Overall difficulty - 2 - Long drive on well-maintained dirt and gravel
roads. A 4WD or high-suspension vehicle would help (since there's other
cool places to explore in the nearby surroundings), but not required to
get to the stash. Stash is marked by a cairn of rocks. It's plainly
visible by removing the rocks, so no digging is required. If you have
to dig, it's not our cairn, and something less pleasant may be
discovered.
Terrain rating - 2 - Short and easy walk after parking. Hiking boots
would be a plus, but not required. If going out in the hot months, bring
lots of water with you.
Info -
The Gold Butte area can be spotted on the DeLorme Nevada Atlas and
Gazetteer, east of Las Vegas across Lake Mead and the Virgin River.
Travel I-15 to 170 (Riverside) and follow it South. In Riverside, take
the New Gold Butte Road south. With a couple of minor detours, you can
explore petroglyphs and Whitney Pockets along the way. Continue South on
the New Gold Butte Road. To the right you'll see the fenced-in Devil's
Throat -- be sure to stop and check it out at [~N 36 degrees, 25.665',
~W 114 degrees, 08.941']. Continuing south you'll pass an old, abandoned
farming / mining camp that offers lots of weird rock formations and junk
to explore [~N 36 degrees, 16.932', ~W 114 degrees, 11.633']. Just a
little south along the road is where the old settlement of Gold Butte
used to be. Here's where you should park, fire up the GPS, and start the
treasure hunt. It's not too far. (If you're interested, Lake
Mead/Colorado River is just another 10 miles or so along the road to the
South.) For digital pictures detailing our adventure and Geoche, take a
look at www.miniquest.com. Have fun!