NevadaMtnBear Posted June 16, 2002 Share Posted June 16, 2002 In thinking about setting a a couple backcountry caches along the PCT and other high Sierra backpacking trails. Am I crazy? They won't be bigg'ns, probably small tupperware containers. I thought it would be pretty cool to set up a couple that are only accessable via a good hike in, but if NOONE will ever visit it, I'm wondering if it's a bad idea. I'm up for suggestions. NevadaMtnBear Quote Link to comment
+Ttepee Posted June 16, 2002 Share Posted June 16, 2002 Sounds like a good idea. If it were me I would prefer to use an ammo can in the wilderness though. They stand up to the elements so much better and if it's really out there it's not something that you will be able to maintain too easily. It seems to me that an ammo can in the wilderness really has only one true danger.. that is in accidental find... a tupperware container is also subject to weather and curious or hungry critters. If your already expecting very few visitors then I feel it should be in as durable container as possible so that it doesn't end up to be a long trip to a pile of soggy trash. Just how I think, though I'm sure plastic holds up some of the time. Have fun with it. Quote Link to comment
+georgeandmary Posted June 16, 2002 Share Posted June 16, 2002 Don't exepect a lot of visits. Maybe one a year if you're lucky. YOu have to remember, much of the year the PCT is under snow. I've got one cache picked out that is a 9 mile hike into the Emigrant wilderness. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it this year. But it's on my list of caches I'd like to hit. george Remember: Half the people you meet are below average. Quote Link to comment
NevadaMtnBear Posted June 16, 2002 Author Share Posted June 16, 2002 I lean against the amo can for weight reasons, but you're absolutely right about durability. I'll have to weight the weight considerations...maybe it will be good motivation to get the 8oz water filter and 12oz sleeping bag Thanks! Quote Link to comment
+Ttepee Posted June 16, 2002 Share Posted June 16, 2002 Yeah I can see your point about the weight. How about a mortar tube? They are much lighter and have a shoulder strap for carrying...or clip it on to your pack. Or if your creative with pvc tube I've seen people do nice things with those. Tupperware type stuff just takes such a beating out there.... Something at least with a screw lid and durable material that won't shatter when it freezes. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment
+Mr. Vic Posted June 16, 2002 Share Posted June 16, 2002 Good idea, I'm planning to leave some behind on upcoming backpacking trips also. I think you would be okay with high quality tupperware type containers that can be frozen or microwaved. Most of the "trashed" caches I come across are that way do to high number of people opening and closing them, and trying to shove more into them than they will hold. quote:Originally posted by georgeandmary: I've got one cache picked out that is a 9 mile hike into the Emigrant wilderness. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it this year. But it's on my list of caches I'd like to hit. George, Sounds like the one on my list for this summer, (Gem Cache). I was going to hit it last year but things got crazy. -Mark. Will cache for food Quote Link to comment
+georgeandmary Posted June 16, 2002 Share Posted June 16, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Mr. Vic: George, Sounds like the one on my list for this summer, (Gem Cache). I was going to hit it last year but things got crazy. -Mark. Will cache for food I thought about doing it in a marathon one day hike. I'd have to hunt down all my backpacking gear. It's been years since I've been backpacking. george Remember: Half the people you meet are below average. Quote Link to comment
+Mr. Vic Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 quote:Originally posted by georgeandmary: I thought about doing it in a marathon one day hike. I'd have to hunt down all my backpacking gear. It's been years since I've been backpacking. george Remember: Half the people you meet are below average. Dude! 18, high altitude, back country miles in one day! You're a better man than me! -Mark. Will cache for food Quote Link to comment
+georgeandmary Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 If you average at least 2 miles an hour it's only 9 hours. Leave by 6 am, hike in 4.5 hours find the cache, eat lunch hike back 4.5 hours. You'd be back by 4pm. Since you're not planning on an overnight you can cary a much lighter pack so the hiking would be easier. I'd have to bring some "just in case" stuff, but a lot lighter than a full pack. Hmmmmmm... I wonder if Tomaski would do it? george Remember: Half the people you meet are below average. Quote Link to comment
+glenn95630 Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 Do you plan on driving to the trailhead the night before and sleeping at the trailhead or getting up at 4 am and driving to the trailhead? Quote Link to comment
