warm with the exersise you are getting just hiking/biking it.

[+Shop99er]

Park at the Iron Horse State Park parking lot by Iron Horse (East). It will cost $5.00 to park there, but it's right at the entrance to the tunnel. The tunnel is just over 2 miles long and there is another cache inside, Bloody Fingers, Dirty Diapers... . When you emerge, look for Iron Horse and continue on to the APE cache from there. There is a new cache there, Old Bald Bison. It is a puzzle and I haven't done it yet, but I believe it is in the tunnel too. Have fun and dress warm, the tunnel is cold! There are many more caches if you continue down the trail, so go as far as you can! If you leave a car at Rattlesnake Lake you can do a 22 mile trip one way and pick up a lot of caches like they did at this event.

What she said...

[MarcusArelius]

My bookmark of the trail

[+Angry Marmot]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions and information. Our bike ferry didn't pan out so it looks like we're gonna hike the suggested tunnel loop or just back track at some point. Thanks again!