Three Forks of the Montana Traditional Cache
Three Forks of the Montana
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Three forks of the Montana Creek come together in a quarter-mile
stretch of water. This cache is located near the mouth of the South
Fork, at the beginning of the 4.5 mile Luthman Trail leading to the
falls on the Middle Fork.
This is an unimproved trail roughly following the remains of an old
jeep track, and is best hiked in waterproof boots. Bear of both
varieties are seen frequently here, hunting moose calves &
other forage in the spring and feeding on the stream's salmon &
berry bounty in the fall. The trailhead is reached by turning east
on Yoder Rd. (an excellent borough-maintained gravel road, exactly
three miles from the Parks Highway) from the Talkeetna Spur Highway
at N62º 10.636 W150º 01.795. Continue east several miles,
eventually passing under the Anchorage-Healy Intertie electrical
line. An overhead-girder steel bridge (once found on the Alaska
Highway near Cathedral Bluffs, east of North Pole!) spans Montana
Creek at N62º 10.696 W149º 57.343. Cross the bridge and park here
on the left (north) side of Yoder Rd. at the Luthman Trailhead.
Believe the sign about bears! Winter visitors will see moose - or
abundant moose sign - be wary! The cache is in a stump ten feet
west of a very large cottonwood tree, just a few minutes' walk
north of the road, but seemingly ages away in time. Resist the
temptation to chase the king salmon visible in season under the
bridge - this area is closed to salmon fishing & is heavily
patrolled, but it's an excellent place to show visitors huge
spawning salmon from the bridge. Fly fishermen will not want to
pass up the Middle Fork - the four and one-half miles of the stream
up to the falls is thick with wild trout.
Enjoy the riparian habitat - DO NOT bring motorized vehicles into
the salmon/trout streambed - practice CITO. Undeveloped campsites
are on the streambank just west of the bridge. This is a great
jumping-off point for snowmobilers wishing to explore the Talkeetna
Mountains to the east.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Rnfl fhzzre be jvagre svaq - ybbx 3' bss gur tebhaq
Treasures
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