GC1DBA Traditional Cache Continental Divide at Loveland Pass
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular Regular | Difficulty: 2 out of 5 | Terrain: 2 out of 5
By: Astounding and Percible @ | Hide Date: 09/18/2001 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 39.742 W105° 52.834 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 103
This is something of a "highway" cache for those taking U.S. Route 6 over the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass (a short, scenic detour for I-70 travelers who want to see the continental divide instead of driving under it in the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel), about 600-700 feet from the Continental Divide parking area hidden in some rocks. During bad weather or if there's snow, this cache will be difficult to impossible to find, but during the summer, it should be a quick find.
PLEASE DO NOT MOVE THE CACHE! Even if your GPS coordinates disagree with the cache's coordinates, please replace the cache exactly where and how you found it. Thanks! This cache is hidden in a large ammo box in some rocks on the hillside not too far from the continental divide trail, about 600-700 feet from the road at about 12060 feet altitude. My G.P.S. stopped counting distance in feet at 528 feet and instead displayed 0.1 miles, so I'm guessing at the distance, but it isn't far. The ammo box is painted a light gray-green and blends well with the rocks, so you will almost have to be standing on top of it to find it. The coordinates shouldn't be too inaccurate. I took several samples and averaged them (I wish my G.P.S. could do averaging like other receivers can), with WAAS differential signals helping.

It was chilly when we placed it, the overcast sky sending very slight hints of snow or sleet, but never delivering, the breeze chilling us (my brother and I) who came unprepared (no jackets or coats, short sleeves only, and my brother in shorts). In bad weather or when snow covers the mountainside of the pass, the cache will be extrememly difficult to find, but during the short mountain summer it shouldn't be too hard. This cache is just off the actual divide itself, on the Atlantic Ocean side of the divide, even though it is west of the parking area.

For more details, go ahead and "cheat" to read the hints below.

Despite the chilly air and the clouds low above us, we both stood in awe at the majesty of the mountains, at the beauty of the plants growing here above the tree line, and at the verdant evergreen forested slopes below. Colorado is truly beautiful here in her mountains.

I only wish that my brother and I had had time to explore further and were prepared for the weather. I was even pleasantly surprised at how well my very out-of-shape body handled the altitude. This is my first and only cache in Colorado, placed while on my way back home (I was visiting family in Loveland, Colorado) to the deserts of southwestern Utah.

Oh, one last thing. I forgot to put the log book in a Ziploc plastic bag, so it will very likely get a bit wet. If you hunt for this cache and you have a VERY LARGE Ziploc bag, would you mind putting the cache explanation document and the log book in the bag? The log book is very large. Thanks.

Enjoy!

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 Hints

If you park on the western side of the road and climb the stairs that are right beside the parking area, let your eyes follow the line of the divide trail. Not far away, to the right (northwest) side of the trail, there was a pile of rocks that in the past had a wooden cross in it, a memorial for J.J. Johnson who passed away in 2000. The rocks might still be there. The cache is hidden about 50 feet due east of that marker in the rocks below, in a nook, with a few small flat rocks further obscuring the box.

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 Logs

24 Logs: Found it 22  Write note 1  Owner Maintenance 1  

Found it 06/29/2019 By benpmorgan
I was driving back to Denver and thought I might as well take the scenic route over the top rather than just going through the tunnel.

This certainly was the nicer way - good drive in and lovely views from up here. Found the cache without much difficulty. I was trying to be subtle, but a woman sitting on a rock nearby heard the clang of metal on rock and asked me on the way out if it was a geocache...

Thanks for the cache, a good place to stop.

Found it 06/21/2019 By OR85OR450
Hi- enjoyed a little high altitude stay with M to acclimate for the Slacker Half tomorrow am at the bottom of the hill. Cache was easy to find; and quite the bonus being such an oldie!! It really has some character after all this time in the tundra.
I grabbed the three TB’s that (isn’t it Dwed Piwate Woberts ??? !!! BigSmile ) got dropped a couple visits ago. Cheers! and catch your breath!!!

Found it 06/21/2019 By seremarcus
Found it! Fun rock hunt. No need to walk through the snow. Good find!

Write note 06/20/2019 By DreadPirateWestley
Dropped off three travel bugs.

Found it 06/20/2019 By DreadPirateWestley
We decided to head up Loveland Pass after the rain and clouds cleared this evening and were rewarded with beautiful views. I was even able to find this cache. It's worth noting you can now get to the cache without crossing the snowfield. Unfortunately I didn't realize that until it was too late. Oh well. Great cache in good shape.


DreadPirateWestley

Found it 09/22/2018 By Kansasshiels
Pepsimom said it all. Thanks for a great cache in a beautiful place. I had tried to find this last summer without success, so I brought Pepsimom with me and together we made the find (the cairn helped when we eventually recognized it.) Two old grannies climbing around on the rocks must have been a sight for the other tourists. Thanks for the meaningful words about 9/11 at the front of the log book. Gets a fav point from me.

Found it 09/22/2018 By Pepsimom
I wanted my 900th milestone to be a special cache, and indeed it was!! Last September Kansasshiels and I were here, only to choose not to trek through snow to attempt this find. So this year with snow-less terrain we successfully earned our smiley faces! Took a bit of searching, but we followed the hints concerning the pikas and the cairn, and found this "old" cache! Hats off to Astounding and Percible for placing this "memorial" cache and to wildkatco for adding the new log book with the original text! Advice is to follow the trail up as far as possible and then cut across to the rocks and start your hunt. Thanks for letting me earn this smiley face here at this special place! Earns a favorite point from me.

