Shake Your Money Maker Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A challenging 15 mile RT bike ride along gravel roads in the coast range.
Rickreall Ridge is considered a geological anomaly. The soil is quite different from the surrounding mountains, so the flora too, is unique. The spine of the ridge has a series of large grassy treeless slopes, that in the summer will be carpeted with wildflowers, some of these species are alpine and not normally found in the coast range. The cache is located below one of these unique botanical areas.
From Dallas, take Ellendale Rd west, and when it turns south, go straight ahead onto Martin road(gravel) and immediately park your car on the side of the road, there are several spots before the gate. The gate is usually open, but DO NOT drive through it. It is a private road available only to the motor vehicles of Dalton Rock and local residents. Non-motorized travel is allowed.
Begin biking west, upstream along the gravel road which parallels the Rickreall river with a very gradual elevation gain for five miles of easy pedaling. Mile markers are spray-painted on the trees. At the first mile you will travel through the Dalton Rock piles of gravel. Stay close to the river and always yield, smile and wave to the gravel trucks. After another mile you will leave DR's land, and most of the forest immediately around you belongs to Boise Cascade. Just after the 5 mile marker, turn north onto the 1940 road and now it's time to "shake your money maker".
You will be ascending a series of four pitches and this is the hardest part of your journey, where you may have to "get on up" out of your seat on certain stretches. In this section, you may be tempted to drop your bike, curse my name, and hike the rest of the way, but just take a rest and/or walk your bike because you will soon have a nice long flat portion for your final approach to the cache area.
When the reservoir comes into view below, you can look ahead along the road ahead of you and see a black cliff with a white vertical stripe on it; that is your goal. Once you reach this area, CAREFULLY climb up on the loose rocky critter trail to the right of the stream (look for burned stump)to reach the base of the cliff and locate the treasure. Enjoy your return trip down hill!
While no technical mountain biking skills are required, you must be reasonably fit in order to take this trip. Allow yourself at least two hours for your journey. Today, it took me about an hour and 20 minutes to reach the cache, and I returned in about 30 minutes. Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks.
These roads are only open to non-motorized recreation. Thus the reason for the rating. This is not a cache n dash. I'm sorry, but you cannot receive credit for this cache if you drive here.
This cache is dedicated to the Godfather of Soul.
5/21/07 I have confirmed with the landowners ( Forest Capital Partners) that driving motor vehicles beyond the gates on any roads in the Rickreall watershed is considered trespassing, and you will be subject to a fine if you are caught doing so.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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