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Monte del Diablo Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

WRITE SHOP ROBERT: By the time I'm able to find a new place for this one, it will be far enough away (in time amd distance) to be a new listing. Thanks for those who came to find it, and especially to those who helped out by giving it some TLC while you were there. Whoever was the muggler was thoughtful enough to leave the used pages from the logbook so they will be added to the new book when it gets replaced. Thanks, WRITE SHOP ROBERT

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Hidden : 2/21/2005
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

"The name 'Monte del Diablo' (devil's grove) for an Indian rancheria was recorded in about 1824. It is reported that a fight between Spanish soldiers and Indians took place by a thicket near the site of what is now Pacheco, and that a grotesquely dressed Indian medicine man made the soldiers believe the devil had allied himself with the Indians. American explorers, believing that 'monte' meant 'mountain' as in Italian, transferred the name to the peak"

That story was taken from a book titled "1000 California Place Names" by Erwin G. Gudde (University of California Press)Referring to the origin of the name of Mt. Diablo

I have seen this same story written in other places as well, with the Indians being chased by the Spanish and with the 'thicket' being a vast expanse of willow trees that covered the entire area now occupied by Pacheco and Buchanan Field, which was at the time marsh and wetland.

This is a sister cache to "Mt. Diablo"(GCMABP). The container is the same, and the logbook too, as well as most of the original contents.

My first idea was to place both of these on the mountain, but when I couldn't find a good place for this one I decided to make it a sister and place it in the area which gave the mountain it's name. This is the general area referred to in some versions of the story as the "Thicket of the Devil". I don't really know how large that area was, but this should be somewhere near the center if it.

You'll find that the trail is thick with other traffic, so please try to figure out where the cache is and then choose the right moment to grab it quickly. It should be very obvious once you are nearby. People can pop up from any direction, so keep your eyes wide open. You might find parking nearby, but would most likely draw strange looks passing through to the cache area.

If you want to make a good walk of the search, try starting at Benchmark: HT0142 and "One on a Bridge"(GCH7WB) and find this one on your way to "Trail's End (IH10)" (GCK5PB) While you're looking for the last one, you'll likely also find Benchmark:HT3828 set into the corner of the bridge.

And as a bonus for those of you who like finding things even if you can't log them here, look for benchmarks bearing these designations (try spotting the witness marks for clues). I found on my walk "WC GPS 14","C.C.Co. PT 165","C.C.Co. PT 167". All three are about a 1.5in. orange plastic cap set into a metal pipe flush with the ground, described by nearby witness marks. Can you find any others?

It's come to my attention that there are homeless encampments under the bridges at both ends of this section of trail, so as always be aware of what and who is going on around you, there also may be some "hang out" spots closer to the cache site.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)