Hardscrabble Rattlesnake Gulch Traditional Geocache
Hardscrabble Rattlesnake Gulch
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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NEW COORDINATES: N 38° 10.548, W 105° 10.124. A quick scramble up Rattlesnake Gulch. You will hike about 100 yards up a faint trail, then start scrambling. There are several ways up, but the easiest way down is following the large fallen tree trunks. The cache is a camouflaged metal canister about seven inches tall, like a miniature milk can. Roundtrip hike distance 0.2 miles.
Start walking at the mouth of the gulch (N 38 10.496, W 105 10 105) . Right now, parking there is impossible due to erosion from heavy rains, and the highway department has placed large boulders at the turn-off. But you can park easily across the highway, slightly downhill. The cache would be accessible in mild winter weather but not in deep snow. I have not personally seen a rattlesnake here, but I assume that the place is called Rattlesnake Gulch for a reason. There are many south-facing rocky ledges, so use appropriate caution in snake season. This is one of about a dozen geocaches with "Rattlesnake Gulch" in their names. Collect the whole set! North Hardscrabble Creek, below you, was named for the short-lived settlement of "Hardscrabble," also called San Buenaventura de los Tres Arroyos. It was a brief attempt at farming by traders associated with Fort Pueblo, but flourished only from about 1844-45. The settlement was located along the creek between Wetmore and Florence. FTF May 13, 2010: mr. volkswagen.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pnpur vf haqre n pbssrr-gnoyr-fvmr ebpx fyno.