ADRTI Silver Lake: Shelob's Lair
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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A new cache in our "A Ditch Runs Through It" series on a new ditch- The Silver Lake Ditch.
Not a good one if you're prone to vertigo or claustrophobia! First, some ditch history:
The Silver Lake Ditch
Irrigation water is the lifeblood of our area, and is intimately connected with its development. All ditches must have three
components: the water rights, the storage facilities, and the distribution system. Silver Lake Ditch was started by pioneers in 1888;
as one of the later ditches, its water rights are junior to others, and in dry years other ditches may have prior claim to the water.
However, in recent years, our ditch has been able to furnish water through the full irrigation season, usually from May until early
September.
The rights to our ditch water go with the land; they cannot be sold. However, when ditch rights get abandoned, usually by
non-payment of dues over three years, they revert to the City, with whom we share storage rights to Silver Lake, in the City's
mountain watershed.
It begins at Boulder Creek about a mile up Boulder Canyon; its
diversion, with head gate and measuring flume, is just off the Boulder Creek Trail which follows the old railroad grade on the north
side of the creek. It then runs through some big steel pipes hanging on the sheer rock face visible from the highway, proceeds
through a tunnel and runs well up above Canyon Park before turning north below Red Rocks. It then contours up Sunshine Canyon
before running through Lykin Gulch (or Sanitas Valley), crossing Dakota (or First-) Ridge above the Rehabilitation Center and
then follows the foot of Dakota Ridge north before meandering through Wonderland Hills Subdivision, partly underground. It then
circumvents the west edge of Wonderland Lake, along the Foothills Trail, and eventually courses through the fields slated to
become the North Boulder Community Park, before crossing Broadway near the National Guard Armory.
Although at one time the Silver Lake Ditch ran to its end at the now dry Mesa Reservoir, its present terminus is on the grounds of
the Armory. At various points as shown on the map, side ditches (or "laterals") run east, some as far as 26th Street. The twelve
existing laterals serve 3/4 of our users and are all that remain of a once more extensive distribution system. 1/4 of our users draw
water directly from the main ditch, which, through its irrigation water, as well as the seepage that replenishes the ground water,
helps to keep the whole northwest part of our City green. It also supports the colorful glory of Long's Gardens on North Broadway
during iris blossom time.
You can only approach this from the west, so don't try it from another direction! Be careful on the approach- there are well-maintained climber's access trails that will get you close, but then you'll follow the ditch which, as mentioned above, goes into a steel pipe (you don't have to go in the pipe!) Don't have your eyes glued to your GPSr for the last few feet to the lair- it's not going to help you near GZ, anyway. Once you enter the lair, use your non-electronic searching skills. Bring a good headlamp, a pencil and your ring of power. Don't wake Shelob!
Easy bike and car parking just west off the canyon road.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Abegu fvqr, arne rnfg raq, rlr-yriry.