GC1XD86 Traditional Cache The Gold Mine
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular Regular | Difficulty: 1 out of 5 | Terrain: 4.5 out of 5
By: xpda @ | Hide Date: 08/16/2009 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 02.363 W106° 33.964 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
Scenic view  Difficult climbing  Not Available during winter  Abandoned mines  Cliff / falling rocks  No Quads  Campfires  Medium hike (1km-10km) 
This geocache is located near the old Ben Harrison claim, circa 1892. There isn't really a gold mine here, but the view from the ridge at 12,320 is spectacular. If you have surplus energy, continue up the ridge (west) for a great hike. Away from trails, roads, and 14'ers, you'll likely have it all to yourself.

View from The Gold Mine
There is more than one route to the top, but you can expect a climb of about 1300 vertical feet, class 2 (or class 3 for some routes). The cache is an ammo box. Initial contents are:

* "Explore the Gorge" geocoin
* Russian Dictionary
* One dollar Sacajawea coin
* Science button
* Foldup frisbee
* Denver aeronautical chart (sectional)
* 10,000 Won Korean bill
* Pryor Creek Nature Trail postcard
* Logbook, pen, pencils, and pencil sharpener
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 Hints

Take the old mining road at N39 01.895 W106 33.886 (northeast, then switchbacks) to its end at about 11,750', then negotiate your way up to the ridge. Look for the big boulder.

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Driving Directions

 Logs

5 Logs: Found it 4  Didn't find it 1  

Found it 09/09/2016 By COpackrat
Had a nice little hike up the ridge today and was rewarded with fabulous views. TFTH

Found it 09/02/2012 By Denali41
last night I drove up the 4-wheel drive road in McNasser Gulch so I could climb Grizzly Peak early this morning. It was my prime objective of the trip. But I'd be fibbing if I said finding The Gold Mine cache wasn't a very high priority, too! After dealing with Grizzly, I dropped back down into McNasser Gulch and found a very steep scree field that began at the creek and went up the north side of the ridge, topping out just a few hundred feet west of the cache site. It was equally as difficult to climb as the extensive scree field I had gotten up earlier in the morning on Grizzly Peak. After "doing" two of these steep scree climbs today, I'm finished with scree for a while (I hope...). After finding this marvelous cache I descended northeast down the ridge, eventually cutting north and bushwhacking through forest down between occasional cliff faces to my Blazer. My overall route was certainly not the type of experience I would have had if I'd come up to the cache from the suggested parking area to the south. But it was a great caching experience that I'm grateful for. Thank you, xpda!

Found it 09/25/2010 By Adrenalin Junkie
So I parked at the parking lot at 4:50 and got on my bike with the goal of going until the sun was no longer on me then I would turn around even if I didn't get the cache. Well, wouldn't you know that the higher you go the longer the sun is on you. So I made it to within .45 miles on the North side and looked up at that scree field leading up to the ridge and said well I'll go until the sun is gone. I had put my Keen sandals in my Camelback just in case and I was glad I did. So up I went on hands and feet straight up the unstable hillside. I got to the ridge and there was still sun shining on me so I continued I go to the cache just as the sun went behind the mountain at 6:28. I was back at the car at 7:10 and it was almost dark. Wow what a great adventure.

Didn't find it 07/26/2010 By Droid61
This was an extreme adventure. We bushwacked through trees and climbed and climbed. I made it to less than 200 hundred feet and decided that my feet needed to get me down. Two others went on and search for awhile and didn't find it. What I did find was the mining trail back down, that was salvation. The trail begins at coordinates N 39"01.087' W 106"33.241'. This trail will get you within maybe 500 feet, still straight up. Thanks for the adventure. Wish we could have found it after all the effort. Droid61

Found it 06/22/2010 By RDAD
It was a perfect day to climb up and find the "The Gold Mine". And what a spectacular location...absolutely beautiful scenes in all directions! I spent well over an hour just enjoying the solitude and the grandeur before finally starting back down. Thanks for showing me this special place...I really enjoyed it!