In the mountainous terrain of Boulder County the name “Caribou” brings up rich history associated with Colorado’s early mining tradition.  The historic mining community of Caribou and its nearby Caribou Hill, Klondike Mountain, Caribou Flat, and Caribou Park were all about “silver”; yes, the greatest silver vein in the region was discovered in the area in economically extractable quantities in 1869, and the boom town of Caribou was organized in September,1870–quickly growing to 3,000 inhabitants.  The town burned in 1900 but it had already dramatically declined in terms of population and importance; it is now one of more than 265 known ghost or semi-ghost towns in Colorado. Several geocaches are associated with the area that offer interesting opportunities for from easy, to challenging, caching experiences.  Some of these geocaches also provide glimpses into Boulder County’s “Caribou” mining history. Boulder County recognized the historical significance of Caribou by setting aside the 2,151-acre Caribou Ranch Open Space.  

 

But there is another dimension of all these “Caribou” facts that has escaped most public understanding.  Unknown to many Boulder county and Front Range residents, the USGS has recognized a mountain peak that’s NW of Caribou Ranch by giving it the formal name of  “Caribou”.  Some refer to it as “Caribou Benchmark” because of the USGS benchmark that’s located near the peak’s summit cairn. Caribou has an elevation of 12,310 feet.  Boulder County has 87 peaks recognized as “ranked”.  Caribou is NOT one of them, but it holds official status as a “Named Peak” of the county because it has its name shown on USGS maps and is listed in the agency’s GNIS catalog.

 

The summit of Caribou provides remarkable close-in views of the high peaks just west of it along the Continental Divide of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.  It is also positioned just north of the three marvelous peaks (Arikaree, Albion, and Kiowa) within the City of Boulder Watershed. So it’s a place to reach and to leisurely appreciate. 

 

The Arapaho Glacier Trail traverses the area from the Rainbow Lakes Campground on the east side to the Fourth of July Trailhead on the west side of the Continental Divide. After climbing from the Rainbow Lakes area and reaching the vicinity of the Caribou Benchmark summit, the trail traverses west, keeping just south of Old Baldy Mountain and South Arapahoe Peak.  This wherigo cartridge will take you on a journey along this trail and then back down toward where you parked. 

 

This is a backcountry wherigo, so go prepared for possible rapid changes in weather.  Bring extra fluid and food and clothing layers, just in case.  Expect a round trip hiking distance of 9.5 miles and an elevation gain of about 2,500 feet. The road access to the parking area is not plowed through the winter months, but the summit is available by a long snowshoe excursion.  However, the final cache will be snow-covered through much of March. Download the cartridge at ~Caribou Benchmark~Then enjoy playing it in the field while appreciating the superb scenery along the way and at the Caribou summit.