GC1A59 South Chatfield
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: GregCa @ | Hide Date: 09/01/2001 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 31.457 W105° 02.105 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 9
 

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This Cache is located at the very southern boundary of Chatfield State Park. It is located approxmately 1/2 mile from the Parking spot. Very nice hike on a foottrail. Be sure to wear long pants and take mosquito repellent if needed. On June 11, 2007, I relocated the cache and stocked it with all new toys for the youngsters. All toys are model train related. Try to keep it that way. --Greg--

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Parking can be anywhere along the Highline canal trail as this cache starts at an intermediate end of the very popular Highline canal trail. Should you want close in parking start traveling south on Santa Fe from C-470. The parking area GPS coordinates are at 39.31.469 & 105.01.719 You can park on the shoulder of the road.

Do not park near the railroad tracks. This is private property

This is a intermediate ending point for the very popular Highline canal bike trail so there is always bicycle traffic and hikers in the area. Safely cross the first railroad track and 100 year old bridge (to the left of the gate there is a entrance for foot and bicycle traffic) and proceed west over the second railroad track to the start of the trail which is at 39.31.432 & 105.01.799. Stay off of the railroad tracks!!

Keep your kids off of the railroad tracks!!

This area which you are at now was once the town site of 'Acequia' over 100 years ago. There actually was a small town here with it's own post office (which opened on Jan 30, 1874!) Acequia was actually incorporated as a town in Douglas County on 11/4/1885. (See the photo) This section of railroad track is still called Acequia. This 'section' was used to refill the steam locomotives with water. On many current day road maps the town of Aqequia is still shown and present even though the whole town of Aqequia burned down over 100 years ago. In July of 1900 the post office closed. For more information on the historical site of 'Acequia' go to the Douglas County Library historical section as they have some photograghs and an actual post card mailed from 'Acequia' over 100 years ago! If anybody has any other information on Aqequia, please let me know as I am curious and live close-by.

At this point head west into the foot trail to find the cache. You should be at the site within 10-15 minutes. This is a very peaceful area as you will soon find out. There is a very shallow creek in the area. The weeds along the foottrail do have some 'stickers' so long pants may be wise. It has been reported that wild animals have been seen in this area. As this is a 'urban wilderness area' close to the mountains, please use caution as animal encounters are possible in this area!!

There is a restaurant coupon within the cache with only GPS coordinates on the coupon. I purposly crossed out the actual address and wrote on the coupon it's GPS coordinates. This restaurant is withein 10-15 mins of the parking area. The parking lot of this restaurant shares the parking with several other restaurants should you become hungry after your 'treasure hunt'.

If you have a digital camera take a pic & post it on this cache. It's nice to see people having fun geocaching!

A few of the items inside of the cache are model railroading related. This was decided because of the proximity and necessity of crossing the railroad tracks. Try to put something in the cache that is railroad related or model railroad related. Use prudence, Safety and common sense when crossing the railroad tracks. Please teach your children to respect the railroad tracks and to NOT play on the railroad tracks. If I hear from railroad officials that geocachers are being careless with the safety of their children around the railroad tracks, I will shut this cache site down in a heartbeat. Please don't take the safety of your children lightly!!

As I have found, this is a family activity with many people bringing their young children on these 'treasure hunts'. Please if possible put something into the cache that a young girl or boy would enjoy. It's not family fun if Mom or Dad gets something out of the cache but junior or juniorette finds nothing. (Think kids!!) If you are anything like me, the enjoyment of the hobby is when one of your kids finds a nice toy inside the cache!!

There is a bunji cord securing the lid tightly on the cache. Please place the bunji cord over the cache securing the lid when you leave. Please cover up the cache very well with the branches and tree bark so it won't be accidently found and vandelized. When returning, you may want to enjoy a walk along the highline canal bike path. There is also many trails for mountain bikes in the area. You may want to experience this cache with your mountain bike as this cache is accessable with a mountain bike.

The only rule of this cache is that I would like everyone to put something into the cache that is better than you take out. If you can affort $100.00 or more for a GPS, then you can afford to put something into the cache worth value to a youngster.

Click here to email me with comments and suggestions.

Please do not leave any food (Bears) or flammables in the cache!!

01/03/2019 By Rohatx
I I started several miles north and cached my way along the Highline specifically to get this rare hide. I found it’s location as well as various bits of swag that the thief didn’t want. There no longer is a ammo can here. There is a temporary container with a log present.
Regardless, I was quite happy to make the adventure out here. I impressed myself by actually riding my bike all the way to GZ without having to stop or push the bike through. The ground was solid but the trail got really thin for a distance with the bushes trying push me over.
I give it a Fav!

09/05/2018 By herndonrd
This geocacher reported that the container is damaged.

09/05/2018 By herndonrd
Out caching with FeartheFish and like usual driving his butt all over the place. Found the big green sticker that used to be on the cache and signed it. As noted in the previous log, the workers seem to be using GZ as a toilet and I suspect that one of them found the container and took it. Workers in the area again today so no chance to replace it. TFTC!

