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In a ravine 150 feet below the upper plain atop the Hurricane Cliffs, overlooked by Mollies Nipple, near Hurricane, Utah, just above where Frog Hollow Wash drops rapidly for 700 feet to the floor of the Hurricane Valley, hidden in behind a boulder, is a painted gray ammo box, that in a prior lifetime was the Mollie's Nipple Cache container.
Gouged into the escarpment of the Hurricane Cliffs, just below Mollie's Nipple to the north and west, is a rugged canyon known as Frog Hollow. Over thousands of years, the run-off of rains falling in the Frog Hollow Wash and Workman Wash basins have carved through basalt, limestone, and other layers of rock to form a fascinating geological sculpture.The Frog Hollow Cache is a gray painted ammo box hidden in a crevice between the sloped, rocky canyon wall and a large boulder perched on the sloped canyon side. minimally hidden by a few rocks.The cache site looks down upon a narrow, slick-rock wash bed carved into the cliffs, slick slides, vertical drops, and circular bowls and basins where water can collect and remain for quite some time, even here in the desert. Perched above the cache site, above the canyon and valley, visible from where the cache is hidden, is the peak, Mollie's Nipple (where a nearby cache is hidden).There are many ways to reach the cache site. When we placed the cache, we hiked down Frog Hollow Wash for almost two miles from the flood control dam, and returned by a similar route. Our topographical map shows a rough jeep trail/road parallel to the wash, to the north, on the hills that separate Gould's Wash from Frog Hollow Wash. We could have followed it closer to the cache site, reducing our hike to about three quarters of a mile, one way.The valley above the cache site that Frog Hollow Wash has carved is interesting itself, and in springtime, and into summer, you will see patches of cliffrose in bloom, the small white-and-yellow blossoms lending color and fragrance to the desert air. When we hid the cache, another desert plant was in bloom, with dark purple, trumpet-shaped flowers, forming little humps of color here and there among the rocks of the valley slopes. It was beautiful!If you ever wonder why this valley and canyon is called Frog Hollow, then visit during the evening and you'll hear why. We hid the cache in springtime at dusk, as the light was fading. As we looked down the rocky ravine below us, gazing over pools of water lingering from recent rains, the air all around us was suddenly filled a chorus of shrill calls and croaks. We wondered no longer. It's obvious how Frog Hollow got it's name.If you decide to find this cache, go prepared! The summertime is the worst time to hike in the desert. I recommend seeking this cache during the cooler fall or spring, or even in winter on a warm day. Also, take plenty of water with you, and tell someone else where you are going. It helps if you have a good topographical map in addition to your G.P.S., so you can plan your route.The cache is located on public land, but be aware that there are patches of privately owned land in the vicinity--the dirt roads cross private property in several places. Please remember to close any gates pass through behind you.The flood control dam where my brother and I started our hike may be on private property--but there are plenty of other good starting points that are on public property.Please respect the land, both public and private. Watch your step, and look out for cryptobiotic soil crusts. Try to minimize the impact of your hike on the landscape. Remember the Cacher's creed: Cache In, Trash Out.Enjoy!-AstoundingSt. George, Utah
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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