GCGD7A A Fairburn Bushwack
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: toporeader @ | Hide Date: 07/04/2003 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 51.561 W105° 30.329 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0

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This is a traditional cache placed near the Fairfax benchmark on Mt. Fairburn with great views to the West.

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Note that this is a fairly difficult cache from the standpoint that there are no trails, the somewhat steep terrain (start below 9000' and climb to 10,390' over short distance), and the semi-dense/rocky forest in places.

Cacher should have experience in reading topographic maps (and have the appropriate one with them), navigating in mountainous terrain, and be in good physical shape.

While there are probably countless ways to approach this mountain, I usually enter from Hwy 119. There is a small turnout for parking just North of mile marker 13 (note Forest Service gate). From this parking area one can find a logging road that travels northwest from the western edge of the clearcut up to the ridge to the northeast of the mountain and bushwack from there. When in doubt, head up.

Another larger parking area can be found on Hwy 119 just North of Hwy 46 and mile marker 12.5. There is a gate here as well that reads "Road Closed". This will be a bushwack pretty much all the way up.

There are private holdings along Hwy 119 and many of the two track roads lead to them, so please be mindful not to trespass.

Those finding benchmarks can kill two birds with one stone.

This cache will be difficult in the winter and cachers should wear blaze orange during hunting season.

Cache contains:
Madden 2000 computer football game
A John Grisham novel
Miami Dolphins window hanger
A caricature map of Golden, Colorado
Some other small items

Have fun and let me know how it goes and the different approaches you take.

12/24/2018 By tundraazul
A decent tramp through the woods, with lots of snow this time of the year. All in all it was difficult but rewarding challenge to get up there and find the hidden cache.

11/11/2017 By YodaSandiego
Attempted to find cache, but lost track of time looking at the great view. We were within 300 feet, but the sun was setting and the snow was getting deeper. So we threw in the hat knowing we had to walk out in the dark. Fun day none the less!! Thanks for the cache. :)
GCGD7A

07/09/2017 By SpaceHiker
Revisit. Cache is still in perfect shape and it is FULL OF TOYS! If you have kids, this is an amazing offtrail cache with serious rewards. Left the following note in the log:

Apparently I'm the first person up for 2017 as well, as I listen to the endless drone of thousands of tourist cars on the Peak to Peak. Most who venture into these foothills, never in their life stray more than 50 feet from pavement. What a sad life that is, and how little they learn when they come here.

11/07/2016 By SpaceHiker
Left the following note in the log book (the cache is still in perfect shape by the way):

Took some time today to repeat one of my favorite summits. Only a couple miles from my house, yet I get up here far too rarely. Broad panoramas are overrated. It is the quiet moments in the deep wilderness when one can come closer to the truth of their existence. Will I be the last person up here for 2016?

10/13/2016 By Denali41
Muggle friend Paul invited me to accompany him and another muggle friend Dave on a hike up Fairburn Peak. Muggle Paul had done his homework in advance--he had discovered that A Fairburn Bushwack cache was near our destination, and he dangled this tidbit in front of me in an enticing email. You bet I would be with them!

We had a very enjoyable hike up the mountain, with virtually no bushwhacking required. Once at the Benchmark and cache vicinity, muggle Paul asked if he could find the cache. Yes, of course...and he had it in hands in no time. Muggle Paul has had an interesting history of being with me for the three caches he's seen: the first was in January 2006, as he, Denali Queen, and I were making our long approach backpack in for our climb of Aconcagua (22,840 feet) in Argentina. That was muggle Paul's initial experience with our interesting sport. His second caching experience was equally unusual: in July 2007 we had just climbed Europe's highest mountain, Mt. Elbrus (18,510 feet) in the Caucuses Range of Russia, and were on a 1-day tour of Moscow before returning home. At that time, very few caches existed in Moscow, and only one was on our touring route that day. I darted off the trail without letting folks know what I was up to, and quickly found the cache, stunning both muggle Paul and our Russian tour leader. So muggle Paul's first cache was in Argentina. His second was in Russia. You'd think these special finds would have hooked him onto caching. They didn't but I was pleasantly surprised when he coaxed me up Fairburn Mountain because of the cache. That was muggle Paul's third, and it's highly encouraging that he wanted to be the first to get his hands on the cache container, as he did...

From the benchmark and cache, we continued about 0.2 miles to the actual highpoint of Fairburn. It's at a lovely location that offers astounding views of the high mountains of Indian Peaks Wilderness, and a very interesting perspective of Longs and Meeker!

Thanks for this nice cache, toporeader!

07/23/2016 By LiLiChex
What a great hike up to the summit! Came from Cold Springs campground. Definitely a lot of bushwhacking but enjoyed it. Cache is in very good shape. Took (actually applied) two CDW tattoos, left package of grow capsules (sponge animals), bird guide toy, most of a deck of Walking Dead playing cards, and fortune telling fish. TFTC!

09/01/2015 By deadlydreamer567
What a hike this one was. Had a blast. Thanks so much for this

08/22/2015 By Muddy Clan
Found this one today with a whole crew of friends. 7 kids, 5 adults. We left from the campground and it took a little over 2 hours. Going back down was a little faster. A good time was had by all!

07/13/2015 By NedHead87
Found this yesterday but forgot to log as I was tired after the hike! The terrain rating is accurate! The directions to the spot on 46 and 119 were great! We found it no problem. The cache is in great shape and the landscape was beautiful! Tftc!!

06/11/2014 By youkfish
What can I say, but this is my kind of cache! Working in Black Hawk and noticed this lonely cache, so it's been at the top of my list for a few weeks. Made the hike this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it despite the weather. Mostly cloudy as I left my truck in the picnic area, but no rain until about 0.25 mi from the cache and then it blew and hailed for a few minutes at the top. Made the find and signed the log, several muggles also finding and signing the log. A lot faster going down hill and the sun was peeking out again as I made it back to my truck. I was on a trail along a creek for about 80% of the hike and lost it near the top. Cache is in good shape. Cheers!

This entry was edited by youkfish on Thursday, 12 June 2014 at 15:46:50 UTC.

09/25/2011 By izyspring
This was a great hike and cache. I love anything that requires moving through the forest, without a trail and subsequently without hordes of people. This cache met these requirements. Came through the peak to the east and read through the Nalgene container with logs on it at the summit rockpile. The hike to here while being uphill from Cold Springs Campground was pretty easy to navigate. Moving through the saddle with the thick aspens and pine made it more challenging to get to the top of Fairburn. It's pretty hard to determine where the peak is since it is not above treeline and the view is tough as well. James Peak sure seemed a long way off from here.

Thanks for a great time today with my wife and two dogs. We enjoyed it and stopped in Ned on the way home for some coffee from Blue Moon Bakery; a must on any trip in the near vicinity!