I'm So Disappointed Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A small cache at a former Nike missile base on Mount Disappointment in the San Gabriel Mountains.
The cache is located at the summit of Mt. Disappointment, the “peak” just west of San Gabriel Peak in the Mt. Wilson area of the San Gabriel Mountains.
As the story goes, in 1875, when USGS Surveyors were in the hills above Simi Valley looking for a high point in the San Gabriel Mountains to triangulate, they spotted a then unnamed peak, made the first recorded climb up to it and discovered that nearby San Gabriel Peak was, in fact, the higher peak. The peak was named after their “disappointment” that it wasn’t actually the high ground they were looking for.
When viewed from the west, Mt. Disappointment used to block the view of San Gabriel Peak. However, in 1955, while constructing part of the Los Angeles “Ring” of Nike missile bases on the site, the Army blasted the top off of Mt. Disappointment, lowering the peak by a few hundred feet. The flattened mountaintop contained a radar station which was linked to nearby Barley Flats, where the Nike Missiles launch site was based. Nearly all the Nike bases were decommissioned in the mid-1970’s and the mountain is now being used as a communications tower site.
The views are great on the “peak,” but I think you’ll find the mountaintop itself really lives up to its name. Disappointing.
To reach the peak, here is the most straightforward route: The trailhead is off the Mount Wilson cutoff .35 miles from Angeles Crest Highway at N34 15.263, W118 06.130. Parking is nearby at the Mt. Disappointment Fire Road gate. Be sure to not block the gate. A Forest Service Adventure Pass is required for parking.
Look for stairs in the cliff and a somewhat steep start up. This trail is about 1.3 miles and terminates at the fire road. Turn left on the paved fire road and hike up for a short distance until you reach the saddle between Mt. Disappointment and San Gabriel Peak. Turn right and climb up the paved road to the summit. Once on the top it's basically flat.
An alternate route is to take the paved fire road up to the top. This route adds about 3 miles to the hike and is not as scenic as the trail. Another option is to hike in from the Markham Saddle parking area on the Mt. Wilson road, using the San Gabriel Peak trail.
The cache container is a camouflaged preform tube container containing a log and room for very small swag. Please re-hide it carefully and conceal it from discovery by muggles.
Have fun!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ohfu unatre nobhg jnvfg uvtu.
Treasures
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