GC16TM0 Traditional Cache Portholes (Maritime History Series)
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular Regular | Difficulty: 2 out of 5 | Terrain: 3.5 out of 5
By: cirrus @ | Hide Date: 10/19/2007 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 07.357 W104° 54.399 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 7
Scenic view  Available during winter  Medium hike (1km-10km) 
 Cache photos

Portholes



PORTHOLES

SOMETIMES, NOVICE SEAMEN WILL ASK, “HOW COME HOLES ON THE STARBOARD SIDE ARE CALLED PORTHOLES INSTEAD OF STARBOARDHOLES?” MANY OLD SALTS ARE READY WITH EXPLANATIONS, BUT ACTUALLY THE NAME “PORTHOLE” HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ITS LOCATION. THE WORD ORIGINATED DURING THE REIGN OF HENRY VI OF ENGLAND (1485). IT SEEMS THE GOOD KING INSISTED ON MOUNTING GUNS TOO LARGE FOR HIS SHIPS, AND THEREFORE THE CONVENTIONAL METHODS OF SECURING THE WEAPONS ON THE FORECASTLE AND AFTCASTLE COULD NOT BE USED. A FRENCH SHIPBUILDER NAMED JAMES BAKER WAS COMMISSIONED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AND SOLVE IT HE DID BY PIERCING THE SHIP’S SIDES SO THE CANNON COULD BE MOUNTED INSIDE THE FORE AND AFTER CASTLES. THE FRENCH WORD “PORTE”, MEANING DOOR, WAS USED TO DESIGNATE THE REVOLUTIONARY INVENTION. “PORTE” WAS ANGLICIZED TO “PORT” AND LATER CORRUPTED TO PORTHOLE. EVENTUALLY, IT CAME TO MEAN ANY OPENING IN A SHIP’S SIDE WHETHER FOR CANNON OR NOT.

Additional Waypoints

TH16TM0 - Access to Ben Lomand Mountain
N 39° 07.213 W 104° 54.654
From these coordinates, follow the dirt two-track until it ends. A single-track will then lead to the saddle, where another single-track trail runs the length of Ben Lomand Mountain. Follow that ridge trail all the way west until it ends at a Palmer Lake overlook.
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 Additional Waypoints (1)

CodeNameTypeCommentsDateCoordinatesDistance
TH16TM0Access to Ben Lomand Mountain Trailhead From these coordinates, follow the dirt two-track until it ends. A single-track will then lead to the saddle, where another single-track trail runs the length of Ben Lomand Mountain. Follow that ridge trail all the way west until it ends at a Palmer Lake overlook. 01/04/2008 N 39° 07.213 W 104° 54.654 0.45 kms SW 

 Hints

Retrieve a puzzle piece for: GC16TM6 - Devil To Pay

 Nearby Caches

GC16TKZ Scuttlebutt (Maritime History Series) (2.45 kms W)
GC16TM4 Crow's Nest (Maritime History Series) (3.27 kms NE)
GC16TM6 Devil To Pay (Maritime History Series) (3.75 kms S)
GC16TM2 Log Book (Maritime History Series) (3.93 kms N)
GC16TKX Sea Chanties (Maritime History Series) (5.19 kms S)

    


Driving Directions

 Logs

12 Logs: Found it 12  

Found it 07/05/2019 By Hikermama3
Found it, and wanting to do this one for a long time and I was in the area having breakfast at the speed trap so I decided to come on over here before it gets too too hot and I managed to find it. Tftc

Found it 04/16/2019 By gampa&gamma
Wow, this cache has been lonely for about 2.5 years! Started up the hill from the nearest trailhead and made a quick find. Signed log and replaced container as found. Thanks for the fun cache.

Found it 11/21/2016 By YamaGypsy
Came back to Colorado for Thanksgiving. First hike and cache since getting in late last night. Great way to start the morning. Awesome views I've missed so much. Cache is in good shape. Sl, thanks!

