On
the way to the cache itself, there used to be a flat stump with an
artistic pile of rocks on it. Between the stump and the cache were
many flat, roundish stones scattered on the ground. Even though the
stump is gone, the stones are still there. The challenge of this
cache is to add your own touch to that bit of delightfully random
nature-art and add to the stone sculpture. Then take a picture and
post it on this page. Let's see how that artistic 'installation'
changes from one cacher to the next!
:)
Mt.
Tabor, for all of your out-of-town visitors, is a long-extinct (one
would hope!) volcano in the middle of the east side of the city. It
is a gentle, forested hill, at least by Oregon standards, and is a
popular park. After finding the cache, it is worth it to stay
around sunset-time for a beautiful view over downtown
Portland.
This
cache is hidden in a typical geocaching-style location. You only
need half a brain to find it, so leave the other half home. Bring a
walking stick because it is off-trail, down a rather steep slope.
If you get to a near-vertical part of the hill which becomes
impossible to walk on, you've gone too far. Not reccomended for
small kids or very clumsy types.
If
you don't follow these directions for beginning your hunt, know
that there is a point where your GPS will show you as being just a
few feet away from the cache up from the side of an asphalt road -
right next to a near-vertical hill. Trying to climb up the
near-vertical hill from the asphalt road directly below is
absolutely NOT recommended. I'd rather that you not try for the
www.darwinawards.com
stupidity hall of fame. Find the good route down via the foot trail
above for better sanity. Besides, if you take the wrong route,
you'll miss the whole point of the cache to begin with, and that
just doesn't rock at all.
Parking can be found relatively nearby just a bit
southwest-ish of the cache. Here is a Google Map link to it:
click here.
This
cache used to simply be called "Phaedra" until March 17, 2007, when
this cache owner went to do some overdue maintenance. I regretted
not bringing a camera because the rock installation was especially
impressive that day, with 2 stacks of 7 rocks each on the
now-famous stump. It was so well-done that I was inspired to make
that impromptu "art installation" the whole point of this cache,
rather than just the fun side benefit that it used to be. The cache
name change just had to happen.