C&S Silica Branch #1 Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This is another cache in series of caches started by Grand High Pobah that are dedicated to Fallen Flag railroads. Fallen Flags are those railroads that no longer exist either through abandonment or corporate takeover. This cache is near one of those historical railroads and is about 1/2 mile from the trail head.
The Denver, South Park, and Pacific railroad was a narrow gauge line (3’ between the rails) that started life in Denver in 1874 and was headed to the mining camps in the mountains. The main route of this railroad followed the course of the Platte River through Waterton Canyon and eventually over Kenosha Pass.
There was a branch that split off of the main line just before the line entered Waterton Canyon. By the time the branch line was built, the DSP&P had become part of the Colorado and Southern (C&S) railroad. This branch line was called the Silica Branch and it crossed the river, went back downstream a ways and then headed up into what is now Roxborough. It then ended near the old kiln that was built there about 1904 by the Silicated Brick Company.
Construction of the railroad branch line began in September 1908. It was a narrow gauge line almost 4 miles long terminating at Silica. The brick company lasted less than 10 years but clay and silica was mined in the area until the 1960's. The railroad branch operated intermittently until 1940 when it was abandoned and then dismantled in 1941. All of the remaining brick-related buildings were demolished over time, except for the kiln which you can see even today.
The cache is a plastic container that is nicely camoed. You can either hike or bike to this cache. Either way, you can park at the Waterton Canyon trail head parking lot. As you head down the road into the canyon, you will be on the old railroad grade. The Silica branch line took a left turn just a little ways up the road and it is in that area where you will find the cache. There is a side "road" that I thought was the old railroad grade but after exploring more, I think the old grade is about 400 feet west. It is completely overgrown but it sure looks like a railroad grade to me.
Since this is a #1 cache, there must be a #2 - GC1J57X.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
V yvxr gerrf jvgu zhygvcyr gehaxf.