Welcome to the CABQ Open Space 35 geocache series! This eight geocache series commemorates the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division’s 35th Anniversary, recognizes this special community milestone, and is designed to provide information to the geocaching public in a variety of areas, as described by the geocache titles. Solve for the Anniversary Commemorative Coin Passphrase with clues from all eight geocaches, and earn a 35th Anniversary Commemorative Coin!
Bosque Land Art. In 2009 a group of New Mexico arts organizations joined together to present LAND/ART, an exciting series of exhibitions, site-specific art works, and lectures exploring the relationships between land, art, and community. Many of the pieces that came out of the project can still be seen near the CABQ Open Space Visitor Center, and nearby Bosque. Referring to the attached “Open Space Visitor Center and Bosque Trail Access” map, the following pieces of Land Art may be viewed during your walk for series geocaches —
(1) The Flyway Project. Flyway is an iconic piece of public art located adjacent to Coors Boulevard marking the entrance to the Open Space Visitor Center. Composed of spars of Jetty Jacks, the Project symbolizes the annual migration of numerous bird species in New Mexico, and in particular, that of Sandhill Cranes.
(2) Jetty Jacks. Beginning in the 1950s, thousands of jetty jacks — large, steel, cross-like structures — were installed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to trap sediments and stabilize Rio Grande riverbanks in times of flooding. These jacks, along with conveyance channels, levees and dams, changed the Rio Grande from a meandering, free-flowing stream to a highly modified water storage and transportation system.
(3) Funnel. Sometimes referred to as “The Nest”, Jetty Jacks are used as a frame for a funnel to demonstrate a repurposing of the metal structures as a mechanism for harvesting water.
(4) Wood-wire. Also known as “The Cube”, this is an installation made from a segment of fallen cottonwood trunk at its core, and reclaimed heavy-gauge wire coiled sparingly into open rectangular building blocks that surround the trunk. The significance of The Cube is in its symbolic representation of the Rio Grande Bosque: a preserved natural corridor coursing through the urbanization of the Albuquerque Metropolitan area.
(5) Arboreal Dome. Constructed of downed, dead cottonwood branches found in the Bosque, the dome is envisioned as a structure for contemplating the Bosque environment, as a place for story telling, tai chi or countless other human uses.
This geocache is located north of River Loop Trail.
Find all eight "CABQ Open Space 35” passphrase geocaches, and solve for the Anniversary Coin Passphrase with clues found on the inside of each geocache. Use the following template for the clues —
Passphrase: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
To claim your Anniversary Commemorative Coin, please go to the Montessa Park CABQ Open Space Administration Office, and provide the Coin Passphrase to a CABQ Open Space employee.
NOTE: the Montessa Park Office may only be accessed Mon-Fri, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
A complete list of the geocaches in the CABQ Open Space 35 series may be found within the CABQ Open Space 35 #1: CABQ Open Space Division; GC859AW description page.
Starting at the CABQ Open Space Visitor Center, roundtrip for geocaches #2 - #8 along River Loop and Canopy Loop Trails is approximately 2.25 miles (see Spoiler Pic ‘OSVC and Bosque Trail Access’ map). Please stay on designated trails and limit your off-trail travel as much as possible, in order to protect our special and delicate Bosque ecosystem.
Revised CABQ Open Space Visitor Center Hours (as of 23 Oct 2023):
Tue - Sun: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Enjoy the series search, and your stroll in the CABQ Open Space / Bosque!