Boundary of Insanity Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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A micro-cache on a flat part of a steep trail in Santa Teresa Park
When I first hiked up the Boundary Trail in Santa Teresa Park, I thought, "What trail designer in his right mind would design a trail that steep?" Actually, it's probably an old jeep trail. Now that I've been on that trail lots of times, and after tackling crazier trails in Almaden Quicksilver and the Sierra Azuls, I don't think it's totally insane. It's just borderline insane. Luckily, it's short. This cache is located on a flat part of the trail. It will give you a chance to pause, look up, and decide if you really want to go up that way. It's steeper than it looks. When I first came here, I saw the antenna on Coyote Peak sticking up, and thinking it must not be that far if I can see the antenna. Wrong! That's a tall antenna, and it's farther up to the top than it looks. The trail climbs moderately steeply upwards, then levels off a bit, and just when you think you're home free, it throws a really steep corner at you. Once you're near the top, you can go look for "Bay Area Multiple Hills 3" (GCFD1B). If you want to take the easier way up, though still not a cakewalk, go back to the Coyote Peak Trail and take it all the way. The Coyote Peak Trail will take you directly to "Coyote Junction" (GCTM1A). What's the easy way to get here? Forget it. There is no easy way. The least-uphill way to get to this cache is to start at the Pueblo Area, take the Hidden Springs Trail to the Coyote Peak Trail, and take it downhill to the bottom of the Boundary Trail. You can also go all the way to Coyote Peak and come down the Boundary Trail. The hardest way is to start at the bottom of the Coyote Peak Trail by the golf course at "Santa Teresa Driving Lessons" (GCQCYH) and come up the hill. When I placed the cache, I started at the Pueblo Area, went up the Hidden Springs Trail, down the Ridge Trail (placing 2 caches there), up the Coyote Peak Trail, and turned on the Boundary Trail. I came back to the Pueblo Area via the Coyote Peak and Hidden Springs Trail. If I can do it, anybody can do it.
The cache is a sign-only micro, longer but skinnier than a film can. Bring your own pen. "What, all this work for a lousy little micro?" Sorry about that. There's no room around here for anything bigger without going way off-trail. This is really close to the trail. Anything farther from the trail would have to contend with poison oak. The vertically-challenged may need some help. Bush-whacking is not required and is strongly discouraged. It's hard enough going uphill. What's really nuts is going downhill on a bike. Watch out for suicidal bikers screaming down the hill, maybe literally.
8/5/09 update. The cache was replaced with a camo'd M&M's tube, containing a pen. Make sure the cache can't be seen from the trail after replacing it.
2/17/13 update: the cache was not where it was supposed to be. I replaced it with a smaller tube, but no pen. Bring your writing implement. Make sure the cache is covered to keep it from being moved my critters or seen by muggles.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
ernpu bhg be hc naq gbhpu fbzr pnpur