Handle with Care Multi-cache
geeklizzard: 3 of the 4 microcaches got vandalized. Apparently the "park ranger" disapproves but since it's not even an official county park, I can't imagine what that means, or why anyone would object to a tiny film canister with a logbook. Humph.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Related Web Page
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Not far to walk, but rock climbing/scrambling is necessary.
You can do it without the coordinates if you solve the riddles.
An obscure park with a good bay view.
There used to be 3 microcaches and 1 larger cache. They keep getting looted, presumably by the pot-smoking, beer-bottle breaking teenagers that lurk here at night. Now there is 1 microcache, and you could still do the other puzzles and think of them as virtual caches...
Watch out for broken glass on the ground. In fact, bring
a trash bag and pack out some broken glass.
Try doing the riddles without using the GPS coordinates, you
should be able to do it!
Directions to the park:
(Mapquest and Yahoo not accurate here)
Whipple exit from 101.
Left on El Camino Real
Right on Hopkins
Hopkins turns into Oak Knoll.
Left through the stone gates
continuing on Oak Knoll and go up, up, up.
Go right onto Lakeview. Pass Vernal.
Take the left fork onto Sylvan
and first right onto Handley Trail
and park to the left.
This also works but is possibly longer:
Take 280 to the Edgewood Rd. east.
Turn right on Cordilleras.
Turn right on Lakeview.
Turn right on Sylvan.
Turn left on Handley Trail Rd.
1. (easy to find, easy access)
N 37' 27.961 W 122'16.181
Quercus wizleani
--------------------
Ants are not invited!
Behind the tall sign -
leaning on a rock
under the spiral
in the living tunnel -
A dragon's hoard
or Sciurus?
2. (medium-easy to find, medium-hard access) (sorry! this cache has been looted!)
N 37' 27.946 W 122'16.181
Sign to Excelsior
-------------------
Sit on a rock
with your back to the "ROCK",
looking at The Rock.
Nine Roman paces
buy you a stairway to heaven.
Excelsior!
Five bowls
of rain or sunlight
but only one is cracked.
3. (hard to find, medium-hard access)
N 37' 27.950 W 122'16.184 (uh-oh, this one has been looted too, but you could still find the turtle's head.)
Snake and Turtle
----------------------
Take it from the top -
Look northwest
to the little water and down.
Just above the snake
is the turtle's snout,
open mouth and wise eye.
Go back the way you came
and around.
What's in the turtle's mouth?
The 4th cache was looted and burned, but here is the clue if you want to go to the very cool location!
*******************************************
4. (medium to find, medium-hard access)
N 37' 27.947 W 122' 16.188
My God, it's Full of Stars!
--------------------------------
The setting sun shines
into the sand's hollow heart.
But there's still darkness
under the earth
and over the earth
and up.
********************************************
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[Cache 1:] Arkg gb cvpavp gnoyr. Nagf, qhu!
[Cache 2:] Fgrcf gb gbc ner fbhgurnfg. Fvg jvgu lbhe onpx gb gur ybj oebja cnex fvta, ybbx pnershyyl sbe fgrcf unpxrq vagb ebpx.
[Cache 3:] AJ fvqr, obhyqre ybbxf yvxr ghegyr'f urnq sebz nobir
[Cache 4:] Va gur ovttrfg pnir ba jrfg fvqr bs Ebpx