GC7ZP4D Traditional Cache Frances sings Opera
Type: Traditional | Size: Small Small | Difficulty: 2 out of 5 | Terrain: 2 out of 5
By: Staunton State Park @ | Hide Date: 11/04/2018 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 30.445 W105° 23.220 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
Dogs  Access or parking fee  Recommended for kids  Available during winter  Parking available  Camping available  Bicycles  Horses  Stealth required  Medium hike (1km-10km)  Seasonal Access 

Frances Staunton’s donation of her family’s 1,720 acre ranch to the State of Colorado for the purpose of developing a state park was the seminal event that eventually led to the opening of Staunton State Park on May 18, 2013. The family’s cabin still stands in the park, and we all try to comprehend what it was like for their family during the days they enjoyed this area with their friends and visitors.

It is important to understand that music was one of the central themes of Frances’s life. After attending Emerson school in Denver, she graduated from Denver East High School in 1919. Thereafter, she received her B.A. and then her M.A. in music from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. She studied piano and singing, along with French, Italian and German. She also studied under several prominent local voice instructors, and performed in numerous concerts, recitals, and radio music shows. There are many fan letters from listeners in the region who raved about her extraordinary vocal skills. She also received a scholarship from the Julliard School of Music in New York, and spent a year in residence there.

As a result of her talent and the intensive training she received, she was able to capture lead roles in several opera productions by the Denver Grand Opera Company at Denver’s Auditorium Theatre in the 1940’s. The roles that she fondly remembered later in life were the gypsy woman Azucena in Il Trovatore (The Troubadour), and as Maddalena in Rigoletto. Both of these very popular operas were composed by Guiseppi Verdi about 1850, and remain among the most memorable works in the history of opera. Recent statistics show that these two works are ranked the 9th and 20th in number of opera performances staged today. Imagine Frances practicing her singing roles on warm evenings around the cabins.

One of Frances’s close friends was a well- known opera singer named Jeanne Brola. She was married to John Harrison, who was one of the greatest voice instructors in Europe in the early 20th century, and together they formed the Brola-Harrison Voice Studio, where Frances studied. Jean Brola spent time at the Staunton Ranch, and see if you can locate evidence of her presence as you look for this cache.

This cache is located within Staunton State Park, which has one public entrance along S. Elk Creek Road, six miles west of Conifer, about 1.5 miles off U.S. Highway 285. Parking along either side of S. Elk Creek Road and Upper Ranch Road adjacent to the park boundary is prohibited. All vehicles entering the park must have a daily park pass ($8) or a CO state park annual or special pass.

The Park is open year-round, and day use hours at 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. A walk-in campground (up to ¼ mile from parking) is open for public use, and overnight parking is currently permitted only for those staying in the campground. During summer and autumn weekends, the park may reach capacity, and cars are allowed to enter only if a parking space is available. Horse trailers are admitted if space is available for parking trailers. All Park trails are natural surface, some trails are hiker-only, but other trails are multiuse for bicycles and horses also. Information about the park can be found at Staunton State Park website

All visitors must follow park rules and regulations. These include dogs on leash at all times, clean up after pets, travel on developed trails to the extent feasible, leave no trace, respect areas closed for resource management, and be careful around wildlife (especially mountain lions, coyotes, and black bears). Fires are strictly prohibited, except for camp stoves with an on/off switch in the designated campsites and grilles found in the picnic areas. No motorized vehicles are allowed on trails within the Park. An exception is the special tracked chairs that the Park offers to visitors who cannot access selected trails on their own mobility. Pack your own trash out of the back country, and trash receptacles are located near the parking areas. Also, be prepared for changing weather, bring adequate water and footwear, and trails may be snow-covered or icy in winter.

Additional Waypoints

T07ZP4D - Staunton Ranch Trailhead
N 39° 30.075 W 105° 22.727
Near upper Meadow paved parking lot and restrooms, picnic tables, and water (seasonally available). Allows access via Staunton Ranch and Historic Cabins trails. Route for bicycles and horses.
T17ZP4D - Davis Ponds upper Trailhead
N 39° 29.997 W 105° 22.787
Near Group Picnic Area and restrooms, picnic tables, and water (seasonally available). Allows access via north side of Davis Ponds loop trail, Chase Meadow trail, and Historic Cabins trail. Bicycles and horses not allowed on Davis Ponds and Chase Meadow trails.
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 Additional Waypoints (2)

CodeNameTypeCommentsDateCoordinatesDistance
T07ZP4DStaunton Ranch Trailhead Trailhead Near upper Meadow paved parking lot and restrooms, picnic tables, and water (seasonally available). Allows access via Staunton Ranch and Historic Cabins trails. Route for bicycles and horses. 10/30/2018 N 39° 30.075 W 105° 22.727 0.98 kms SE 
T17ZP4DDavis Ponds upper Trailhead Trailhead Near Group Picnic Area and restrooms, picnic tables, and water (seasonally available). Allows access via north side of Davis Ponds loop trail, Chase Meadow trail, and Historic Cabins trail. Bicycles and horses not allowed on Davis Ponds and Chase Meadow trails. 10/30/2018 N 39° 29.997 W 105° 22.787 1.04 kms SE 

 Hints

On the outside of Brola cabin

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Driving Directions

 Logs

9 Logs: Found it 7  Didn't find it 1  Publish Listing 1  

Found it 06/08/2019 By MountainBear
Found with Java Chip on a nice day! First time to the park and can't wait to come back. TFTC!

Found it 05/25/2019 By Marchello21
Quick find with Neeblet and our girl in tow. Tftc!

Didn't find it 05/12/2019 By TrailBlazer14
Dnf

Found it 05/03/2019 By Greasepot
10:48:00 AM Out at Staunton State Park today with the Culture pass from the library with my new dog Prince Hairy and my husband Garlic. Thanks! This is such a tranquil place, we love hiking here. All the caches were super fun. I think we ended up with 11 caches today to clean out the park.

Found it 04/20/2019 By uwebhofer
Easy one!

Found it 12/16/2018 By smit3245
An accidental find,as was curious about the side box. So fun as haven’t geocached in a while. Thank you

Found it 11/26/2018 By LostinDenver
CO-[FTF] with @WindAtMyBack at 4:47 pm.
Today we came up to Staunton State Park in hopes of grabbing an FTF. After an hour journey in traffic from Southeast Aurora, we arrived just before dusk. Parking was close by. This is the third cache we attempted. Sometimes I'm nervous about caching in the mountains. The tall peaks interfere with my GPS signal and I fear that it also interfered during placement. So inevitably, I am mentally preparing for being lost in the woods and attacked by bears, mountain lions, and elk. Glad it hasn't happened (yet.)
This cache is at an identifiable landmark and the hint directed my attention to the spot. Very cleverly disguised cache with some goodies inside. I love when creativity and the need for a secret spot collide so well.
I appreciate the park's involvement and support of Geocaching. TFTC!

Found it 11/26/2018 By WindAtMyBack
CO-FTF with @LostinDenver TFTC

Publish Listing 11/04/2018 By Heartland Cacher
Published