Your Nature Walk begins at the posted coordinates where you
will
find a large sundial in an open meadow. Position yourself so
that
you can sight from the center of the sundial towards the mark
at
approximately 5:15 A.M. on the dial. You should be able to spot
a
gap in the trees across the meadow, and perhaps catch a glimpse
of
a blue sign. Proceed to the gap, either by traveling across
the
meadow or via the nearby paved path.
When you reach the gap you should find several things of
interest. The first thing you should find, and which will let
you
know you are at the correct spot, is a concrete pillar of
some
sort, and just beyond that the (hopefully) flowing waters of
Stevens Creek. Near the base of the pillar you should see a
small
numbered metal sign which appears as though it was once an
informational marker on a self-guided tour. You should also see
a
numbered birdhouse hanging from an old telephone pole. Both
the
metal sign and the birdhouse have the same number, which we'll
call
"X" for the remainder of this description.From the pillar you want
proceed along the nature trail beside
the wooden fence in the downstream direction. You should
quickly
encounter a few more of the metal signs including "X+1" and
"X+2".
You will also encounter some numbered wooden signs as well as
some
signs which really are educational since they have the plant
names
spelled out.
Continue until you reach metal sign "X+5" (there is a bit of
a
gap between the previous sign and "X+5"). At metal sign "X+5"
you
can take a close look at Stevens Creek, but you want to
continue
your journey along the nature trail which will skirt the meadow
a
couple of times and then quickly dive back into the woods.
You'll
know you are still on the correct trail when you pass a small
wooded amphitheater.
Just beyond the amphitheater you should encounter a
birdhouse
numbered "X+8".About 15 yards beyond the birdhouse you'll encounter
metal sign
"X+9", almost at ground level (if you reach metal sign "X+10"
you've gone past the cache so backtrack). If you face metal
sign
"X+9", directly behind you is a downed sycamore tree. The cache
is
hidden in the uprooted root structure of this sycamore near
where
the 3-4 small trunks are still reaching vertically.
Since this is a Letterbox Hybrid cache, you can either sign
the
log book like a traditional Geocache, or you can stamp the log
book
with your stamp and stamp your logbook with the letterbox
stamp
that is provided. Either way please do not take the letterbox
materials (ink pad & stamp).
After finding the cache, enjoy more of the Nature trail as it winds
its way to the Community Garden and 4-H barns, joining up with the
Stevens Creek Trail.