Found it 09/21/2018 By wildkatco
This was my last cache of the day. I had a new log with me to replace the original log that is full. I copied the CO's original message from the old log to the new one for continuity, and because it was a sign of the times.
It took me several minutes to locate this one, partially because I carefully navigated to the general location by stepping on rocks. The tundra at this elevation is delicate and I hate to tread on the fragile plants. Once in the general area, it still took some searching to come up with the find. A pika and 13 striped ground squirrel kept their beady little eyes on my progress. If you find the pika's outhouse, you are directly above the cache. I took the old log, but nothing else, left yen, and signed the log.
I had wonderful weather for a triple pass road trip, searching for some Colorado gold. The colors were breathtaking in some areas and gone in others. I met a troll in Breckenridge, walked down memory lane on Boreas Pass, and had a great day. Thank you Astounding and Percible for placing this cache so that we can play!

Owner Maintenance 09/16/2018 By Astounding
This is a Maintenance Help Request to any Geocachers in the local Loveland Pass area:

I would love to replace the existing log notebook with a new one AND get my hands on the original 2001 notebook I left in the cache that is now full. Is there someone in the local area who (hopefully it's not too late yet) could stop by the cache, put in a new notebook for me, and then ship the existing one to me in Utah? I'd be happy to Venmo or Paypal or some such a few bucks to cover the cost of the new notebook and the cost of mailing the old one to me.

My goal is to scan the old notebook and upload all the images here to Geocaching.com so the notebook's contents can be preserved and shared.

I was hoping to make a quick trip to Colorado and do this myself, but work projects are delaying me. I'm afraid by the time I make the trip, there will be snow in the pass (if there isn't already).

Thank you!
Astounding
St. George, Utah

Found it 09/10/2018 By igetaround
Second Contnnental Divide cache of the day
Book is full, but you ca can find a place to write. TFTC

Found it 09/09/2018 By mmaughan77
Coolest, biggest one we've seen yet. Log is pretty full

Found it 09/08/2018 By peakbagginggeo
55Connie and I decided to visit Loveland Pass and hike the opposite side of the highway today. Good hide in a great area. Thanks, Astounding and Percible , for the placement.

Found it 09/05/2018 By goldpot
We almost got struck by lightening as we came back from finding this cache in a hailstorm!
We were driving back along the old road from Georgetown to Breckenridge via this spectacular Loveland Pass. The clouds came over this afternoon and as we reached the summit hail was set lose!
We waited for that to ease then headed for the cache, thankfully we found it quickly and signed in the great book of logs on a blank corner of the page. On the way back more hail came over and a lightening struck near as it was followed by an almighty crack of a thunder!
TFTC and the memories!

-GOLDPOT- #11659

Found it 09/02/2018 By Bonick0
Not enough air up here! Great mini hike to the cache and a high point for photos.

Found it 08/21/2018 By 2lablovers
Day 2 of our 3 day trip to the mountains to find caches, do maintenance on our caches and do a little gambling at Black Hawk. This is another cache that was not on our list. We drove by and saw there was a cache here. We decided we didn't have time but then realized it was a 2001 cache !! A quick u-turn and we were there. Unfortunately it was very crowded with very slow moving muggles. We wandered over to the area and soon spotted it but couldn't retrieve with so many people around. We waited and waited while it got colder and windier. Maybe this got everyone moving faster so at last everyone was gone. What an awesome cache ! Even has the original logbook. I was so sad we didn't have time to read thru it but it would have gotten all wet as it was now raining. Thank you so much for the placement.

Found it 08/19/2018 By 4nealalan
Finally finally!!!!!!!!!

So a long time ago, I decided I would dig in the snow for this GC. So I dug and dug and dug... until my toes went numb. I can't tell you how many rocks i uncovered. I'm sure I was within a few feet, but still left defeated.

Was driving up here, taking the long was to Breckenridge when I stopped for some pics with a friend and decided this is a must find!!!!

It still took us probably 15 minutes, as the GPS goes wacky giving a good 15 x15+ area that we had to search. I'd say this is probably a higher D/T than is listed,

I made a nicer cave of rocks in the same spot, for the hide, so hopefully, the next finder will put it back the way they found it and not just toss it in a hole with a couple rocks on it! :D

Retrieved TB55Z6T here, though it wasn't listed.

Found it 08/18/2018 By hagi68
I found this Cache during my 4-day short trip in the Rocky Mountains

TFTC and greetings from Switzerland

Found it 08/09/2018 By Ganzo06
Excellent view. Great cache spot!

Found it 08/08/2018 By spitoony
Found this booger after a good 30 min search. Two things to think of - size if the cache, and terrain rating. Don’t turn this into a small with a 3.5 like me

Found it 08/08/2018 By melval
Tftc

Found it 08/04/2018 By woese
Bit chilly up here today lol TFTC

Found it 07/15/2018 By OshnDoc
Great Spot. Definitely the highest Cache I have found so far. Signed the logbook and hid it just the way i found it. TFT

Found it 07/14/2018 By AJperla
TFTC WITH TC

Found it 07/14/2018 By tc54915
Caching in Colorado and Utah with AJPerla for a week. Plan is for oldies, virtuals, and counties and webcams if in the area. Temps in the 80-90s while we were there. TFTC and the beautiful scenery. BigSmile