GC1ZJZ6Secret Gulch - Gunnison River Canyon
Type: Traditional
| Size: Regular
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By: Flutiste@
| Hide Date: 10/07/2009
| Status: Available
Country: United States
| State: Colorado Coordinates: N38° 29.645 W107° 03.332 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
Cache is located 1/3 mile up a gulch at the end of the Gunnison River Canyon near the Lake City Bridge. There are faint game trails up the gulch. Hiking is at times mildly difficult as some of the terrain is somewhat steep and rocky. Be aware of cactus and Yucca. Wear good hiking shoes! The old jeep trail to the north is closed. Elevation at cache: 7900'This is a really pretty hike. Here and there are small groves of trees with lots of squirrels and birds. The gulch is protected from the wind, and is warmer than the surrounding area. There are cascades of green, sparkly, polished schist in the gulch bottom, and the cache is located along a ridge of pink granite which stands out in contrast to the surrounding dark schist and gneiss. A great view of the Lake City Bridge, the Reservoir, and, in the far distance, Mt. Uncompahgre is waiting for you at the cache.
Schist and Gneiss are very hard, metamorphic rocks, and they are pretty resistant to weathering -- therefore, the Gunnison River Canyon. The river can only cut downward through hard rock like this. However, just past the Lake City Bridge, the hard metamorphic rock ends, and softer, less resistant sedimentary rock, such as shale and sandstone, begins. It's much easier for the river to downcut and meander back and forth across soft rock -- therefore, the broad valley and the lake.
This cache is one of several caches around Blue Mesa Reservoir. The cache is in a clear plastic box with a red rim.
***Hunting Season Advisory*** Hunting seasons in Colorado are in September and October. If you venture out during hunting season, be sure to wear some blaze orange and be noisy.
05/04/2015 By cb_beauty TFTC! The hardest part of finding this cache for me was deciding where to park. Once that was out of the way, this was a pleasant walk up a quiet, lost, little gulch.
07/16/2014 By afudc I took the scenic route from Gunnison to Dolores today, going over Cinnamon and Ophir passes as well as taking mostly dirt roads in the western San Juans. Picked up a few of the caches that I went by. Started my walk up to this one just as the sun rose. The vies from the top were nice. Thanks for the hide.
Secret Gulch - Gunnison River Canyon
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