GC89ZH2 Junkins Fire
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: chasclifton @ | Hide Date: 06/24/2019 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 07.253 W105° 08.539 | Last updated: 06/19/2022 | Fav points: 0
           

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In the early hours of October 17, 2016, a strong wind blew through Junkins Park, a small valley several miles west of the cache site. It blew a metal building panel against a power line, causing an electrical arc to the ground, which ignited dry vegetation. Pushed rapidly to the east, the Junkins Fire covered more than 18,000 acres. Some nine hundred firefighters, federal and local, were involved in controlling it.

The canyon you will visit, South Hardscrabble Creek, was heavily burned, which led to flash-flooding in the following summers. The road down the canyon was washed out in multiple places in the summer of 2017 and remains closed beyond the parking area off Colorado Hwy 165.

You are looking for an ammo can in the woods. Most of the trip, about 0.4 mile, will be on the gentle gravel road, with a tiny scramble at the end. You can hike or ride a mountain bike. Motorized vehicles are prohibited past the parking area fence.

Travel note: Despite what your map or GPS might say, County Road 386 is closed at its east end due to flood damage. You must come in from Highway 165, the west end.

Additional Waypoints

P089ZH2 - County Road 386 dead end
N 38° 07.024 W 105° 08.669
Parking area a short distance off Colorado 165.

07/31/2019 By GhostlyImage
Love the cache, but hate to learn of a tragic fire that killed trees, animals, acreage, and more. And to think that this was a fire that could probably have easily been prevented. Coords went crazy around here, and so it took us a long time to find the cache. When we were finally able to read the hint, we then found the cache within minutes. Enjoyed the hike to it. Took a travel bug and the zip lighter; left a pair of sunglasses and a Hello Kitty teacup. SL. TFTH, chasclifton.

07/07/2019 By mommalu2
Nice walk with the dogs for me and Robear23. Flowers were so pretty. Tftc

07/07/2019 By robear23
Great spot for a cache! TFTC

06/26/2019 By Room1009
[FTF] at 8:10 am. I thought surely someone would grab this cache yesterday. This morning I saw that it still hadn't been logged so I decided to go for it. It was really chilly this morning. I had the heater on in the truck and put on a light jacket for the short hike to the cache. I walked straight to the hiding spot and didn't need the hint. I was rewarded with an awesome container filled with great swag and a blank log. I picked up the two trackables and left two others.

Afterwards I thought I would try to hike farther up and search for GC1NP93 Wet Mountains: Floor-a and fawn-a. I didn't have any luck there but it was an enjoyable hike. You don't have to go very far up the trail to realize why the road is permanently closed. There are numerous and huge rock and mud slides, presumably from the heavy rains that washed through the burn scar.

This cache has all the elements that make this hobby so much fun: a great location, an informative description, and a well-crafted container. It is worth a favorite point. Thanks chasclifton!

06/24/2019 By chasclifton
I put two trackables in the cache: "San Carlos RD Smoky" and "Green Lil Johnny Does GeoWoodstock 2018."

Please move them on!

06/24/2019 By IgnotusPeverell
Published