07/25/2018 By coloReido
Time to finish up the Hidden Creatures challenge, and I saved this one specifically for the 100th find that would fill in one of two missing blocks for my Jasmer AND unlock the World Turtle! Thank you so much for the waypoints to keep me on track! I packed up a bag of kid toys and headed down the trail and near GZ with the intent to stuff this container with as many toys as I could fit. Instead, I came to a man-made clearing. It appears that they are in the process of replanting trees now, but the area near GZ was used as a toilet with the paper all over the place. I didn't find a container, but I found a telltale sign of where it had been. I did have an un-camo'd container with me but with two workers within sight, I didn't think this was the time to replace the hide. tft , I will send an email to the CO with the evidence found.

02/28/2018 By wildkatco
As I was looking at caches in the area for a short walk today, I was drawn to look at the photos included with this one. The very first photo posted of the Joshua and Kari on 9/8/2001 with their first night find made me smile. It also made me wonder. Since they are both in their late 20's/early 30's (I'm guessing) now, do they still cache? Are their caching adventures good childhood memories? I'd like to think so. Thanks for maintaining this cache for so long and I hope to sneak up on it eventually!

12/11/2017 By jasperdakota
Caching in the area today. Had to grab this oldie! There is construction going on literally right next to the cache and the cache was in plain sight. I signed the log book and covered the cache with some bark. It might need to be relocated a short distance to a safer place. Thanks for keeping this one going!

07/08/2017 By bunkies
Nice large cache. TFTH

05/24/2017 By billy robson
Bogey on the way to Ground Zero, and I even had to build a bridge across a small stream.
Didn't give up this is one of the oldies I was looking for.
TFTC

05/22/2017 By heh324
I feel like a true geo-pro being in the company of others who have signed this log!! Out with fearthefish today trying some off road walking which has been progress for me. We started grabbing a near by cache on the Highline Canal Trail which I needed for the 360 challenge and then started the trek to South Chatfield. I was definitely challenged by the terrain and was thrilled that fearthefish braved the elements and came up with the container quickly. He acquired a personal TB along the way (a tick), but thankfully I am the only traveling companion that gets under his skin.

Thanks for the history and maintaining a great cache for such a long time!

05/22/2017 By fearthefish
Out and about caching with heh324 on a nice spring afternoon. Like others before me, I have been interested in finding this cache for quite some time due to its age and that it fills a square in the Jasmer Challenge. I pointed this cache out to heh324 and she was interested in finding this cache as well.

We made our way out to the canal trail and parked accordingly per the cache description. We appreciated you including that, as we thought we would have to park a couple miles north of here and hoof it. After grabbing one on the canal trail, we began our journey to your cache. The trail was narrow and easy to follow until we were roughly 200 feet from the cache. At that point the trail turned into a small stream and neither one of us wanted to slosh through the rest of the way (especially since heh324 had her brand new hiking boots on). So, from there we went "off-road", leaving the trail and navigating away around the mud and mini-rivulets as best as we could. We ultimately made it to our destination and soon found the ammo can in its rightful place.

I grabbed a trackable that was left here by my geo-buddy BroncoCole. It was cool seeing his name on the log. I also saw PayMeCache on there, but he is more like a geo-acquaintance . When I got home I discovered that I also brought a tick home with me. Fortunately it never got a chance to enjoy my skin. Heh324 was envious, as she wished she could have been so lucky as to bring a new pet home.

Thanks for the fun hide and write-up about the old town of Acequia. I enjoyed learning about the history of the area.

04/23/2017 By BroncoCole
Love finding an oldie. This fills a Jasmer spot too. We enjoyed the hike! Dropped a TB.

I found this at 10:42 AM. Thank you, GregCa, for placing the cache. Cheers!

03/06/2017 By PayMeCache
I started to read through the description of this cache before I left my shop today and got side tracked. This cache has been on my list to do as it completes a grid on my Jasmer challenge. Before leaving my shop I reached out to some friends who needed it as well. Unfortunately, they were across town and were headed to lunch. I decided to make the stop here on my way home, alone. After parking I pulled up the description again and saw that I could park even closer. Normally I wouldn't move the car but the wind was so cold today that I decided to shorten my trip. Thankfully I did; looking back at my photos my nose is more red than Rudolf's.

I had to wait out a railroad guy in a truck before crossing the second tracks. Ended up being a nice walk to the cache. I found the cache rather easily and then tried to camouflage the container better than when I found it. On the way back I explored a bit and off path and wandered around. Really appreciated the nice write up on the cache and for keeping this oldie around for so long, GregCa. For that, I am awarding you a favorite point. I'm surprised you only have 27 cache finds! You should get out there more! Took a couple fun photos to remember this cache and will attach them.

Found South Chatfield on March 6, 2017 using Cachly for iOS.

Thank you, Greg.Ca for placing a fun cache for all of us to enjoy. I look forward to finding more of your caches.
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02/11/2017 By ZDaMan
Came in throw high line canal and walked in through trails loved the ammo can not much stuff inside but took a few items and put a few in tftc sl.