This is the 17th cache from Team Family Affair. The cache is located along the 1880 Flume Trail and is an easy mile long hike along the old and mostly level Rockerville Flume. This trail is on the US Forest Service's Top Ten Family Hikes for the Black Hills List. After Hiking in the area you will probably understand why.
History and Information about the area: This trail will take you back to the Gold Rush mining times of the early 1880s. The town of Sheridan still sits on the bottom of the lake, and was even the Pennington county seat for a short period in the early 1880s before it was moved to Rapid City. The Rockerville Flume carried water almost 20 miles from Spring Creek (just above Sheridan Lake) eastward to the placer gold diggings and hydraulic mining areas south east of the present town site of Rockerville. The flume operated only a few years, and by 1885 all the leaks had reduced the water flow (at the far end) too not much more than just a trickle. The flume fell into further disrepair and was abandoned, but not until some 20 million dollars of gold (at the 1880 price of $20 an ounce) had been taken from the Rockerville gulch area.
How to get there:
The easiest and most enjoyable hiking route is to start at the Calumet Trail head on the south side of Sheridan Lake. Drive through or past all the camping areas until you get to the south boat dock at N 43°
57.876 W 103° 27.629.
Start at the Calumet Trail Head sign talking about the 1880 Flume trail (found on the edge of the parking lot). Check it out as it has a map and other interesting history information. Walk the trail along the lake and when you come to where several trails cross check out the information signs at N 43° 58.410 W 103° 27.115 as well as the signs at N 43° 58.346 W 103° 26.994. If you check out these signs then you will be assured you are on the right trail. Continue your walk/hike until you reach the area of the tunnels and you will be very near the cache.
The cache was a camouflaged green ammo box which was stolen but since then has been replaced with a plastic rubbermaid container with Geocaching.com stenciled on the side. It is filled with souvenirs, toys and goodies. Make sure you sign the logbook and share with everyone your thoughts of the cache and area.
Cache Hunting Clues:
A picture is said to be worth a thousand words.
How far can a rabbit hop into the forest along a planked walkway? (Answer- half way as then he is hopping out of the forest)
In order to see the light of your search - a flashlight would be considered useful.
There is a lot of foot travel and hiking in the area so the cache is well hidden, as our last cache in this area was discovered, pilfered and then lost. Please make sure you LEAVE THE CACHE WELL HIDDEN!
We hope you enjoy this cache as much as we did creating it!
-Team Family Affair (Scott, Mary, Beth, Mindy and Matt)