CCCNP: The "Fin"
Along the Trail to the Fin
The “Fin” is a large fin shaped structure with a nice view at its point. Perhaps a better way to describe this structure would be to liken it to the bow of a ship. The walls of the fin are bluffs converging at a point just like the sides of the ship converge at the bow. Just as it would be very difficult to reach the deck of the ship by climbing up the sides, it would be extremely difficult to reach the “deck” of the fin without special bluff and rock climbing equipment and skills. Please do not attempt a direct approach. The trail to the fin leaves the main trail just before the Pancake boulder area at approximately N34° 38.2420', W87° 48.922'. Although the straight line distance from the main trail to the “bow” of the fin is only about 520 feet, the only safe access to the top of the fin is via a 0.53 mile trail that parallels the bluff and climbs upward to the base of the fin then back along the top of the fin to the point. From the main trail, the fin trail climbs about 225 feet over the first 1900 feet of the trail to an elevation of about 750 feet at the highest point at the base of the fin. The trail along the top of the fin gradually descends to about 640 feet over the last 900 feet or so of the trail to the point or “bow” of the fin. At a point approximately 1500 feet from the main trail, you will come to a gate. This gate is on the Preserve and you may pass through it without fear of trespassing. Just past the gate is a marker for the trail to the top of the fin. Turn left at the marker and proceed to the top of the fin. Once at the top, just follow your GPSr to the cache which is placed about 85 feet back from the point. After you find the cache, I recommend proceeding on to the point of the fin. Be extremely careful at the point as it is about a 50 or 60 foot drop to the base of the bluff below.
The geocache is a one liter Rubbermaid type lock-n-lock camouflaged container. Other than the usual log book and small trade items, the cache contains an unactivated 9/11 memorial geocoin for the FTF.
Including the CCCNP 8 cache series and this one, there are 14 geocaches in the Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve all placed with permission from the Preserve owners.
Maps of the Preserve:
Maps of the Preserve are available in the mailboxes on the front porch. These vinyl maps may be used while at the preserve but are to be returned to the mailboxes when you leave. An information sheet and a paper version of the Preserve map can be found in stage one of the CCCNP series and are yours to keep. In addition, the links, top and bottom, will take you to online maps, top and bottom, which may be copied and printed.
Do not log this cache as a team find unless the team is a family unit registered only as a family unit. If the individual members of the team are geocaching.com members then each member of the team must sign the log individually. It is not fair to the geocachers that hike 7 or more miles round trip to get this cache to have “team” members log a find without actually going to the cache site. Log entries not meeting these requirements will be deleted.