Welcome to Newcomer's Nightmare: a series of geocaches focused on presenting a serious challenge to all who attempt to find them. The trek for the second cache in this series may not be as arduous as the first, but it is no less treacherous. Located near the ever popular and comfortable stroll up Baldface Mountain lies a geocache challenge that is not for the weak or faint-hearted. It is specifically reserved for those with a disposition that emulates its name. We welcome you to our second geocache: The Cliffs of Insanity.
For those familiar with the Indian Lake area, the Cliffs of Insanity are located slightly south of the Baldface Mountain summit. The rock outcroppings of each are visible from the lake with the Cliffs of Insanity on the right at a slightly lower elevation than the Baldface Mountain summit. This can be seen in the picture below:
While the cliffs are easy to identify from the lake, they are much harder to find on foot, as no trail or identifying landmark exists in this area. In addition to this, the elevation profile of this area makes for a difficult bushwack, as the cliffs are right in the middle of a 350-foot drop in elevation in just 1/10 of a mile. The surrounding area can be quite steep, and how you approach the cliffs will make all the difference in your hunt. The map below gives an overall view of the cliffs in relation to Indian Lake and Baldface Mountain.
The best way to approach the cliffs is to access the Baldface Mountain trailhead via Norman’s Cove by boat, then to hike on the trail for approximately half the total length of the trail. This will place you at a strategic location where you can simply dead-reckon straight to the cliffs via GPS without hitting any extreme changes in elevation. Coming at the geocache from different directions than this may result in some unexpected climbing, falling, and backtracking. An overlay of the geocache in relation to the Baldface Mountain trail can be seen below.
The distance of the geocache from the trail is roughly 1/3 of a mile and can be accessed rather quickly if you choose your steps wisely. For first time visitors anticipate a 1-2 hour total trip from the Baldface Mountain trailhead and back. The current record of fastest find starting from Baldface Mountain trailhead and ending at the geocache belongs to bimbamsmash with a time of 17:17. While the idea of this time being bested is inconceivable, all challengers are welcome to post their respective times in the comments.
To find the geocache, knowledge of the "Cliffs of Insanity" scene from The Princess Bride movie may be helpful, but those unaware shouldn't have too much difficulty, as long as you look for the unnatural among the natural. If you're in a hurry you could find something useful to do and help the "Man in Black" like Inigo Montoya did on the cliffs.
While the hunt may present a challenge, those who endure will be rewarded with a view of the lake that rivals the one on top of Baldface Mountain. We invite all those bold enough to go off-trail for an adventure that won't be quickly forgotten.
Have fun storming the castle!
- the Newcomer Bros.