Big Chief

06/14/2017 By WingsAndTales
I'm the 18th finder of a 14 year old cache. I love caches like this. It took a little while to find but not too bad. I actually went too high and then spotted it when I turned around to come back down a bit. It's in great shape and waiting for the next brave soul to make the trek up here. I found a nice spot to sit and have lunch. TFTC

09/10/2016 By MountainBear
Found with Java Chip coming up from 7 bridges and using a really good map!! TFTC!

09/19/2015 By amandaKLco
The hike was crazy, is there a trail? We rough necked it. It was a blast though. Thanks for the cache, it hadn't been found since 2010. I'm glad we had the opportunity. Thank you!!!
WHAT A HIKE!!

10/19/2010 By ernie66
I've been bugging estes01 all summer to do this hike, but something else always comes up. With most other nearby hikes completed, this one reached #1 on the list. Since we both needed other caches north of Big Chief, we bypassed the suggested parking and its associated steep 1500-foot ascent and went around to the north side on Rd 379 through Frosty Park. We started south on 370C from Deer Park to see how far we could get. Estes01's Jeep had been performing well on the very rocky "road" when we met a Jeep coming the other way with word that a creek crossing a few hundred feet ahead was impassable. You can walk faster than you can drive on a road like this anyway, so we left the Jeep at about 11,000 feet and proceeded on foot on a nice, mostly level trail. When the trail petered out about a quarter-mile from the cache, it was bushwhacking the rest of the way. I plowed ahead on what looked like a good route around the rocky ridgetop, but estes suggested we return to the ridgetop -- where we found clear terrain and easy walking! How does she know these things?

The final approach to the cache involves some bouldering and there is significant GPS signal bounce due to the vertical rocks in the area. We checked likely spots for the cache at each level of the ascent and quickly spotted the cache when we got to the correct level. After signing the log, we took a brief look around for the original container and I went on up to the summit to take in the incredible view. Great cache, and many thanks to Spivey and his group for replacing the missing container last year.

Ernie66 on Mt. Big Chief

10/19/2010 By estes01
I was happy that this wasn't as hard to get to as I thought it would be when looking at it from "In Search of Big Chief." No snow (as predicted for today), nothing but sunshine, so Ernie66 and I decided that Big Chief was our goal for the day. The instructions on locating the cache slightly below and northeast of Big Chief after making a southwest turn off the trail were not helpful at all to me, but Ernie was able to handle it and it wasn't too long before I heard that familiar sound of a canister scraping across granite. Incredible views and well worth the hike. Thanks for bringing us out there.

06/10/2010 By adventurerley
Wow, what a great climb and even better views. I am on vacation and attempted this cache with my dad. Having grown up in the Springs I knew where to head and we used Old Stage Road to get to an area where the cache was around .7 miles away (line of sight). We followed a path for a little bit (looks like it was at one time used by 4x4s but has since been blocked with a sign and logs and branches). My dad and I hiked together until .25 miles. The path we were following started to take us in the wrong direction and there was only one way to get to the cache...straight up. My dad opted to stay behind at 10402 feet (N38 44.467, W104 58.552, had to mark it so I could find him again) and I climbed straight up, at times using all fours, to 11122 feet (cache location). When I reached the top I was pretty cooked because I covered the .25 miles, over 1200 feet elevation, in around 12 minutes. I don't think I would have had the patience to find the cache (with my dad waiting below and my heart rate still pounding in the high 160's) and was pleased that I had taken the time to read all of the logs and to view the photos because they helped to locate the cache quickly. The cache was dry, in good condition, and is well hidden. Thanks to all who made this cache possible. I live for hard hikes and the fact that this one was of the "make your own way variety", I am extremely pleased. My dad is happy too. We had big plans to get Big Chief, Saran Wrap, In Search of Big Chief, and The Mountain Playground today but we only walked away with Big Chief and Mountain Playground. TNLN, SL.

-Adventurer Ley
Jeremiah 29:13

05/29/2010 By lesslost2
Whew! Another 10 years of hikes like this and we'll probably look forward to park and grabs. Steep is steep, so we just went for it, working our way up through open spaces. Luckily, we found a narrow break in the rock ledges and were able to enjoy the hike to the crest and across the saddle to Big Chief. Excellent reward of the views at the top. It is just great to see older caches like Big Chief still in good condition and in play! Grabbed the geocoin to move along. Great cache...Thanks!

12/05/2009 By hartsdale
This was a slow go in the deep snow today.
Glad to see this old cache back in place.
I looked back at the ridge I came from and I saw some movement on top.
I see now it was another cacher.
Thanks for all the work to get this one back up here.
I swapped out trackables and stamped the log.
On the way up.

11/28/2009 By kwbforest
I was glad to join Mtn_goat and Spivey today on another long and tiring hike. I'm glad Spivey was able to replace the cache so we can log it and keep it in play. Awesome views up there. TFTC SL.

11/28/2009 By mtn_goat
Coin drop