GCJZEH Prince of Wales (Traditional Cache) in Utah, United States created by MOCKBA

GCJZEH ▼

A cache by MOCKBA Message this owner

Hidden : 7/12/2004

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

A historical mine with steam hoisting equipment dating back to 1872. The cache was originally planned as a codeword-only stationary cach-u-nut, but ended up as a micro for better approve-ability.

Prince of Wales mine claim was initially filed in 1870, but a number of neighboring claims on this lode overlapped, and construction was delayed by couple years because of litigation. It turned to be a very succesfull operation, which continued to mine ore well into Great Depression. By then, the maize of tunnels under the Honeycombs was thousands feet deep and miles wide. The original 40 HP steam hoisting machinery is still there. It was supplied by water by a 2-inch pipe all the way from the springs near Twin Lakes pass - the pump boiler over there houses Hard Bolied Cache now. The same pipeline also brought water to a 20 HP machine at an interconnected Wellington mine just downslope to the West.
The easiest way to get to Prince of Wales mine is from '39Geezer's Sponge Bob Square Cache. The old road NNW forks almost immediately (one of these parallel tracks is what remains from covered rail tramway used to move the ore to Alta divide). Use upper track for easier access. If you approach from Silver Fork, take the trail into the East Bowl, then look for a left turn towards the ridge flanking the bowl on the North side. There is plenty more of old mining eqipment along this route.
On my cache-placing trip, I initially planned to follow this trail down to East Bowl, along a familiar skiing route, but I got excited to see an old partially washed-off mining road turning sharply ENE, to the drainage just North of Prince of Wales mine. This is probably an old connecting road to Annie tunnel, of the same underground system, over on Honeycomb Fork side. The old, barely discernible road switchbacks twice and crosses the drainage. Some cairns along this way help to stay the course. But further North I lost this old track and just dropped all the way towards Alta tunnel (this Gates of Moria-style mine is now just a lowly water intake point for the summer homes down below).
The container may not be found in winter, but the bowl down below is a winter classic. Submit your photo report if you'd like to log a find in winter season, and make sure all members of your team carry avalanche transcievers and know how to operate them if you go.
The cache is a screw-cap aliminum canister, about 3 in tall and 1 in dia, at the ground level a couple feet away from the virtual cach-u-nut codeword. It contained small toys and coins. Although big goodies won't fit, there are plenty of nooks to hide bigger stuff around.
Credits for the history info to Charles L. Keller

The cach-u-nut #316 codeword is spelled in three-inch cast-iron letters, it is a place name in NY.

MOCKBA quotinent | Safety recommendations

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gjb sg abegurnfg sebz gur svefg yrggre bs gur jbeq, naq sbhe vapurf uvture. Ybbx sbe qhpg gncr znex nobir vg.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)