Micro Ski-O-Cache. BYOP (and tweezers)
This micro is placed more than 1,000 feet above the Eisenhower Tunnel at Loveland Ski Area. It is directly above the subterranian offices of the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel.
The tunnel - of course - honors Dwight D. (Ike) Eisenhower, our 34th President. In addition to being a two-term President, a five-star General and the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during WWII, he was the man who did the most to conceive and build the Interstate Highway System.
The Eisenhower Tunnel is actually only one bore (west-bound) of the two tunnels that burrow under the Continental Divide. Construction began in March 1968 and the tunnel was dedicated in March, 1973. The project cost $108 million, employed as many as 1,140 people at its peak and was finished two years behind schedule. The planners did not fully account for the effects of elevation and weather on both men and machines. The geology of the site also provided unanticipated problems.
The pilot bore was drilled south of the tunnel itself and did not encounter a faulted and fractured section of rock the tunnel was to penetrate. The project engineers were surprised by the poor-quality rock, which was prone to collapse, costing several workers their lives. In response, the engineers had to vary the shape of the tunnel in the fractured section, from a horseshoe arch to a more flattened oval. You cannot see these variations in the tunnel dimensions as you travel through a uniform rectangular lining within the actual bore.
The cache can be approached from either Lift 9 (via Rookie Road) or Lift 4 (short hike above Apollo). It is a small bison tube and you will need a pen, as well as tweezers, to log it. It is located in the tundra portion of Loveland. The snow conditions, wind and frequent flat light make it a challenge to navigate this area, so please be careful.
Ike
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5