GC2HZWX Raleigh Peak
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: ernie66 @ | Hide Date: 11/07/2010 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 23.724 W105° 12.897 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
                   

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Raleigh Peak is an imposing summit just off segment 2 of the Colorado Trail and overlooks much of the area affected by the 11,900 acre Buffalo Creek Fire that swept through the area in May, 1996. The approach passes through miles of burnt forest only now beginning to regenerate. The dead snags that still stand evoke thoughts of a cursed forest from the Lord of the Rings.

Raleigh Peak has two summits separated by a saddle. The cache is near the west summit, the higher of the two. The actual summit is achievable but the cache is about 50 feet lower in a secluded alcove facing south toward Long Scraggy Peak and Pikes Peak beyond. No technical climbing is required to reach the cache.

Segment 2 of the Colorado Trail (1776) parallels an old forest road, 539. Traveling from one to the other is easy bushwhacking in most areas and either trail will work. In winter, 539 will have less snow and in summer, 1776 will be cooler.

From the trailhead at the South Platte river, expect a hike of about 10 miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 2,000 feet to the 8,183-foot summit. Take plenty of water and enjoy the views!

Additional Waypoints

PK2HZWX - Colorado Trail Parking
N 39° 24.023 W 105° 10.075
Parking area for segment 2 of the Colorado Trail.
WA2HZWX - Leave Rd 539
N 39° 24.061 W 105° 12.983
Leave Rd 539 here and and follow a faint trail partway up. You're on your own when you hit the boulders.
WB2HZWX - 539 / 1776 intersection
N 39° 23.962 W 105° 11.038
Rd 539 and Trail 1776 intersect here - take your choice.

04/28/2019 By PantalaNagaPampa
I need to figure out if I am physically capable of getting this cache! Today we approached from the end of the 2nd segment of the CT and did some bushwhacking towards the peak. I mean, why hike 5 miles when clearly it is only 2.5 miles ATCF? That made for some unnecessary ups and downs and by the time we got to the peak I was pretty tired. Within 250 feet of the placement, but it was on the other side of the rocks and I didn't have the strength/patience to wander around the boulders to find the best approach. There was a likely spot but it required some scrambling which we were not up for along with a 5 mile hike back. This route still ended with about 10 miles RT and 2500 ft elevation gain.

03/28/2019 By T0p1
Cool climb didn't expect to find anything but i did

03/11/2018 By PantalaNagaPampa
So close but not. On a whim, we spent the morning hiking from the Segment 2 Trailhead with the intent of climbing up the peak. We made it to the turnoff from the Forest Service Road and thought better of the climb once we got closer. The almost 10 mile out-and-back hike from Gudy Gaskill Bridge was enough for the day and we were unsure of how much snow we would encounter in some of the crevices today. Need to formulate a better plan for the final approach ...

04/14/2016 By Bhob
Teamed up with "animjason" and another good friend, for a nice hike on segment two of the Colorado trail - this was the tenth of eleven geocaches that we found along the way. TN-LN-SL. Thanks !

04/14/2016 By animjason
Find #7900 and what a fun adventure. Found with Bhob and muggle friend.

This was a long hike and fun scramble. Found a 5T way to the cache, and other impossible routes and other easier routes lol. Accidentally grabbed instead of discovered Jeep so dropping it back, along with a Bhob tag and Diabetes tag. Fave for sure and we'll be sore tomorrow! And Saturday and Sunday and...
Found using a seventh galaxy!

05/06/2013 By cajrrman
About 2 years after failing to find this cache and make it my 3000th find, I made the trek on my Trek once again and made it my 5982nd find. One might wonder why I didn't find 18 other caches first so that I could make it my 6000th but I didn't. I ended up in the same spot as last time and 10 feet from the cache per my GPS but no cache in sight. Except this time, armed with a copy of the hint photo, I climbed a bit more and made the find. Just as I grabbed hold of the cache, I heard thunder in the distance. I took care of business writing in the log and jotting down the Jeep TB number before heading back down. I did not experience any rain until I got back to my car. It is like a maze trying to find your way up to this cache and almost as puzzling going back down. All in all, a great adventure. I saw no one else on the trail going up or going back down today - all the way from the trailhead by the Platte River.

04/28/2012 By COpackrat
What a great day to do some caching in the South Platte area. Rode my bike in as far as I could, then started hiking. I hadn't been up here in many years (way before the fire) and the approach was entirely different today, or maybe my memory is kaput. Some great scrambling up and through the boulders (I even went through a short squeeze tunnel) and interesting routefinding as I wound my way back and forth. You picked a great little spot for the cache and I enjoyed the views and a little lunch before heading back down. It sure is a pretty place, thanks for putting such a nice cache here! (PS - I'm glad I wasn't carrying that ammo box and swag up!)