NOTE: On August 6, 2004 Geo-Guy passed away from a sudden Heart Attack...I introduced him to the activity of Geocaching in October of 2003...I'm attempting to mind over the 9 caches Geo-Guy placed and any help in keeping them in good shape would be much appreciated. Billybob7
3-Corner's Cache #2 is the second in a series of Utah state boundary caches offered by Geo*Guy and his caching buddy, Billybob7. Most of us are familar with, or have personally visited, the four corners region of southern Utah, where the state boundaries of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico intersect. There we can prostrate ourselves on the monument and tell all our friends that we were in four states at the exact same time. But how many of us can say that we have visited the other corners of the State of Utah, where 3 states intersect? The purpose of this series of 3-Corner Caches is to allow the Geocaching family to explore the State of Utah from corner to corner, where our state boundaries intersect with two other neighboring states.
3-Corners Cache #2 is located in the upper northwestern corner of the state where the state boundaries of Utah, Idaho and Nevada intersect. This cache is accessed from a very good gravel/dirt road that extends from Utah highway 30 in Box Elder County, north through Grouse Creek and continues north through the Goose Creek Mountains into Idaho and then north to Oakley, Idaho. This road is the main access road for the many local farmers and ranchers in the extreme northwest corner of the state and is passenger car accessible most of the year. If you are familiar with the area, a shorter route is available by taking the gravel road outside Rosette, then northwest on that road to Lynn, from there over the mountain to the Goose Creek road and north to the Utah/Idaho border. It is also a very good gravel/dirt road.
Access to the cache is difficult and is probably not for the novice outdoorsman. It can be accessed from a private/U.S. Forest Service access road approximately one half mile north of the Utah/Idaho border. A high ground clearance 4WD vehicle is mandatory. Permission must be obtained from the rancher who owns all the land in Utah, Idaho and Nevada surrounding the monument. He lives in a ranchhouse along the Goose Creek Road in Utah, approx. 1/2 mile before the Utah/Idaho border. He's a nice guy and understands what the geocachers will be doing. He only requires that you: 1)get his permission before heading out, 2)respect his property by not driving off the existing road with ATV's or your 4X4 & 3)not damage his livestock fences and close any gate you may have to open.
The access road is only passable during summer and fall, due to runoff and snowmelt, which inundates the road in the lower meadow area. Its coordinates are N42.00.322 W113.58.532 and is approx. 1/2 mile north of the Utah/Idaho border in Idaho. When we hid the cache (5/21/04), the road was still impassable, so we decided to hike in from the Goose Creek road and find the 'N42 W114' cache that was on the way to our hide. The round trip hike is over 10 miles, even though the actual distance, "as the crow flies", from the Goose Creek road to the monument is only 3 miles each way. The vertical climb is only approximately 300 feet, but there is a lot of up and down hiking due to the terrain. Don't do the hike unless you are in good physical condition and properly equipped. I have included a map of the recommended parking location for doing the hike. It shows the location of the N42W114 cache on the way to the monument. Park at approximately N41.59.853 & W113.59.361. To cross Goose Creek when the water is high, walk across the diversion dam nearby. Later in the summer, when the water level is low, you can just ford the creek on foot. There are also two or three livestock fences that must be crossed, so be prepared to climb or crawl under fences. Whether hiking or driving, make sure to get the rancher's permission. The overall terrain rating is based on hiking to the cache, not driving.
The cache is in a yellow plastic container with a smiley face on the top.
Initial contents of the cache is as follows: 1 note pad and pencils, 1 Red Cross first aid kit, 1 wooden nickel, 1 Montana State University key chain, 1 Jackson Hole, Wyoming pin, 1 Wisconsin state parks refrigerator magnet, 1 North American Hunting Club keychain and 1 small plastic fish.
Oh... I almost forgot. Don't forget to log the BENCHMARK on the monument.
