Lincoln County
This cache is part of the New Mexico Challenge. One cache is hidden in each of New Mexico's 33 counties.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it is to find and log all 33 caches with a photo of yourself at the cache site.
What's cooking?
This cache is is located near the Fort Stanton Cave in Lincoln County, within the BLM-managed public land of the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (or just NCA). Park near the cave entrance, next to the landmark. Post a picture of you and your GPS next to this landmark. Do not try to go over or under the fence, as entry is by permit only.
Roads are closed during inclement weather or if there's a wildland fire on the NCA!
Fort Stanton includes 25,000 acres of public lands. At 40.15 miles, Fort Stanton Cave is the 2nd longest cave in New Mexico, and 12th longest in the U.S. The cave is open for scientific exploration by permit from April 15 to November 1. During winter months, the cave is closed to protect hibernating bats. The cave is gated to protect other unique resources and to prevent unsupervised visitors from serious injury. Historic Fort Stanton is close by.
Traveling on U.S. Highway 380, from the village of Capitan, drive east 4.25 miles, and stay on U.S. 380 past State Road 220. Travel 1.5 miles to a gate on your right, just .2 mile past Mile Marker 91 (slow down at MM 91 and put on your right turn signal). You'll be right across from an historic marker sign about Eve Ball. Turn right onto the grey gravel road and follow it southwest up the Bonito Valley for 1 mile, at which point you'll come to a fork - take the left road, which drops down a small slope and into the Cave Campground. Depending on campground occupancy, you might be able to drive very near the cache. If campsites are full, just park in the lot next to the cave, and walk down through the grassy area to the cache.
AS THE SUBTITLE SAYS, "WHAT'S COOKING?", this is a cache with a twist. It is full of recipes and cooking stuff. Feel free to take a recipe. Please do not take all of the recipes. When you log this find, we would like for you to post a favorite recipe to share your cooking with other geocachers. If you happen to have a recipe with you or you remember one, Please feel free to write it down while there. Another geocacher will be cooking your favorites!
The cache is an ammo box. The Log Book is inside the recipe box, which needs to remain in the cache.
The original contents include: recipe box with recipes and log book, a special FTF mini-cookbook with a magnetic clip, magnetic clips, pot holders, measuring cups and spoons, coffee scoop, and three sets of tongs.
Happy Caching and Happy Cooking!!!!!
Cave entry, including within the chain link fence is prohibited except by a cave permit, from the BLM, Roswell Field Office (https://www.blm.gov/office/roswell-field-office). The BLM works hand-in-hand with the National Speleological Society (NSS) on management of Fort Stanton Cave and other public lands caves on BLM-managed lan d. The following website has everything needed to know about preparing for cave trips and caving safety, with links to the NSS: https://caves.org/brochure/Guide_to_Resp_Caving.pdf
There is a wonderful simulation of the cave provided by the Fort Stanton Cave Study Project - http://fscsp.org/CQ6/
And some great videos by caver Derek Bristol: Snowy River, Bliss Borehole and Capitan Caverns.