Tor Two Thousand
The cache is not at the posted coordinates. Please solve the easy puzzle below to get the coordinates of the cache.
This hike will take you on a very scenic loop on a ridge above Neff's Canyon. The vast majority of this hike, including the Tor, is in the Mt. Olympus Wilderness Area. In keeping with Geocaching rules, the cache is located outside the Wilderness and requires solving a puzzle to find.
Attached to this listing are seven waypoints which can be downloaded directly to your GPS receiver. These waypoints will guide you on the loop hike, provide the locations for solving the puzzle, and take you to some pretty amazing sites.
After parking at the Neff's Canyon trailhead (posted coordinates), start your hike by heading to the first waypoint. The points have names "Tor2K 1" through "Tor2K 7". There is a nice, but faint, trail to the summit. It follows the ridgeline you will see ahead and to your left as you begin hiking up the main Neff's trail. There is very little bushwhacking on the way. At each of the waypoints, take a breather and answer the easy multiple choice questions below. Your answers will be the solution to the puzzle and will provide the cache coordinates. Here are the questions and notes on the route:
Tor2K 1
What are you walking over in the trail?
A - An enormous ant bed (4)
B - Scrub growing out of a cracked rock (3)
C - A hollow log (6)
D - Clover-shaped graffiti (5)
Tor2K 2
The mount mahogany tree is:
A - Just east of the flat-faced boulder (1)
B - Growing on the boulder (3)
C - Just west of the boulder (0)
D - Seven feet south of the boulder (7)
Tor2K 3
This is the summit of Tor Two Thousand.
The rock at the summit highpoint is:
A - Lightly covered with orange lichen (5)
B - Unusually round (3)
C - More than 10 feet away from any growing shrubs or trees (9)
D - Flat enough to make a great table (0)
From the summit, descend west-southwest, staying below the massive cliffs. The next waypoint will get you on track. The descent back down to Neff's Canyon involves some exposed rock areas, bushwhacking and the possibility of falling rock. Long pants, sleeves and climbing gloves are advised.
Tor2K 4
Which of the following is TRUE:
A - There is a large mine here with lots of tailings (debris) strewn about (5)
B - There are a great many 2- to 3-foot cactus plants all around (2)
C - A weeping willow is growing near a good-sized pond (4)
D - Lots of boulders nearby have plants growing and hanging from them (1)
Tor2K 5
This is a reference point and no question to answer. From here, climb up to the grass and tree above you at the base of the cliffs then start down along the cliffs to Tor2K 6.
Tor2K 6
You are at/near:
A - The site of a brush fire (last summer?) (6)
B - A manmade rock wall in a small cave that looks somewhat like ancient ruins (Anasazi?) (3)
C - The skeleton of an amazingly large animal (mammoth?) (7)
D - A natural spring (destined for a water cooler in your office?) (4)
Continuing down along the cliff edge gets a bit dicey. For an easier route here, backtrack to Tor2K 5 and then down.
Tor2K 7
The "water chute" is:
A - Full of large, round holes (8)
B - At least 500 feet long (1)
C - Totally covered with green moss (6)
D - Higher on the west side than the east (5)
Time to build the coordinates. Use the numbers in parentheses after your six answers, in order, to complete the cache coordinates:
N 40 40.XXX W 111 46.XXX
Curious about the name "Tor Two Thousand"? It is in honor of geocacher nyc-slc and the distance between the two cities represented in his chosen caching name is about 2,000 miles. Plus, it sounds kind of cool!
Be careful and enjoy the spectacular scenery and hike!
This cache is part of a series of hiking caches. For more adventure, please see Infinity Tor.