Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site

Distance 2.2 miles one-way or 4.7 miles one-way depending on the route.
This cache was set up to take you to a little known unique natural tinaja (a rock collection area for water) in the Sandia Mountains. The tinaja (which means large earthen jar in Spanish) is shaped much like a modern bathtub thus the name. It has always had water in it at least every time I have visited it but this year with the drought it may go dry. As the water levels change in the tub during the year there are visible rings which look like bathtub rings. There was very little water in it when I set up the cache. Usually the water is a good foot and half deep.
To get to this cache you can start from a couple of places. Starting at the Three Gun Trailhead is the shortest. To get to this trailhead go east from Albuquerque on old Highway 66 and turn left into the Monticello subdivision. Follow the road straight up the hill until you see a small Forest Service sign directing you to the left. Once you have made the turn stay on this road until it starts to bear left at which point you turn right on a road which soon becomes dirt. Go to the end of the road and park. Start up the Three Guns Trail and stay on it until you come to the Hawk Watch trail that turns to the east or your right as you are going up the hill. Stay on this trail until you reach the old Hawk Watch area at N35 05.228 W106 25.947. This area may be closed from late February to mid March for a hawk banding program. You may call 255-7622 (Hawk Watch)to check status. From here continue to follow the trail up the hill. It soon becomes very steep with some loose gravel. This is really a route not a trail at this point. This route tops out at waypoint N 35 05.447 W106 25.633. From here follow your GPS up the hill staying near the edge of the cliff face. The waypoint N35 05.580 W106 25.719 is for the Bathtub. The cache is located 23 feet away on a bearing of 300 True North from the crack in the bath tube (roughly the center of the tub). The cache is an ammo can which is placed in a horizontal crack in the rock. The opening of this crack faces south by southwest. The ammo can is covered by two rocks and is well hidden by them. This hike is fairly steep. You gain about 2300 feet with the elevation of the cache being approximately 8645 ft. This route would be very hot in the summer as there is little shade.
The second way to get to the cache is on a good trail, the South Crest Trail. This route though longer would be much cooler in the summer but would have a lot more snow in the winter. The walk is about 4.7 miles one-way. To get to the trailhead go east on I 40 and take Exit 175 and bear right toward highway 337. Then turn left and go back under I 40 (Don’t go through the stop light. (Turn left before getting to the stoplight). Turn right after passing under I 40 entering Canyon Estates on Arrowhead Trail. Go to the end of the road. There is a $3 parking fee that goes to the Forest Service. Start hiking at the south end of the South Crest Trail in Canyon Estates (N 35 05.378 W 106 23.501). Hike up the trail past the cave and waterfall. As you are going up the trail, look for the Faulty Trail signpost. Faulty Trail splits off to the north or your right here (N 35 05.849 W 106 23.832). Stay on the South Crest trail or your left as going up the trail. Once the cache becomes 300 feet away turn off the trail and head west to the cache as described above. The cache has only a log in it. There is room for treasures if you like but the reward is seeing this unique rock structure.