GC7225 Traditional Cache Alpine Tunnel Cache
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular Regular | Difficulty: 2 out of 5 | Terrain: 3 out of 5
By: Team A&M @ | Hide Date: 07/11/2002 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 38.325 W106° 24.448 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 7
This cache will probably be available only from July through September because of snowpack.
This cache is an ammo box located on the hillside above the parking area at the Alpine Tunnel. The tunnel and the road to it (the former track bed) represent an incredible piece of engineering and mining history. A most excellent source of information on the Alpine Tunnel can be accessed at:
http://www.narrowgauge.org/alpine-tunnel/html/index.html

We came over Hancock Pass from the East and four wheel drive is required. The road from Pitkin to the West can be driven by most cars in my opinion, but high clearance and four wheel drive can give you that warm fuzzy feeling, especially if it starts to rain or snow.
Know your limits, the weather forecast and be prepared.
P.S. The hint is a major spoiler and is primarily for when snow is covering things.
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 Hints

Walk 52 paces toward the tunnel from the parking lot gate, and then go straight up the hill. The cache is at the base of a tree, protected by a log.

 Nearby Caches

GC31926 Hancock Pass (3.68 kms SE)
GC31912 Napoleon Pass (8.17 kms NW)
GC318ZH Dead end 770 (11.81 kms W)
GCJZ3F Lost and Found (18.43 kms N)
GC4H23P Follow the Blue Brick Layers Road to Adv (31.36 kms NW)

    


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 Logs

10 Logs: Found it 9  Write note 1  

Found it 08/24/2017 By jetmack61
Great scenery! Must either walk or have a dirt bike. We had a dirt bikes so it was relatively easy to get to. Trail is still closed to 4 wheel vehicles. Be careful riding past the rockslide part, it is only 3 feet wide or so.

Found it 09/05/2016 By DivBy3GCD
GCDragonfly and I found this cache on first Colorado hike of the week. Man, this elevation thing is a killer on an ol' boy from Alabama. We didn't really have any caching plans, so I just took screenshots of a few caches in the Alpine, Hancock and St. Elmo area in case we had a chance to make some finds. TFTC!

Write note 07/05/2016 By Z_Malloc
So we tried to get up to the Alpine Tunnel area (and this cache as well) in a 4x4 vehicle and found that the road has been blocked off (right at the u-turn to head up) by the forest service as apparently a rock slide has taken out a portion of the road a mile or so up the road. You are encouraged by a sign to turn around now before there is no room to when you get to the road damage. I will include a picture of the blockade. We really wanted to get up here!Angry

The blockage!

Found it 09/21/2015 By jherber
TFTC I came with DustyKat after a pre-dawn start from Woodland Park on our way to the high country to find a few caches we needed for various challenges. We stopped by to look at the Alpine Tunnel and get a few of the caches in the area. We found a cool brew in the ammo can which may not have made it through the winter so we took it to preserve the integrity of the cache and parse a dry throat. After hearing some of the tales my son had at Texas A&M it seems fitting that a cold one would be found in this cache.

Found it 08/21/2015 By MYANGELDUSTIN
We had such a great time combining RZR riding and geocaching............TFTC!

Found it 08/21/2015 By XTerra85
Made the ride up in our RZR and passed a Lincoln going down..........don't know what possessed them to think they could drive up here in a Lincoln. We loved this ride and this geocache...........thanks so much for placing it here!

Found it 07/26/2015 By darthvader99334
TFTC

Found it 07/07/2015 By The MisGnomers
TFTC I have been to Alpine Tunnel many times but first time with the grandchildren. They loved finding the cache with me.

Found it 09/16/2014 By Borogove & Mimsy
A quick find before visiting the buildings. We were with non-hikers, so didn't visit the other caches in the area. Next time...

Found it 09/07/2014 By Back Country Horsemen
Lots of muggle folks in the lot when we got here so we did the walk up to the tunnel and picked this one up on the return. I am surprised it has lasted so long (12 years!) but it sure is in view of all the folks down in the busy parking lot. But it's there & a nice cache.