You are looking for a 3"X7" cylinder. This is in a small hidden
park between a school and private houses. It is accessed from one
of the "secret" walkways (we beat catomcat to it!) off of Clairidge
way at 38° 37.489N and 121° 22.313W with plenty of parking
near the walkway. Clairidge Way is accessed from Norris Ave. Do not
go on any private property or the school grounds. Once you have
crossed the slough via the bridge DO NOT cross any of the fences or
the slough. The cache is in the park regardless of anything your
GPSr says. Remember, this is a residential area and the residents
are very protective, so please behave accordingly as they may be
watching. The walkway is used by children who go to Cowan
Elementary. During school time they may be playing in the field on
the other side of the fence - don't attract their
attention!Daylight time only and no night
flashlight sorties.!
This is Chicken Ranch Slough. It is now a suburban
drain. At one time it must have been a carefree stream, meandering
about the countryside on its way to the swamp that is now
Sacramento. In the summertime it must have dried up as there was no
rain to sustain it. At some point it must have coursed through
something associated with chickens. Perhaps not. As housing built
up around it, it was constrained to its current bed. In some places
it is concreted. Here it runs between the park and residential back
yards. It starts near Carmichael Park and courses down, running
roughly from northeast to southwest where it joins Strong Ranch
Slough near Hurley Way and Ethan Way behind Cal Expo. In strong
local rains it can flood residences down there when it gets too
much for the pumps to push over the levee.
Note: After having set up several of these, we have an
authorative source for the name. We received and e-mail from a
cacher:
Just wanted to say hi. I'm living in Alabama now, but I
grew up in the north area of Sacramento. Just started geocaching in
the last month, but was wondering if there were many caches near
the old home. So I just browsed over there and noticed the Chicken
Ranch Slough series.
I think that between the ages of five and ten (mid 1960's), I
probably spent half my life at "The Creek" between Eastern and
Norris. We caught minnows, tadpoles, baby toads, had moss fights,
and always had to undress in the garage before I could come in the
house.
The chicken farm was over close to where Carmichael Park is now
(or somewhere around there). My parents were looking at a house to
buy close to the farm, but the stink was so bad that they puchased
a house on Silver Crest instead.
Thanks for the memory recall.
Earl B. Fisk