The Cathedral Traditional Cache
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Hike down into a hidden valley with a beautiful meadow, sparkling lake and ancient trees.
The towering walls that surround Crabtree Valley have protected this forest from the natural cycle of wildfires. The trees here are considered to be some of the oldest in the state. From highway 20 east of Sweet Home, turn north on Quartzville road and travel 20.2 miles. Turn left onto paved 11-3E-35.3(aka S. Fork Packers road). When you come to a T, turn right onto paved 11-3E-35.1(aka Yellowstone Access rd). Take this paved road to the next T and go left, onto a gravel road (I drove it in my '94 Corolla) for .8 miles until it is blocked by boulders, and park. The trailhead begins just beyond the boulders. At almost 4000 ft, you will get spectacular views of Mt. Jefferson and the Sisters. The trailhead is about 27 miles from highway 20 via this route. Begin your trip by hiking down this "reforested" road. You will soon turn a corner and begin dropping down into Crabtree Valley, and peering into the canopy of some really big trees-cedars, hemlocks and Doug-firs. When you see the lake below, your gps will indicate that you are close to the cache, but that is as the crow flies; I do not recommend bushwacking this steep slope, stay on the road. When you get to the concrete barricades, take a sharp left and hike up into the valley. Continue through the next set of concrete barricades to get to the lake. The cache is an ammo can,covered with a piece of bark, hidden on the southeast side of the lake. It is near a congregation of 3 giant Doug firs,surrounded by 4 smaller satellite trees- huddled together, as if in conference. This type of growth pattern is called a "cathedral" and these trees are all offspring of a single parent who long ago stood in what is now the center of the ring. Hiking distance from car to cache is 1.9 miles (one way), with an elevation change of ~900 feet. Give yourself at least 3 hours for this trip. This unique valley is really beautiful and you may want to explore the huge meadow/wetland, and the surrounding rocky cliffs. At the time I placed the cache, the huckleberries were almost ripe and they are everywhere, so watch out for bears if you go in August. The lake seemed so remote and inviting, that even this modest monkey felt free to go skinny dipping. If you have time, look for the biggest tree King Tut, which is west of the lake.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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