Bighorn Trail Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Cache is at the Picnic Site near the mid point of the 20 km Bighorn Trail
To access this cache, you can hike from the north end or from near the south end of the 20-km hiking trail just south of Hinton. The route we recommend is around 16 km.
To access the north end, drive south on the Robb Road to the trailhead at:
N.53 21.676
W.117 34.007
Elevation 1221 metres.
From here it is about 8.5 km to the cache. Elevation is 1693 m, a 470 m climb. Trail is well marked.
To access the south end, drive south on Hwy 40 and follow the following coordinates:
N53 16.838 W117 31.800 - turn here
N53 15.103; W117 24.277 - the trail crosses and you can start here, or you can gain elevation and cut off about 1.5 km by driving a bit further using the following waypoints:
N53 15.541; W117 23.009
N53 15.770; W117 25.399 Elev. 1364 m.
Park and head uphill on the well-marked trail, for about 7 km to the cache. This route is a bit shorter walk, and somewhat less elevation gain.
Ideally, go in two parties, leaving vehicles at each end, meet in the middle and exchange keys. This is a spectacular hike for practically its full length and well worth the effort.
The 20-km Bighorn Trail is near the north end of a linked series of horseback patrol trails used by the Dominion Forestry Branch when the Federal Government established the Dominion Forestry Reserves in Alberta in 1911. The trail system stretched along the eastern slopes of Alberta from the US Border up the Hinton area. Patrol cabins, each one day's ride apart were used by the rangers and a few of these can be found today, most notably the Gregg Cabin at the south end of this reclaimed piece of trail.
There is evidence to suggest that this trail system was established on top of an Aboriginal system that predates the arrival of whites by hundreds if not thousands of years.
In the early 1970s, the Hinton Junior Forest Wardens, with the support of the forest company there, reclaimed this 20 km stretch of trail which was heavily overgrown at the time. Later, the Company took over the maintenance and West Fraser maintains it to this day, along with a number of other hiking trails and campgrounds in its 1 million hectare working forest. A great brochure gives details of the route and this can be picked up at the Tourist information centre in Hinton.
The cache is in a small dark green tupperware container.
Cache Contents Include:
Logbook, pencils and sharpener
The SACAGAWEA Travel Bug, which started its journey in North Dakota, USA
Yo - yo
Dog choker collar
Euro 50 cent coin
Tie clip
Small Weldwood knife/file
Bertie the Beaver drink coaster
Bluenose lapel pin
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pnpur vf haqre n ybt arne gur cvpavp fvgr. Ybt pna or frra va bar bs gur vzntrf cbfgrq.