Apache Peak at 7711 feet is the high point of the Whetstone
Mountains. It is difficult to reach, due to heavy brush on its
slopes and limestone-cliff battlements that block most of the
peak's eastern approach. The western approach looks easier on a
topographic map, but would require a long Jeep trek.
From French Joe Spring, our hike to Apache Peak was a round trip
of about 7.6 miles with 3223 feet of elevation gain and 745 feet of
elevation loss (each way). The area is part of the Coronado
National Forest, but there are no developed trails or facilities
enroute.
The difficulty rating for this cache does not mean that it is
well-hidden; it's not. Here the difficulty is in planning a
passable route. The terrain rating reflects the difficulty of
carrying out that plan, which will require considerable sustained
effort of forcing your way up steep slopes against thick brush. In
places some minor rock-climbing will be required. Allow plenty of
time and take adequate water and energy snacks. Placing the cache
via the route shown in the "spoiler" required a 7.5-hour
roundtrip.
At the summit of Apache Peak are two glass jars containing
hikers' logs; these are not the cache. Feel free to read and sign
the logs. Some of the entries date back to 1970. The cache itself
is a rugged, waterproof plastic box a bit larger than a deck of
cards. It is hidden under some rocks east of the summit and
contains a log book, pencils and Geocaching compass and pin.
Sounds hard; why call it a Cakewalk? Apache Peak
Ordeal didn't have the right ring to it! If you're unsure about
your ability to bag this one, try
Wrath of Kaidoz first. The terrain is similar, but it's about
one-third the time, distance and effort. If that goes well, seek
out
Double or Nothing Cache, located in the bottom of French Joe
Canyon. Set aside some additional time to hike further into the
canyon and get the lay of the land. Best tactic of all is to
Shanghai a hiking buddy who is really good at this kind of
bushwhack.