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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A traditional cache in the hills, with a serious climbing hike to get to it. This is the uppermost cache of our “Lasky” series of caches.
The cache was placed about 3/4ths of the way through a 9 mile, 2 car U-shaped hike. A long and fairly steep (in places) hike, with about 2800 Feet of climbing and 3200 feet of descending, the way we hiked it. On a clear day, the views will be worth the effort. Here is the routing (see below for the “Additional Waypoints”):
We dropped off a car at the SANTA ANA RIVER TRAIL PARKING, and took another car to start the hike from the OAKRIDGE TRAILHEAD. Head up the hill Eastward, becoming Southeastward. The first ¼ mile or so is rocky & ugly with junk. Patience, it gets better. At TOP FIRST HILL, turn right (up). Follow the trails UP. There are several places you can go around the steep hill in the next mile or so, but do not go left at GO STRAIGHT1. Keep on Climbing! Looking at Google Earth or your mapping program of choice, you will see a trail of caches all the way up the ridgeline, which has become known as Dead Horse Saddle. You will see why the horse died. Several sections are very steep. One borders on what some have called “rock climbing” for just 100 feet or so. No ropes needed, but both hands and feet might be. Stay safe. I didn’t like going down that one at all (last time up here), which is why I developed the route of going down Lasky Trail instead
When you get to the top (MAIN DIVIDE ROAD), turn right (Northwest) toward the Sierra Peak Antennas and the Lasky Trail down, or if you can handle another mile or two more for additional caches, you can turn left (Southeast) toward GCR3Z5 or beyond. Eventually going toward Sierra Peak Antennas, and near there, you will find several more caches. Don’t miss our Bowling for Copters cache (GCN3AK), which you get to by Turning Right at RIGHT TO HELIPAD. At this writing, the bowling ball from the cache is missing, darn. There are now several new looking road gates along the continuing Main Divide Road, near and past Sierra Peak, so I guess 4WD vehicles will not be going past there.
Continue eventually (after lunch on the peak?) straight past the RIGHT TO PEAK fork. At MAIN-LASKY INTERSECTION, turn right and start down. At LASKY LEFT1, turn left. Your next stop will be this cache! Don’t miss it! Don’t start down the steep part of the hill yet. You are looking for a 3-1/2 X 4 inch cylinder, camo’d, and hidden out of sight by….. well, see the clue and spoiler picture, if you must! You should NOT be on the same side of the trail as the telephone poles.
After the cache, continue down the steep part of the hill (carefully!), and turn left at LASKY LEFT2. The next cache is our Lasky Hill (GCRTC4). Continue Westward and Northwestward downhill. Be sure to keep going straight at GO STRAIGHT2 (left is a dead end going down to a High Voltage Tower). Don’t forget GCQRY0 off the trail a little to the left past a high voltage tower. At TRIPLE FORK, stay left. After our Lasky Gas Station & Truck Stop Memorial Cache (GCGG6M), be sure to turn hard left. Keep on the fireroad on down the hill, stop for our Lasky’s Horse’s Bones (GCQPPK), and under the Freeway via the alleged Wildlife Underpass (previously the Coal Canyon Exit). After the Freeway, make turn right turn on the Santa Ana River Trail. There are usually several caches along the river between Coal Canyon and Parking. Another mile or so, and you will back at the car you left at the SANTA ANA RIVER TRAIL PARKING.
Bring lots of water, lunch and start early. The views are great!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgvpxf naq Fgbarf