This cache adds a new cache type to this location! Within a couple hundred yards, there are traditional, letterbox, challenge, and even an Earthcache. Take your time and enjoy your time astride the Continental Divide.
About a dozen miles west of the Helena, the capital of the State of Montana, US 12 crosses the Continental Divide at MacDonald Pass. This ridge divides water flowing east to the Atlantic via the Missouri, Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico; and west to the Pacific via the Little Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Pend Oreille, and ultimately the Columbia. The elevation here is a bit more than 6000 feet above MSL, and the area is surrounded by stands of lodgepole, spruce, and fir. All of the large mammals native to the area as far back as first European contact have recently been documented nearby, with the exception of bison. The Continental Divide Trail, stretching from Mexico to Canada, crosses the highway here. There is a nearby campground, parking for trailheads, and gorgeous views. It will be much cooler than valley locations in the summer, with beautiful wildflowers much later into the season. Snow may persist here until July some years. You may find winter conditions difficult; if you are not confident in your vehicle making it through the cattle guard, please don't attempt the exact coordinates. Pullouts nearby will suffice, including information signs along the highway. While they generally plow the location I documented, during severe weather you should probably not leave the highway without traction vehicles. I had no trouble after an extended, early winter, beginning in early November, with my Toyota Tacoma in 4WD.
***Congratulations to Chufra on the FTF!***
To log this cache, take a picture of a recognizable sign, feature, or landmark somewhere nearby, and make sure it includes something to let me know you were there. Maybe your GPS, your hand, your vehicle; you are not required to include your face in the image, but you certainly may. Post your image with your log. Armchair logs and stock photos off of the internet will result in a deleted log.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.