Rock Hound: Red Shirt Creek Agate Beds Traditional Cache
Rock Hound: Red Shirt Creek Agate Beds
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The cache is located in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland area off of Hwy 40 east of Hermosa. Near the Cheyenne River bridge turn on NG rd 7053. DO NOT drive this road in wet conditions as you will most likely get stuck. A 4 X 4 vehicle is recommended as the roads are not the best of shape.
The government has closed allot of roads down in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland area over the years. You can only take NG rd 7053 back in so far, then you will have to hike in on foot as motorized traffic is now restricted in most areas. The parking coordinates are listed below. You can still see the old NG road and it is starting to get overgrown, just follow it to the cache site. On route you will encounter Rockhound:Red Shirt Ridge cache which is located atop the bluff. After finding this cache you can either follow the ridgeline or descend back down the hill and follow the road to the Rock Hound cache. Either way will work, but the views from along the ridgeline are spectacular and you would be missing out. If you do choose to take the ridgeline route, please keep in mind that the slope is quite steep and slippery so choose your route wisely.
This is one of my most favorite rock hounding spots and have found a few nice agates back in here over the years. This area is not as hunted as the French Creek agate bed area so your odds of finding a Fairburn Agate are even greater. At the cache site you will be nestled in a canyon surrounded by colorful earthen bluffs. The bluffs are constantly eroding and therefore producing plenty of rock and mineral specimens. A good place to search for the elusive Fairburn Agate is at the base of the bluffs and the draws. You will find jasper, petrified wood, feldspar, rose quartz, milky quartz, prairie agates, bubblegum agates, chalcedony and maybe even a Fairburn Agate if you’re lucky. I have even been so lucky as to find a few fossils such as ammonites, fossilized clams & bacculites. The current regulations on rock collecting in the National Grassland are as such- The US Forest Service does restrict the collection of any rocks for commercial purposes; trading and bartering are also considered commercial purposes. So therefore you can collect mineral specimens for your own private collection. Also non vertebrae fossils may be collected. However, it is forbidden to take any mineral specimens or fossils from the Badlands National Park or reservation land.
If you need more information about rock hounding and would like to see a real Fairburn agate upclose, be sure to stop by the Rock Shop located south of Hermosa off Hwy 79. They are only open during the summer months. Rock Shop coordinates: N 43° 47.411 W 103°13.259
NOTE: Please be very cautious of snakes in the warmer months and be on the look out for cactus. Also be sure to bring plenty of water to keep hydrated, especially in the summer when it can feel like an oven out there. A hat would be good to shield yourself from the sun as there is not much shade. Wear good boots as the terrain is quite challenging. Wearing long pants instead of shorts would be a good idea due to the brush and cactus. Please rehide the cache very well so that rockhounders or hunters do not find it. Good luck and enjoy the hike and the views.
Original Cache contents:
FTF- Certificate & full color Geocaching.com Patch
First Aid Kit
Rain Poncho
Survival Whistle
Hottie Handwarmers
Carabiner
5- bags of polished rocks
2- bags of fossilized shark teeth
3- large lace agates
3- bags of snowflake obsidian
2- tigers eye
2- bags of fools gold
1- lake superior agate
1- galena cubes
Dominican Republic coin-1989
Spain coin-1975
Australia coin-1971
Germany coin- 1968
Chile coin-1997
France coin-1964
Mexico coin-1981
China coin-1999
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Prqne Gerr-Ybbx Hc
Treasures
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