PLEASE NOTE: THE ACCESS ROAD SHOULD OPEN ON NOV 2 FOR WINTER
ACCESS.
You can get to this cache as described here, then continue on to
the
'Hidden Spring' Cache. Or you can can use the
information in the 'Hidden Spring' cache. It will get you to Hidden
Spring, then it will direct you on your way to 'The Grotto', about
1/2 mile to the East of Hidden Spring.
WARNING: If you attempt these hikes in the summer, you should
start very early in the morning, and only when it will be
relatively cool. These hikes require walking uphill in soft sand
for considerable distances. You may want to wait until cooler
weather to attempt these caches. Read all of the information and
other folks comments.
The cache is located in the vicinity of a remarkable canyon
called The Grotto. It requires a 4wd vehicle (or high clearance 2wd
and a skilled driver).
The Grotto is in the Mecca Hills of the Orocopia Mountains,
about 40 miles South of Palm Springs, CA. To get there from Palm
Springs, take I-10 East to HWY 86s to Mecca. Turn left on 4th,
cross the RR tracks, turn right on Hammond Rd, left on 66th that
turns into Box Canyon Rd. At Mecca (stoplight), turn left on 4th,
cross the RR tracks, turn right on Hammond Rd, left on 66th
[N33*34.162 W116*04.563] with turns into Box Canyon Road.
You can also get to the starting point by taking the Cottonwood
Springs/Box Canyon Rd exit from I-10, and drive Southwest.
Leave the road at [G01 - Little Box Canyon Road]. There is a
sign stick sign that reads "Little Box Canyon Road". Drive up this
sand road to [G02 - Meccacopia Trail]. This is a Wilderness Road
that is closed from June 1 to Nov 1. Continue South to [G03 - Park
Near Here].
Walk West to [G04 - Wash], then [G05 - Wash Intersection].
Notice the G05 W coordinate and the cache W coordinate. Continue to
[G06 - Rock n' Road]. Then to [G07 - The Grotto Cache]. Note:
Remember your way up to the cache, so you can retrace your steps
when leaving. The cache container is a plastic box about 6" wide
and 14" long, with a white lid. Please log your find. Snap the lid
back on, secure the container in its hiding place, and put the rock
on the lid before you leave. Be careful.
Be sure to head down the wash 1/4 mile to The Grotto area. The
canyon here is amazing. Huge. Look out above! After a while there
will be a very small opening to crawl through.
Shortly after the crawl, the canyon trail appears to end where
the huge canyon walls have collapsed into the wash. But it does
not. YOU MUST HAVE A FLASHLIGHT for the next segment. Crawl under
the boulder at the seemingly end of the wash. You can walk from
here on in a cave-like, totaly dark area for about 50'. Thanks to
Florian, a fellow Geocacher for this discovery! Be careful through
here. Climb the ladder and you are into an open wash again! We saw
a 3' Rattlesnake here. You could continue 1/2 mile down this wash
to [The Squeeze], then right to the [Hidden Spring] Cache. (see
'Hidden Spring' cache info here on Geocaching.com).
Driving back out of the area, turn left at the [G02]
intersection onto Little Box Canyon Rd, or you can go straight to
Box Canyon Rd, but it is a little rough in places. Meccacopia Rd to
the South heads through soft sand to the Coachella Canal, Bradshaw
Trail Rd, and other places.
Note: In order for the TopoZone map to indicate the correct
location of this cache (with the small red target symbol) you
should enter the coordinates of the cache as NAD27-CONUS converted
numbers. At the 'Get a Map','Decimal degrees' entry area on the
upper left of the page, enter 33.5870, -115.8952, and as the map
begins to generate, set the scale on the upper left of the map to
1:25,000.
WGS-84 Coordinate List:
N33*36.238 W115*55.317 [G01 - Little Box Canyon Rd]
N33*36.229 W115*53.436 [G02 - Meccacopia Trail Rd]
N33*35.034 W115*53.310 [G03 - Park Near Here] elev:1000'
N33*35.121 W115*53.660 [G04 - Wash] elev 920'
N33*35.221 W115*53.732 [G05 - Wash Intersection] elev 890'
N33*35.240 W115*53.747 [G06 - Rock n' Road] elev:880'
N33*35.221 W115*53.760 [G07 - The Grotto Cache] elev:940'
Have Fun!
Eve'n'Steven