Dutch Gulch Lime Kiln Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is located in Dutch Gulch - a remote area about 5.5 miles to the south of HWY 50. There are good dirt roads leading to the cache. A high clearance vehicle is required, but 4-wheel drive is not necessary. Avoid these roads when wet -- they are built on shale which gets very slippery. The entrance to Long Gulch from HWY 50 is closed in early spring until May 15th. Elevation at the cache: 8577'
The cache is hidden at an old lime kiln which was used to bake calcite (calcium carbonate) rocks into lime. Lime was used as a bonding agent in cement and as a flux for smelting. It was also used in plastering interior walls and in the mortar used to chink the gaps in log cabins. The kiln is built with rocks of volcanic rhyolite. There are several trenches up the hill from the kiln where the calcite deposits were dug up. The calcite is a banded variety known as travertine -- there are remnants of the travertine in the rubble around the kiln.
There are various kilns scattered about the Gunnison Country. Some date back to the 1800's. Each kiln is unique, depending on what type of rock was available in each area for construction. There is a rough dirt road which connects the Dutch Gulch Lime Kiln to the Red Lime Kiln -- they're about 1 mile apart. Both of these kilns probably supplied lime to the mines of the nearby towns of Iris and Chance which flourished during the late 1800's. The Lucky Strike mine at Chance reportedly had a smelter.
Cache is in a clear plastic box with a blue rim.
NOTE OF CAUTION: If you bring kids to this cache, keep an eye on them. The kiln is deep and some of the rocks are unstable. As always, if you venture out during hunting season, (September and October), wear some blaze orange and be noisy.
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Treasures
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