Watermelon Man II Multi-cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Watermelon is, of course, English for Sandia. My interest in
geocaching began with a Google search to find out about the Sandia
Man Cave, and ABQ-TJ's Sandia Man Cave Route cache (GC9612) was
listed. I was intrigued and now am hooked! I wanted to place a
cache in the same area, so here it is! Make sure you visit the
original on your way to mine.
Take hwy 536 west out of Cedar Crest and then join 165 at the
Balsam Glade picnic area. Alternatively, from Albuquerque, you may
head north on I-25 and get off at exit 242 to Placitas. Continue
all the way through the town until the road turns into a dirt road.
From either direction, you'll want to be looking for the waypoint
PARK and pull off here. You really should pay the $3 at the Tijeras
ranger station for parking anywhere in the Sandias, or buy a yearly
pass for $30.
The trail up to the first stage micro is only 1/2 mile long and the
elevation change is 100'. Just about anyone can handle this part.
For the second stage, you'll be hiking an additional 450', but some
bushwacking will be required. Wear long sleeves and long pants.
Initial items include: -A disposable camera: please take a picture
and leave it; let me know when it's ready for processing and I'll
post the resulting pictures. -Magnifying glasses, an LED caribiner
keyring, a stuffed duck, 2 New Mexico fridge magnets. -An Easter
egg that opens to reveal a scene. -A logbook, pencil and sharpener,
pen. -A balsawood glider -An unregistered New Mexico Geocoin for
FTF. Keep it or register and track it, your choice.
One thing that has changed since my first visit to Sandia Man is
the graffiti. This place has been visited for at least 20,000
years, and only very recently have we humans decided to deface the
natural beauty with spray paint. If you who visit have any ideas
about how to remove this offensive blight, please speak up. Maybe a
CITO can be organized to deal with it.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Svefg fgntr: N punatr bs iregvpny crefcrpgvir zvtug or sehvgshy. Erzrzore, vg'f n zvpeb lbh'er ybbxvat sbe!
Frpbaq Fgntr: ybbx sbe gur nzzb obk orarngu gur pnvea 25' jrfg bs gur "bgure" pnir.