Sit on a nearby high spot and wait for
the train. You can hear the whistle echo
off the surrounding hills of the Comstock. Listen for the echoes of the engine as the train passes through tunnel
#4.
This cache is located
near the remaining two miles of track of the Virginia & Truckee
Railroad, which operates between Virginia City
and Gold Hill. The steam locomotive
operates daily through the summer months. Tickets for rides are available in Virginia City and in Gold Hill.
Known as the Queen of
the Short Lines, the V&T originally ran from Reno to Carson City, then on through Mound House and Silver City to Virginia City. Read the history here. Established in 1870, it was also known as
“the crookedest railroad in the world” which referred
more to the politics and business practices of the financing bank than to the
railroad’s route. Read a commentary here.
Several of the line’s
locomotives, cars and other memorabilia are lovingly being preserved by the Nevada State Railroad Museum. A group of businessmen, railroad enthusiasts
and local residents are currently working to restore the V&T line from Carson City to Virginia City. Read
about it here.
About the cache: First: IT IS NOT UNDERGROUND. Do not go on or near the railroad tracks. There is no need to trespass on railroad property; trespassing on railroad property is a Federal offense. Second:
Be extremely careful how you go poking into bushes and rocks. There are rattlesnakes around here! Third: Be careful where you walk. Although the area is well traveled, there are
still old mine shafts, remains of mining operations, and old buildings. Do not enter any shafts, tunnels, old
buildings, etc. They are often
dangerous.
The Cache is a
standard ammo box, painted dark green, initially stocked with what we thought
were pretty interesting items, plus something special for FTF. It is accessible by two-wheel drive vehicles
when the dirt road is dry. You can drive
to within about 300 ft, then there is a short, steep
hike to the cache. Once there, have a
seat on a nearby rock, enjoy the views and wait for the train to come by! This should be a really fun one for the kids
(big and small!). Athough
originally intended to be a railroad theme cache, it
does have some railroad items, but has other items as well.
This is our first
cache. We hope you enjoy it. Best wishes from Luckdragons
and Sparrowbee.