+georgeandmary Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 quote:Originally posted by glenn95630: Do you plan on driving to the trailhead the night before and sleeping at the trailhead or getting up at 4 am and driving to the trailhead? I'd most likely drive up the night before. There is a campground at the trail head. Tomaski said he's up for it I just need to pick a weekend. I did some more reasearch on the trail and it's only 7.5 miles from the trail head. I've hiked the first 6 of it to Piute Meadow and from what I rememeber, there were some steep parts but it didn't take me that long to hike it, a couple hours. I actually took a longer route back. I normally hike over 3 mph so I don't expect the trip in to be much longer than 2.5 hours. george Remember: Half the people you meet are below average. Quote Link to comment
+glenn95630 Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 I have a book on day hikes along the PCT. Here are a couple things from the book. There are 1,732 miles of PCT in California and southern Oregon. The book identifies day hikes that cover 1,491 miles (86%) of those miles. The book breaks it up into 124 day hikes. The only part of the California PCT not readily accessible to day hikers is the High Sierra from south of Mt Whitney to Sonora Pass north of Yosemite National Park. Stretches in this area are accessible, but limited. Quote Link to comment
NevadaMtnBear Posted June 18, 2002 Author Share Posted June 18, 2002 quote:Originally posted by glenn95630: I have a book on day hikes along the PCT. Here are a couple things from the book. There are 1,732 miles of PCT in California and southern Oregon. The book identifies day hikes that cover 1,491 miles (86%) of those miles. The book breaks it up into 124 day hikes. The only part of the California PCT not readily accessible to day hikers is the High Sierra from south of Mt Whitney to Sonora Pass north of Yosemite National Park. Stretches in this area are accessible, but limited. My hubby and I have done most of those sections either in day hikes (unintentionally) or overnight pack trips. Pretty awesome stuff! The 7.5-9 miles into the cache shouldn't be too bad. That's a half-day hike if you're a fairly astute hiker and no small children. My hubby is thinking about running the PCT section from HWY49 to Donner Summit (I-80) this weekend as a training run and asked if I wanted him to drop a cache out there. It's a 38 mile section of trail, so I know it wont be travelled often, but oh-well. We'll see if we get it out there. Hubby is a little leary of doing that section alone since it's 38 miles. While I'd love to join him, it's about 20 miles longer than I can do in a single day and still enjoy myself. Ooops! Quote Link to comment
+glenn95630 Posted June 19, 2002 Share Posted June 19, 2002 Here is one vote in favor of your husband placing a cache along the way. Quote Link to comment
stingo Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Caches are illegal in federally designated wilderness areas. The US Forest Service has been known to remove caches in wildeness areas. Quote Link to comment
NevadaMtnBear Posted July 1, 2002 Author Share Posted July 1, 2002 quote:Originally posted by stingo: Caches are illegal in federally designated wilderness areas. The US Forest Service has been known to remove caches in wildeness areas. It's a good reminder that caches are not allowed in Wilderness areas. I hadn't planned on placing one in a designated wilderness area, but it's good to be reminded of that restriction. I can't wait until the end of July when I'll have time to get out and really do some fun caching of caches far from the beaten path! I'm enjoying hitting the caches, but I'd love to find more about two miles or so in from a road or place so I can turn my trail runs into cache finds! LOL. Guess I can't whine until I start setting them, right! Quote Link to comment
+Vitus Zebulon Posted July 6, 2002 Share Posted July 6, 2002 WELL. There is a chace on/near the Tahoe Rim Trail. You can check on it to see how visits it gets it is about a 10 mile hike one way Family Ties http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=24355 There it is for what it's worth If I can't find it...It ain't there! Quote Link to comment
TahoeJoe Posted July 9, 2002 Share Posted July 9, 2002 Two of my caches are off the Tahoe Rim Trail on two mountain peaks; Freel Peak and Jobs Sister. If you are hiking on the Rim Trail, Freel Peak is a little over 1 hour away off the trail and Jobs Sister is about another 45 minutes away from Freel Peak. Both of these peaks are worth the visit for their breathtaking views. If you wish to visit these caches without taking the Rim Trail, there is a faster way listed in the cheat section of the cache pages. The links for these caches are: Freel Peak Freel Peak http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=28334 Family Ties http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=24355 [This message was edited by TahoeJoe on July 12, 2002 at 07:54 AM.] Quote Link to comment
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