Found it 04/15/2016 By RPieperCO
Thanks for another great cache in the series! I've been looking at this one for a long time now. I just never seemed to time it right. It's always been too cold or too hot or not enough time. There is a big storm headed into the area this weekend and the cloud cover provided just enough relief and it would allow me a chance to get outside! I parked to the SW of the cache and headed up a familiar trail and veered left up the ridge. As I neared the crest I came across a small herd of deer who had no fear of me. I sat beside one and chatted for a few! Then it was off to the cache. Quick find at GZ, signed and stamped the log and replaced as found. All is well here! Back over the ridge and down the ravine, where the deer were still laying there. I sat near the one fella for a minute before heading down. Once at the bottom I ran across a couple and we started chatting. The subject turned to what I was doing and I explained about geocaching. They were aware of it but had no idea there were so many caches in the area. Armed with some knowledge they seemed eager to get home to create an account and install the app. Thanks again for the fun! I love finding these rarely found caches!

Found it 12/08/2014 By ColoradoSmith
Tried to find this one over a year ago, but there was too much snow and i decided to return some other time. I never came back, and was discouraged that no one had found it in over a year, thinking it probably wasn't there.
Today i happened to be bored and decided to try this one again. The hike was pretty tiring, but i managed to find the cache, now covered in cobwebs.
Took clue and a TB that had been sitting in the cache for over a year.

Found it 11/17/2013 By THeSKuLL
I should have focused on my fizzy back in Alabama. This would have definitely been a 5-T cache back there, especially for someone as broke-bodied as me. It took a bit of work to get here from the DNF'd 'Fast Cache' to the East. I actually climbed to the South from that one, which added .1mi to the route, but I caught the ridge line trail/road. That saved some time since it was getting dark. I got to about 40ft from GZ and got a little worried of the terrain, especially with the dust of snow. Eventually I got to the right spot and retrieved the container. Signed the log, grabbed the puzzle piece, and left a mini coin.

The light was fading quick, so I beelined it straight down to where I had parked. It was a nice little descent until the fence showed up. I followed that to a corner and reluctantly crossed the cow pie mined field. Probably not the ideal route, but there was no movement in any direction for me to worry. Plus, I've been well trained in evasion. Smile I even had a full I-got-lost-for-hours story all set. Of course, I had doubted that story myself with the smartphone flashlight and fancy GPSr dangling from my carabiner.

Oh well, smiley gotten and home safe. TFTC! Fave for the adventure.

EDIT: Altered incorrect directional.

This entry was edited by THeSKuLL on Monday, 18 November 2013 at 17:00:51 UTC.

Found it 10/27/2013 By ColoradoOB
Out grabbing a few caches on this fine October Sunday afternoon. I think I made the hike up a little harder than I needed, but it was a beautiful view from up top. TFTC, SL.

Found it 09/29/2013 By SnailMan1
I walked along the southern side of the ridge until I came to a point that I thought I could make it up to the top. I bushwhacked my way through the shrub oak to the top of the ridge. I did not see any private property signs but there is a lot of activity on top of the ridge. Most of the shrub oak has been removed for what I suppose is for fire mitigation or perhaps new houses. The cache is well below where all of the work is taking place so it seems safe, at least for now. TFTC.

Found it 07/22/2013 By romanme2
Ok I went up the side of the mountain, bushwacked to the path (ouch) and then made it to GZ. I took about 30 mins looking for the cache, including crawling underneath the brush (when you get there you will understand) to not find it. After about 30 mins I was about to give up and leave but I checked one more spot and found it, like a previous log said it is in a logical location.

Found it 06/30/2013 By k9jayhawk
TFTC SL

Found it 06/30/2013 By OF-Erad
Picked up K9jayhawk at O'Dark 30 this morning to head out to hike to a few caches. Thanks for placing this one for us to find today. It was dark, and there were some signs on the trail by the fence we crossed, but it was too dark to read them. I'm guessing we might have been tresspasing? Glad we got this cache before it is archived. SL, TFTC!

Found it 01/24/2013 By Back Country Horsemen
Was quite a challenge getting to this one. The whole time I was thinking now I have to get back up, over & down, but I made it safely. I left a Leave No Trace brochure & picked up the hint.