The Pig Of Poudre Canyon

CONGRATULATIONS TO SILVER TREKKER FOR FTF!!

THIS CACHE IS NOT AT THE LISTED COORDINATES!!!

I’m sitting atop Greyrock Mountain in Larimer County, eating a just-cooked hotdog. "A hotdog on the summit of Greyrock?" you ask... Yep. I’ve just made a semi-technical climb of the mountain up the peak’s highly-exposed western face. Years ago, after Dan Gayton pioneered this route and gained the summit, he immediately extracted a field stove from his pack, fired it up, and prepared a cooked meal of hotdogs complete with garnishments and buns for his team members. Since that initial climb the route he explored has always been referred to as the “Weenie Route”–really. So of course I’m up here munching on my hotdog after an exhilarating rock scramble.

It’s a pleasant day--warm, sunny, and calm, and I’m reviewing the spectacular vistas laid out before me. The Poudre Park 7.5-minute Quad sheet includes 25 peaks that are officially listed as “Ranked”. Only two USGS quadrangle sheets in Colorado contain more Ranked Peaks than the Poudre Park Quad. And Denali Queen and I had climbed every one of these Poudre Park mountains prior to her death last August on her descent from the summit of the Matterhorn in Switzerland. So today I’m up here at the center of all this, the summit of Greyrock Mountain, chewing on my hotdog and recalling all those marvelous climbs of the mountains that are laid out on this rough landscape in front of me. And thinking about Denali Queen and how she ought to be here with me today.

But eating a processed meat hotdog appointed with relish and mustard and catsup and all the normal goodies isn’t terribly appealing to me, even after this marvelous climb. Perhaps it would taste better at a ball park. Wouldn’t it be much nicer to be relishing a succulent, perfectly cooked pork chop, or some pork loin sided with freshly made apple sauce? That alternative makes me think about The Pig Of Poudre Canyon. It’s down there, below me. I try to locate its general position from my high perch on this glorious summit, but can’t quite connect with its actual location along Highway 14. But I see before me several mountains Denali Queen and I have climbed, that would offer more direct views of The Pig.

You, too, can find The Pig and its special cache treasure (a log sheet!) by using the guidance given by these mountains, and you won’t need to climb any of them..... What a deal: nicely-prepared pork without an enormous effort. Much better than this hotdog, from my perspective. So use these mountains as your guides to finding The Pig. And enjoy your adventure.

Stage 1. Break out the Poudre Park Quadrangle or use your mapping software to find Greyrock Mountain and Greyrock Meadow. Using Greyrock Mountain as a general reference, locate the following three peaks to its west, south, and southwest, identified on the map by their printed elevations: Point 7231, Point 7309, and Point 7456 (aka Aiguille du Greyrock). All three are Ranked Peaks. From the mapped high points of these peaks, take the following bearings:

Point 7231---136.25 degrees (T)
Point 7309---238.18 degrees (T)
Point 7456---193.64 degrees (T)

The Stage 1 container is located where lines drawn on your map using these bearings intersect. Plot this triangulation, determine the coordinates of this intersection, and take the short hike in the field to locate the container. You will be on a trail for a portion of your hike, but the final distance is off-trail on moderately steep terrain with limited bushwhacking required. The container is of “regular” size. Inside, find the coordinates for Stage 2.

Stage 2. Using the coordinates provided at the first stage, go to Stage 2. You will be in the vicinity of an informational sign. Stand directly in front of the sign and make the following waypoint projection: a True bearing of 272.6 degrees for 8184 feet. Your projection provides the coordinates for Stage 3.

Stage 3. Go to Stage 3, and park there. Look through your window at the rock face on the other side of Highway 14. What do you see? The Pig. Yes, The Pig of Poudre Canyon! Would you have guessed it is here? The Pig is a peg. So you can more fully appreciate The Pig’s creation, learn about pegs by referring to Me & Bucky’s EarthCache GC1EHAF.

Stage 4. Be watchful of traffic as you cross the highway to stand below The Pig. The cache container is a micro, located directly below the pig’s head. The rating for the cache container itself is 1/1.5. You should find it with little difficulty–you met the real challenges of this cache in the early stages. Be certain to replace the cache in the exact location you found it.

Finish this adventure by dining on perfectly cooked pork. Or if that’s not appealing, settle for a hotdog. And then, plan an outing to find Carolyn’s Cache (GCHAAF), a 5-star X 5-star beauty placed by Tahosa and named in memory of Denali Queen (Carolyn Randall). And think about how mountain peaks can serve as your guides to special treasures–even to locate pigs.

The Pig of Poudre Canyon cache is dedicated to the memories of Carolyn Randall and Dan Gayton, two people who markedly influenced and enriched the lives of many outdoor adventurists.

Additional Waypoints