Muskeg Meadows Trailhead Traditional Cache

Please exercise tender loving care when searching for this cache – the vegetation along the trail can be easily damaged by overzealous searchers. Purpose to leave this place looking as you found it (removing any trash you find, of course), don’t walk or step on mossy areas, and leave absolutely no trace of your passage off to the side of the trail. Several spoiler photos and hints are provided. The cache is meant to be found, and is placed to help introduce you to an aspect of Alaska history and a great trail experience awaiting you just steps off the pavement! See the directions in the last paragraph…

Welcome to the Muskeg Meadow Trailhead, on the south end of the Turnagain Pass Trail, which is a short segment of the 2,400 mile network of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. When you walk here, you are traveling in the footsteps of history. For centuries, Alaskans have traveled this route across Turnagain Pass. Indigenous people used this route for trade and subsistence activities, and it became a natural choice of travel for the prospectors and glory-seekers moving north from Seward towards Nome during the Alaska Gold Rush. Starting here at just under 400’ of elevation, the trail climbs gradually for about four miles to 1200’ of elevation (paralleled by the Seward Highway), before beginning its descent to the Johnson Pass trailhead to the south at 700’ of elevation. There are short steep pitches up to 30% in grade, a native 3’ wide tread surface, and 6 creeks without bridges to cross on this route.  This is an excellent day hike for persons equipped to wade cold flowing streams, or a great new overnight destination camping trip. Be sure you travel with a partner, leaving a travel plan with a trusted friend, and are bear-aware as you hike here. It’s an excellent place to experience wilderness high country landscapes and bio climes very close to road access.

Park your vehicle in the north end of the pullout, walk the boardwalk across the muskeg meadow to the sign at the trailhead, and begin your short journey of discovery. Dogs should be kept on leash here in this segment to avoid tearing up the muskeg and the mossy areas just off the trail itself.
The cache is located just 80 steps (not feet – 80 medium paces)
beyond the sign, on the right side of the trail as you walk uphill.
The cache coordinates are at the hide site (not the sign), and have been verified, averaged and rechecked across several visits to this location. Snow depth will make this challenging to access in mid to late winter and significantly magnify the chances for accidental damage to the mosses in the hide location, so it’s best to look for this cache when there’s no snow present. Use the spoiler photos provided for your ease in finding this hide. There are some muddy spots on the trail between the sign and the cache location. You’re in the right spot when you spy an ancient moss-and-vegetation shrouded stump adjacent to the trail on the right. Light brush is obscuring the stump itself. As you approach, step off the trail to the right just before passing the stump location. The cache is well-hidden in an opening at the back of the stump, visible only to those who look closely. There’s no need to lift up anything! Ease the camo mega-bison from its placement and sign the logsheet. Please don’t overtighten the lid. Replace it exactly as found, visible to the naked eye yet not visible from the trail itself. This container was placed a year ago to test its weather-resistance here, and it performed beautifully in the test. A good O-ring is essential to keeping the cache and its contents dry, and it will be damaged if the lid is screwed on too tightly.  Our cache listings may be checked from time to time by National Forest staff to audit user statistics and see what photo observations visitors have left behind, so do your part to help record the passage of time here and leave a couple of photos of the area in your cache log!