GCWJ6V Mt Esther (Almost)
Type: Traditional | Size: Small | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: Phoenix2001 @ | Hide Date: 06/11/2006 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 54.841 W105° 00.800 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 1
                   

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This cache is near the top of one of the high points of Mt. Esther as identified by the Pikes Peak Atlas in the Pike National Forest.

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Mt. Esther is to the west of Chipita Park and to the East of Crystal Creek Reservoir. The northwest high point carries the name but it is harder to get to it. This cache is near the southeast high point (they are about the same elevation), which also has the better view.

There are two common trailheads for getting to this cache. One involves paying a fee to drive up the Pikes Peak Highway to the Crow Gulch Picnic area. The other starts in Chipita Park and is more of a climb.

From Chipita Park it is about 2.4 miles with 1600 ft. of climbing. Make sure you don’t continue on the Ring the Peak trail but take the trail fork to Mt. Esther. The trail gets weaker as you get closer to the high point and all but disappears when you get to the rock slabs on the southeast side. From here it’s possible but difficult to go by the west side (not recommended). There’s still a bit of a path around the east side and I’ve included some waypoints to help. Going to the very top is not difficult from the north side near the cache. It’s possible to get disoriented on the east side so I suggest you pay attention and use your GPS receiver. The trees and the rock high point reduce GPS accuracy on the east side.

Since this cache is up a ridge and near the “top” be aware of the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms.

In Chipita Park there is a wide spot in the road where you can park next to the trailhead. There is only space for a few cars if everyone parks carefully. From Chipita Park Rd. you can take Picabo Rd. to the top where there is a very sharp left turn on a steep hill onto Mountain Rd where the trailhead is located. A less steep drive is to take Fountain Rd off of Chipita Park Rd. and immediately turn left onto Mariposa Rd. Go a short distance on Mariposa and turn left onto Paona Rd. At the top turn left onto Mountain Rd. and continue to the trailhead.

This cache has question number 3 in it for the Pike’s Cave puzzle cache.

Additional Waypoints
J2WJ6V - East West Junction
N 38° 54.748 W 105° 00.726
Go right/ahead, east side
JNWJ6V - MtEsther Trail Junction
N 38° 54.654 W 105° 00.070
Left to Mt Esther, Ring the Peak ahead
T1WJ6V - Trail Point 1
N 38° 54.532 W 105° 00.485
Trail point at rocky area
T2WJ6V - Trail point 2
N 38° 54.598 W 105° 00.559
One side of open area
T3WJ6V - Trail point 3
N 38° 54.603 W 105° 00.607
Other side of open area
THWJ6V - MtEsther Trail
N 38° 54.872 W 104° 59.592
Mt Esther Trailhead and Parking
X5WJ6V - Route Point 5
N 38° 54.816 W 105° 00.745
Cross Country Route Point
X6WJ6V - Route Point 6
N 38° 54.832 W 105° 00.738
Cross Country Route Point
X7WJ6V - Route Point 7
N 38° 54.857 W 105° 00.755
Cross Country Route Point
XJWJ6V - Spur to Top and Cache
N 38° 54.858 W 105° 00.787
Left to cache & top, Right to other high point

10/21/2017 By billkat
Nice cache. Beautiful day for a hike. Tftc!

06/08/2017 By OR85OR450
Just bee-lined, more or less, from the RTP one north of here. Amazing & baffling to ponder the tree 'work' going on. About the last hundred yards I came across the trails that were enough to make getting back to parking at the reservoir overlook a snap.
Sigh, wish I'd of know on the way . . . in.

05/27/2017 By Hikermama3
Found it, good workout hike. I've been this way before but maybe not quite to where the cache is. Lots of tree thinning going on now nearer to the cache. Pikes peak covered by clouds now or it would be an awesome view. May have to come back on a sunny day. I do always wonder why the left fork to this trail is always blocked by sticks. Any particular reason that it gets blocked off or just not to confuse with Ring the Peak trail? Loved the roots at the cache. TFTC
GCWJ6V

08/23/2016 By SeaOtterPup
First cache! Thanks!!

08/23/2016 By marvins_dog
Signed the log. TFTC!!

07/17/2016 By Bokmeow
What a fun hike! We started at the trailhead and took those seriously steep switchbacks all the way up! Thanks so much for bringing us up here. It was a hot day but super worth it to get up here. Tftc! All is well with the cache. :)

08/23/2015 By MountainBear
Found it with Java Chip. Amazing views up in this area. TFTC!

09/22/2014 By The-Goat
Just us in the 'car park' today and no-one else on the hill. The Aspen trees were in their full yellow fall colours.
SL, TNLN, TFTC.

09/14/2013 By colorado gypsies
Missed the Mt Ester Trail turn off and hit the RTP cache first then bushwhacked up and along the ridge. Seemed fairly easy. Got the question. Now back down Crow Gulch to the car. TNLN SL TFTC

06/09/2013 By SwimFin
SwimFin found this cache quickly and in good shape. Took TB Dog, Left a signature dolphin key chain, SL. Thanks for placing and maintaining this cache. Cheers, SwimFin.