Ridges and Ocean Without End Traditional Cache
Hidden : 4/8/2005
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

The San Geronimo Ridge and the Kent Lake watershed: a cache for those who believe that the hike and the location are what matter the most.

The San Geronimo Ridge offers beautiful views of Kent Lake, with deeply wooded forests rising above it. The lake is one of those areas that may be at its best from above, where it looks more like a pristine river of the Northwest than the resevoir that it is.

There are different ways to get here. My favorite route for hiking is from Forest Knolls, taking the signed open space trailhead at the corner of Candelero and Forest (off of Montezuma Ave., around 38° 00.763N, 122° 40.951W). There is very limited parking at the trailhead. The trail takes you up a redwood canyon, and follows switchbacks to an abandoned fire road. Take a quick left to Manzanita Fire Road. From there, there are sweeping views of the San Geronimo Valley, and a brief uphill climb to the San Geronimo Ridge. It is about 1.5 miles to the cache.

As you reach the crest along the Ridge you will see the lookout tower at Mt. Barnabe, framed by firs. To the left of Barnabe is Mt. Vision -- and on a clear day you may be able to see the ocean, just to its right. Barry Spitz (Open Spaces) writes that this may be the only spot in the Open Space District (except for the coastal lands) where the ocean is visible. Bonus points for those who are lucky enough to see the Pacific.

Fans of the Sons of Champlin may recognize the grassy clearing on the other side of Kent Lake, which was featured on their album "Welcome to the Dance."

The cache is further down the road, at a vista point. Spitz describes it as one of the quietest, most isolated parts of the county -- all that is there is the watershed, ridges and mountains beyond.

If you are meeting other people for this hike, please consider parking at the San Geronimo Community Center (6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.) and carpooling from there.

The cache is a small container with room for appropriate trade items, but its real purpose is to mark your visit. The location is the reward. It is on a well-established side trail from the fire road. It is a hidden a short distance down another path from the main trail. It is visible, but you will have to look carefully. Please return it in the same way that it is hidden.

I placed this cache just as a storm was breaking. Even then it was a beautiful place to be. Someone had left a prayer stick nearby and I have since found pieces of crystal and a small bell. There is a sense of stillness. I once had a cache in this area that was the wrong cache in the wrong place. This is the right place. Whether it is the right cache is up to you to determine.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gnxr n Yrsg orsber I.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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