The Twelve Labors of Hercules: Labor Eight Traditional Cache
Hidden : 2/26/2007
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
4 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This cache is a singular cache that can be done on its own or as part of a larger series of caches that make up "The Twelve Labors of Hercules"

Hercules is the Roman name for greatest hero in Greek mythology. Like most authentic heroes, Hercules had a god as one of his parents. Hercules was the son of the supreme deity Zeus and a mortal woman. As Hercules was growing up he was a victim of a number jealous attacks and antagonisms that eventually led him to kill his own children. To atone for his crime, he was sentenced to perform a series of tasks, or "Labors", for his cousin Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae.

Labor Eight: the Mares of Diomedes



After Hercules had captured the Cretan Bull, Eurystheus sent him to get the man-eating mares of Diomedes, the king of a Thracian tribe called the Bistones, and bring them back to him in Mycenae. According to Apollodorus, Hercules sailed with a band of volunteers across the Aegean to Bistonia. There he and his companions overpowered the grooms who were tending the horses, and drove them to the sea. But by the time he got there, the Bistones had realized what had happened, and they sent a band of soldiers to recapture the animals.

Following a brutal battle Hercules killed Diomedes and set sail with the horses. The hero took the mares back to Eurystheus, but Eurystheus set them free. The mares wandered around until eventually they came to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, where they were eaten by wild beasts.

... and now onto the cache

The cache is located near the top of highest point of the Franklin Mountains located in New Mexico. The escarpment where the cache is located is commonly known as North Anthonys Nose. It is a rugged desert peak and the easiest route involves scrambling up a canyon with a few dryfall areas and plenty of cactus. None of the scrambling is too difficult, but for every slight mis-step there is a thorny plant there to get you back on track!


From the parking coords listed below (just north of NM 404 near Anthonys Gap), head northeast along the Sierra Vista trail. There is a small BLM trail sign with a bicycle and mountains indicating the start of the Sierra Vista trail. At this point the trail is an old jeep track, but there are some pretty washed out sections, so I would suggest walking from the designated parking area. Isn't the point to get some exercise?!

Follow this track for a little less than two miles until you reach the main canyon drainage denoted at the waypoint "canyon" below and shown in the picture below. At this point the cross country travel begins!



You'll probably want to follow the canyon to it's end, but I imagine there are numerous ways to get to the top. When you see the following vantage point you've reached the summit and are pretty close to the cache!


*** When you find the cache be sure to write down the three digit code inside the front cover of the log book. That code will be needed to find the final cache in the series. ***

Additional information about the route and driving directions can be found at Summit Post. or in Greg Magee's excellent book "Day Hikes and Nature Walks in the Las Cruces - El Paso Area"

Visit The Twelve Labors of Hercules: Labor Eight details at the DGP

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Benatr

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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