Peak-A-Boo: Unnamed (Andrew "Andy" Nelson Peak)
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Peak-A-Boo from the top of Kane County! 'Tis true...WeatherGuy and Stockley_True placed a cache on Unnamed (Andrew “Andy” Nelson) Peak. At 10,027 feet, Andy Nelson Peak is the highest peak in Kane County
Note: Andrew “Andy” Nelson Peak was voted for during naming contest held by the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper in 1996 to name the three unnamed Utah county high peaks. Nelson made much of his life work surveying in Kane County. This information is noted from a highly recommended book, High in Utah: A Hiking Guide to the Tallest Peak in Each of the State's Twenty-nine Counties by Michael R. Weibel and Dan Miller. We've not found any indication that the Utah Geological Survey has adopted Andy Nelson as the official peak name, but it will be used with regards to this cache.
Where the heck is Andy Neslon Peak? Andy Nelson Peak is located in the Dixie National Forest in southwestern Utah, about 18 miles southeast of Cedar City. Stockley_True and WeatherGuy pulled another “brian head” when chasing down this cache site and county high peak-- they thought they were hot on the trail of Andy Kaufman, not Andy Nelson. The search continues!
Similar to the Wasatch County high peak, Andy Nelson Peak is the highest peak in the county (Kane) but not the highest point. Both the high point and high peak are near Navajo Lake and are within 2 miles of each other as the crow flies. A small, non-standard cache (by Peak-A-Boo series standards) has been placed on the high point too (N37° 32.581 W112° 49.427.) So how about it, are you up for getting high on a two-fer by the "Peak-A-Boo crew" in Kane County?
Giddy-Up, where do I start?
Te-ah Campground at Navajo Lake:
(Don’t miss the Zion Canyon Overlook along the way)
· On I-15, take exit 59 eastbound at Cedar City. (Another option from the north would be to exit at Parowan and follow SR-143 up Parowan Canyon past by the colorful Hurricane Cliffs, Brian Head, and Cedar Breaks, before connecting to SR-14.)
· Head east and follow any signage for Cedar Canyon, Cedar Breaks, or Brian Head. It will be approximately 1 mile east to SR-130, then a few blocks south to SR-14, then east into the canyon
· Follow scenic SR-14 approximately 26 miles up Cedar Canyon to the Navajo Lake turnoff, approximately 8 miles past the SR-143 junction.
· Follow the road around to the southern side of the lake and continue to Te-ah campground at the southwest end.
· Watch for the Virgin River Rim trailhead sign on the south side of the road. There should be spots to pull off and park near or just beyond the trailhead sign.
Begin the hike at the Virgin River Rim trailhead located at N37° 31.996 W112° 49.260. Follow it south along a well-defined forested trail. This is a very nice hiking trail that is well suited for mountain biking for much of the 2.5 miles leading to the flat, meadow summit. The trail does putter out slightly as it gets steeper during a scramble up the last half-mile.
Near the 1.5 mile mark, after winding south around two hillsides, the Virgin River Rim trail meets up with Lodge Trail. Stay right/south on the Virgin River Rim trail as you head another 0.5 mile to a saddle between Navajo Peak and Any Nelson Peak. Don’t miss the distant views here of majestic Zion’s Canyon-- if the sun is positioned right you might see the spectacular mountain walls of Zion glowing like a beacon. From here, a short scramble (less than 0.5 mile) up the hillside to the north will have you on top of another Utah County high peak and hot on the trail of another Peak-A-Boo series cache.
On top you'll find exciting views of Navajo Peak to the south, Navajo Lake to the northeast, the Kane County high point just to the left of the cliff bands to the north, and the Pine Valley Mountains in the distance to the southwest, is that Peak-A-Boo: Signal in the distance? Look around and take in yet another picture-perfect spot in Utah.
Obviously, the 'prize' in this geocache is bagging the summit and the beauty of Kane County and Dixie National Forest-- the dessert is finding the cache. When you are finished and flush with success, you may want to head back to Navajo Lake for a “dip in the pool.”
Original cache contents include:
· (Notebook, mechanical pencils and thermometer stay in cache)
· (2) Pkgs. of Advil
· Mini First Aid Kit
· Chapstick lip balm
· Pkg. of 15 Kleenex
· One cigarette lighter
· Phone cord, 6 feet long
· Deck of poker playing cards
· One emergency poncho with hood
· (3) Pkgs. of Wet Ones Handi-wipes
· Feeling Blue Full-Sized Devil Duckie
· Booklet of Souvenir Postcards of Ogden, Utah
· Little Feat “Ain’t Had Enough Fun” CD (unopened)
· (2) Official Olympic 2002 Utah Highway Roadmaps
· "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" Soundtrack on enhanced CD
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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