Sorry, quarry is closed Multi-Cache
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The park terrain except for the hogback is flat averaging 6425 feet of elevation. The hogback on the park north boundary gains 40 feet of elevation in the west and increased to 140 of elevation in the east. Much of the park ground cover is prairie and juniper prickly with scattered candelabra cholla. The park woodlands are primarily juniper and piñon. Exotic woodlands are cottonwood and Russian olive. The area west of Horseshoe Lake is partially marsh land with cattails and bulrush.
Lathrop State Park, while sitting in the shadows of the Spanish Peaks, has the honor of being Colorado’s 1st State Park and covers 1594 acres. One of the main features of the park is its two lakes; Martin Lake covers about 180 surface-acres while Horseshoe Lake has about 150 surface-acres. Both host a wide range of water activities.
Entrance to Lathrop State Park in Walsenburg, CO requires a park pass that can be purchased at the visitor center for display on your vehicle windshield. There is also a self-serving station near the park entrance.
Two types of passes are available: A daily Pass is valid from the day purchased until noon the following day. An Annual Pass is valid at any state park recreation area for the calendar year. Colorado disabled veterans displaying Colorado Disabled Veteran (DV) license plates are admitted free without a pass.
Lathrop State Park is 3 miles west of Walsenburg via US Hwy. 160. Park your vehicle at one of the parking areas along the north side of the gravel road around Horseshoe to begin your route to the geocache. Be aware that there are rattlesnakes in the park.
We recommend that you DO NOT use the geocache description Driving Directions printed below the latitude and longitude coordinates. Using the Driving Directions could have you parking and walking on private land outside the Lathrop State Park boundary fence. You may be issued a citation and/or have your vehicle towed. Please use your park map that you were issued when you entered the park to see the location of the interior park boundary fence.
The first geocache is a 3/4 inch by 4 inch tube and the second geocache is a 2 inch by 7 inch tube. The first tube contains only coordinates to the second tube that contains a log to validate your find and souvenirs. Your option to replace the souvenir you selected with one of your own of equal or greater value.
Within 50-100 feet of the initial geocache you will see where the hogback south side shows evidence that a lot of material had been excavated many years ago as indicated by the vegetation on the site. You will also see a wooden structure made with 8” by 8” wood beams with two posts upright, three others could have been support beams, and three horizontal beams bolted together. A very old road from the south heads to the wooden structure.
This structure more than likely held a hopper. A grass-hopper? No. A hopper is a large square receptacle with an open top with the bottom tapering down to a square or round outlet. A front-end loader dumps material into the top of the hopper and the material funnels down to a waiting truck. Some hoppers have a shutoff valve that allows a loaded truck to leave with its load and allows the front-end loader to continue dumping material into the hopper.
It is thought that the excavation began in the 1950’s or early 1960’s, definitely before it became Lathrop State Park. This same time period is when the City of Walsenburg began to enlarge Horseshoe Lake and the material from the exaction was used in the enlargement effort.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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Treasures
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