Since Steak got his much anticipated Jeep, he has been doing a lot of exploring. A few weeks back he and the boys helped a local 4x4 club clear the road to this cache and pick up trash along it, all in the name of keeping access open to places in our area like this.
So, what better way to take advantage of it than to put a cache there so we can all appreciate it?
You should begin your hunt along the South Fork Road east of Hiouchi, and you will turn onto a very well-marked Forest Service road. From South Fork to the cache is 3 miles, and most average 2WD vehicles can make the first one-half to three-quarters of a mile with no problem. From there, you will either have to park and hike in the rest of the way, or bring a 4WD vehicle. Those with small, red sportscar cache machines may want to leave the flash at home this time 
! Any 4x4 should be able to make it, but lower clearance vehicles may have you out of the car and moving the occasional rock. There are a few pud-muddles and creek washes to ford, but nothing radical. Most four-wheelers (using common sense) will have no problem driving right up to the cache area.
If you are hiking, bring extra water, and a jacket or sweatshirt in any conditions as the weather changes here can be drastic. When the cache was placed there were spots of snow along the road. The elevation increases steadily, but just think... it's all down hill on the way back! The more adventurous may even want to plan to stay overnight, as there are decent dry camping spot around the lake.
Oh yeah... we are bringing you here to see the lake, Rattlesnake Lake. I have been trying for weeks to find something historically significant about this location, but came up blank. From locals I know that it was once a logpond, and the detritus from the past still lingers along the shore and shallows. But so do ducks... wood ducks and mallards break into flight as you approach the lake. Stellar Jays are everywhere, and we saw a few foxes and raccoons, too. I'm sure the big critters are around, but we didn't see them this time. Make sure you get photos of the surrounding snow-covered mountain peaks, too.
The cache was PACKED with goodies, including the Moon & Stars TB and a Bookcrossing book and CITO bags.
Happy Hunting!
The GeoGadgets Team