Which Sheep is This One?--Fourth Reprise

Forty four peaks in Colorado have “Sheep Mountain” as a portion of or all of their official name. This cache is located near the summit of one of these 44. Six Sheep Mountains are in Larimer County. This particular “Sheep Mountain” has the following characteristics, among others:

It has an elevation of 7,980 feet.
It is NOT a Ranked Peak, having a prominence of slightly less than the necessary 300 feet for a ranking status.
It is accessible via a long (more than 7 miles each way) hike along Lone Pine Creek followed by a moderately steep 0.7-mile off-trail hike to the top of Sheep Mountain.
An elevation gain of about 1,700 feet is required from parking to the cache.
Several crossings of Lone Pine Creek are required to reach the mountain.
Convenient parking occurs at the listed parking coordinates, at the main Cherokee State Wildlife Area Lone Pine Unit entrance along the Red Feather Lakes Road.
The area at the top of this Sheep Mountain is relatively open and moderately rocky. It provides interesting views!
An unofficial summit register is located at the actual summit dating back many, many years. Few hikers have actually come to the top of this Sheep; hence, the register does not contain many signers.

So........WHICH SHEEP IS THIS ONE?

If these characteristics (and the cache!) interest you, develop your plans for the hike to reach this mountain’s top and then search for the cache at the listed coordinates and sign its log. Also, sign the summit register located in the rock cairn at the highest point (this summit register is NOT the cache!). The cache is near, but not at the true summit. The cache is a small jar wrapped in black tape. It is hidden between two upright rocks that are to the left (looking from below the rock face) of a dead, gnarled tree; it’s covered by several sticks with a flat rock holding the sticks in place. After signing the cache log make certain that you replace the rock on top of the sticks to hold everything in place. Locating the cache might take some time, so be persistent. Be certain to bring a pencil or pen with you for your log-signing ceremony.

Have fun on this long and fairly difficult hike, and enjoy this nice cache and the special views you have from the hide location! Expect to hike approximately 16 miles round trip, so take extra food and water and be prepared with additional clothing for sudden weather changes. When my puppy Orizaba and I made the hike to this summit to hide the cache, we had a very close encounter with a Western Rattlesnake. So be cautious as you make your ascent and descent.

Note: the cache is located on U.S. Forest Service land that is accessible only by traversing through a Colorado State Wildlife Area that has seasonal access restrictions. All other routes to Sheep Mountain cross private lands where trespassing is prohibited. Don't attempt such approaches. The State Wildlife Area is open to public uses (hiking, climbing, camping, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, geocache hunting, etc.) from May 1st through August 31st each year. Between September 1st and April 30th each year, individuals entering the area are to be either hunting (deer, elk, rabbits, doves, dusky grouse) or fishing. So if you plan to find this cache during the period that’s restricted to hunting or fishing, be certain that you have an appropriate license and that you are also hunting or fishing. Hunting just for a geocache is probably not enough! Dogs are allowed, but unless hunting they must be restrained on a leash.

Additional Waypoints

P075X7R - N 40 46.010 W 105 21.050
N 40° 48.170 W 105° 26.361
Parking