Bear Mountain Summit Cache Traditional Geocache
Bear Mountain Summit Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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The cache is a plastic vitamin bottle, hidden very near to the sandy, dome-like top of Bear Mountain. The original contents include several enamel pins from Alaska and Canada, a Spring Creek prison token, and Northpeak’s "Extreme" Geocoin #1.
The summit of Bear Mountain is at an elevation just over 4000’, and can be approached from several directions. The east trail, which begins just south of the intersection of 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street, climbs first to the top of Little Bear Mt. and then follows a great connecting ridge beyond. It is very straightforward, but is a tough mountain hike for a well-prepared adventurer. There are steep sections which can be slick when wet or icy, thick ferns and grass obscuring a good footpath, and some moderate exposure on loose rock on the upper section. Another good route on the north side ascends a snow couloir above Lowell Creek, about 1.5 miles up Lowell Canyon. Crampons and an ice axe are often useful for the steepest snows. A climb from Spruce Creek on the south side of Bear Moutain is also possible, but will involve some route finding and bushwhacking, following game trails along backbone ridges. A nice loop route is done by ascending the east ridge (grabbing the Little Bear Moutain cache enroute), and then descending the north ridge and the snow couloir, returning by hiking down Lowell Canyon.
The summit dome often sports a remnant snow drift, and in the black shale sand you can see scooped-out beds where mountain goats lay in the sun. There is a great mossy area with flowers, where you can sit and snack, and gaze at the ocean, nearby peaks, and glaciers. A great view of Bear Glacier and the Harding Icefield to the west is very unique.
Are there any high adventure geocachers who will take this challenge, and grab the Extreme coin? Many are notified, very few ever step up….
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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