Cuyamaca Birthday Cache - The Phantom Lookout Traditional Cache
Cuyamaca Birthday Cache - The Phantom Lookout
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Update 18 June 2010
Due to disappearance of the previous replacement cache, a new container with new logbook and contents has been hidden a few yards south of the previous location. New coordinates are N 32 56.796, W 116 36.405. The replacement container is a clear 6"x6" Rubbermaid storage tub with a red lid. The hint has been updated to reflect new position.
Originally placed by Gecko Dad on his 52nd birthday during the Gecko’s annual camping visit to Paso Picacho Campground. Unfortunately, the container was muggled without a trace and was never found or logged. GD has visited the site every September since the original hide (see previous logs for photos during this period) and now, with Park staff approval, is authorized to reestablish this, the first physical Geocache of the post-Cedar Fire era.
Since the disastrous Cedar Fire in October 2003, Cuyamaca State Park has been off limits for caching. All pre-fire caches not destroyed in the fire were removed and archived. Fortunately, new rules were recently established that allow new cache placements within strict guidelines. Those guidelines include placement within a few feet of established trails and registration and pre-approval by the Supervisory State Park Ranger. For safety reasons and to allow the vegetation to rejuvenate, cross-country travel is not presently allowed in the park so please stay on marked trails. This is the park’s first physical cache placed under the new rules.
There are multiple trails to reach the summit - the easiest and shortest is via the paved fire road starting from Paso Picacho Campground. You will gain 1650 feet in elevation over a 5 1/2 to 6 mile round trip hike if you start here. Along the way, you will pass Deer Spring and, near the summit, a giant sugar pine that somehow survived the last fire.
There is a fee for day use if you start from the Paso Picacho parking and picnic area. Attractive but longer alternatives include the Green Valley or Cold Springs trailheads, neither of which requires the fee.
This site was once a classic fire lookout tower. Sadly, it was dismantled in the 1980s. This has been a favorite destination for hiking, running, and ski touring for many years. The summit commands an unparalleled view of coastal San Diego and the western foothills and is itself visible from nearly every part of the county. On your hike, you will pass through the remnants of long standing forests of live oak and black oaks, cedars, and pines and chaparral. Today, only the immediate area around the campground and the Cuyamaca Peak summit area resemble the conditions you would have seen before the fire. Especially notable is a huge Sugar Pine still standing proudly along the fire road a short distance from the top.
As you approach the summit, you will encounter an old stone stairway to the phantom tower. Imagine coming up here 30 or more years ago, starting with the beginning of fire season, and spending long summer days scanning the horizon hour after hour for hints of smoke.
A photo of the original lookout is available for viewing at: (visit link)
Up the stairs, you will encounter a cement block on which the Cuyamaca Lookout benchmark is affixed. This is an official USCGDS benchmark and may be logged as find on the www.geocache.com website. It is only a short walk from here to the cache, where some of the best views on the mountain may be enjoyed.
Replacement cache is a clear 1.8 liter Lock & Lock. Initial contents include:
Logbook, 2 pens
X-ray style silver gecko charm
Cat in the Hat wristwatch
4-function combo whistle/compass
Atlantis lightstick (Happy Meal toy)
Chip the Cat Teenie Beanie
New Yu-gi-oh dog tags
Children’s storybook “Pierre”
Selection of lizards and stretchy lizards
If you take one of the hiking trails, please be watchful of snakes, particularly in the spring and early summer. Enjoy!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Jrfg fvqr bs tebhaq yriry obhyqre gung unf n pbafcvphbhf fgrry rlr-obyg pnoyr napube ba vgf hccre fhesnpr.