Above South Fork - Four Way View Traditional Cache
Above South Fork - Four Way View
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A 1.5 mile hike with a gain of about 2,050 feet of elevation. Mostly on trails and open spaces. Plenty of spots where the "trail" is somewhat overgrown by scrub oak. The route up the ridge is mostly simple, but you need to feel confident in finding your way back when you occasionally can't figure out which deer trail through the brush you used on the way up. Watch for cactus on rocks and near the cache!
Our family friendly Autumn Walk cache is hidden up South Fork. This is for those who want an autumn hike for new views of familiar territory.
Park at Vivian Park near the playground. Then head up the trail on the rocks behind the fishing pond. There are 2 or 3 ways to wind your way to the top of the rocks. This is the hardest part of the hike. I wouldn't quite call it even scrambling, but I had to use my hands.
After this, stay on the trails whenever you see them. The only real bushwhacking I did was when I tried to circle south slightly above the rocks and ended up pushing my way through 50 yards of scrub oak to get up the ridge. I followed the trail on my way down and while still dealing with overgrown branches, had a much better time of it.
You basically just stay on the ridge and head up. The trail is usually visible, but there are open spots to head up and through things when it's not.
I saw one of the coolest things I have ever seen on the way up. I saw a large raptor circling the ridge ahead and then saw it swoop. Then I realized it was pursuing two deer. It circled and swooped after them for about 2 minutes, flying very low through the scrub oak as the deer ran from the top of the ridge to more than halfway down. It got really close to them a couple of times. I had never seen anything like it.
The light was the worst possible as they were in the shaded side of the ridge while the sun was just above the ridge shining in my eyes and at my camera. I was trying to shade my eyes to watch while take one-handed photos with my crummy camera, and managed a couple shots where you can see the large bird of prey.
It flew away, and I climbed the same ridge a few minutes later, slightly paranoid because I figured I was no bigger than those deer. I didn't see or hear the bird again though. I wonder if it was this golden eagle released the same morning from the Squaw Peak Overlook? (visit link)
I am having computer-camera conflict issues, but I will get some photos up soon. I wanted to get the cache posted even without them.
You will pass some very cool craggy rock formations and 3 or 4 false summits where you will get up a steep part just to see there is more to go. I hid the cache a ways below the final summit, but right above South Fork Park. It is in a nondescript area with plenty of room to sit, rest, snack, and enjoy the views. BEWARE: THERE IS A BED OF CACTUS WITHIN 3 FEET OF THE CACHE! There is plenty of room to circle around it and retrieve the cache, but be mindful of where you step.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Oruvaq n ohfu
Treasures
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