Bigelow 2 Traditional Cache
AZKokopelli: No response from cache owner. Cache archived.
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Size: 
(small)
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A single stage geocache at 8,420 ft. elevation with beautiful views
When the woodcutter's children were small the Mt. Bigelow's fire lookout was one of their favorite place up Catalina Highway. Having not been here for the past ten years, we thought it was about time we checked it out once again. Boy, were we surprised at the size of the towers that have grown up around the fire lookout. Geotykes probably will like walking up the fire lookout tower to the first landing. No wonder the good fire fighters worked so hard to keep the Bullock fire off this hilltop.
To get to Mt. Bigelow, take either Mt. Bigelow Rd. or Bear Wallow Rd. Mt. Bigelow Rd. is not too far up the road from the Palisades Ranger Station. For a really pretty and shady drive go in from Bear Wallow. We drove in one way and came out another. Park at the parking lot to the Bigelow lookout and all the towers. Road is dirt but in pretty fair shape. My Toyota Matrix made it fine with nary a nick to its underside. (Your vehicle will need another washing after visiting here.) At the fire lookout, there is a restroom - of the primitive variety - but restrooms just the same.
Once at the parking area, cross the road and follow the natural rock pathway down the hill.
Now for the geology lesson… The rock pathway is mostly quartzite and jasper. If you walk further down the slope the rocks change dramatically, you'll have to walk over a large shiny black rock outcropping. We think this is phyllite (said with an F sound) or low-grade schist. Both of these are metamorphic rocks. Notice the distinctive, almost metallic sound they make when pieces are hit together. This is typical of metamorphic rocks. You can see lots of mica in these rocks. There are 2 kinds of mica - biotite and muscovite. Biotite is the dark colored mica and muscovite is the light shiny stuff. Reminder all slabs of rocks are laid horizontally with the ground surface. Now look at how many of them are heaved about.
The above was copied from our original Bigelow Geocache. Sneakiekittie and I (the woodcutter) came up this beautiful fall Sunday afternoon to do some maintanence on the Bigelow Geocache. It was missing! Gone! We couldn't find. We had caches with us. We could simply replace that one and we started to do so. But something called to Sneakiekittie...remember the 2 parts to her name. And so while she checked her new spot out, woodcutter headed back to the car to pick out a new cache container. This cache is so significantly different from the original, although still same great views that we felt it needed to be a new cache.
To reach cache you need no special equipment. But Sneakiekittie does say that you need to be lithe, limber, and flexible to reach cache. Also don't wear good clothes because you'll be covered with soot when you're done. Cache container is a small Blueberry Tea Tin enclosed in a ziploc bag to protect it from the upcoming snows.
Nov. 16, 2005- Upped the difficulty a 1/2 since Shadowace broke a step. What am I talking about? You'll see.
July 3, 2006- Did some cache maintenance. Cache is back up 12 feet off the ground. Please put it back up if you find it down! Because the cache container is light and has been known to blow off its perch, it is now inside a gallon ziploc bag with a rock in the bag as well to keep it all weighted down. Please make sure the rock stays in the bag.
May 31, 2009 Most of the steps on the tree have now been broken off. And the cache was missing yet again. So this time when we headed up the mountain to replace the cache we knew it wouldn't be in Sneakiekittie's favorite spot. I'm leaving the old description as well as the pictures so you newer people can be glad of what you didn't need to climb! New cache is not to far away from old and much easier to find. Please cover it up completely so muggles can't spot it.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Tebhaq...ebpxf...gerr gehax
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