ust when you thought you'd hiked all of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserves in Travis County, this cache takes you through the new, exciting, and breathtakingly scenic "J Canyon Trail." The trail passes by numerous natural features where you can view wildlife, including the Black Capped Vireo and Golden Cheeked Warbler.
The cache itself is located outside the preserve of course, but you'll have to hike the trail (Approx 6 kilometers round trip) to get to it, and you'll want to pay attention while walking the trail, because the answers to these questions about what you will see when out hiking will let you solve for the actual coordinates.
Once you're parked, head for the coordinates in question A. Proceed to the remaining coordinates in order. Enjoy the hike.
A) N30.36183, W97.89544
Which is NOT listed on the 'Prohibited Activities' list?
- Use of Motorized Vehicles
- Flash Photography
- Dumping
- Mountain Bike Riding
- Horseback Riding
- Littering
- Damaging Flora and Fauna of the Preserve
B) N30.35990 W97.89468
How Many Manmade Stepping Stones do you see?
- Six
- Four
- Three
- Five
- Zero
- Eleventeen
C) N30.35863 W97.89542
What do you see?
- Busted up old Antique Car
- Traffic Sign with Bullet Holes
- 1970's era Tire Swing
- T. Rex Fossils
- A Tree Split By Lightning
- A Swimmin' Hole
- An Exposed K-T Layer Seam, glistening with metallic Iridium
D) N30.35112 W97.90148
What do you see?
- Steiner Ranch Corral Ruins
- Traffic Sign with Bullet holes
- Busted up old Antique Car
- Cliff View
- Brontosaurus Fossils
- Tallest Waterfall in Central Texas
- Petrified Wood
E) N30.34823 W97.90056
Face due East. What structure do you see on the horizon?
- "Beverly Hillbillies" Style Mansion
- One Room Schoolhouse
- Boat Storage Facility
- Many Busted up old Antique Cars
- Stone Wall
- Helipad
- Sandra Bullock's Summer Cottage
F) N30.34567 W97.90266
What would you be most likely to say here?
- "Who Moved my Cheese?"
- "I love to watch the planes land!"
- "Ooh/Ahh"
- "Remember the Alamo!"
- "I wonder how that Busted up old Antique car got down there?"
- "Who shot up that traffic sign?"
G) N30.35266 W97.90808
What helps keep you on the trail?
- Four Galvanized Steel Posts
- Stone Wall
- Rope Barricade
- Barbed Wire Fence
- Concrete Barrier
- Chain Link Fence
- Wooden Railing
- Seven Orange Traffic Cones
NOTE
When you reach the exit gate for the Preserve, take a left, then follow Quinlan Park Road toward your goal. The trail through the new neighborhoods hasn't been completed yet. When it is finished, there will be another sight to see and another question to answer here, and the detour via Quinlan Park Rd. will not be needed.
THE CACHE
Cache (50 cal Ammo Can painted flat black) is located at N 30 AB.CDC, W097 EF.GEB
Why not do this cache at night?
- The preserve visiting hours are from dawn to dusk.
- You'll disturb the rare birds that nest here overnight.
- Some of the items you have to identify to compute the final coordinates are far off (e.g., on the horizon) and require daylight for you to see them, so you can't complete it at night anyway.