A small, family-friendly traditional cache along the Estes Park trail system.
An easy one just off an excellent bike and walking path. The path was damaged in some locations by the floods of 9/13, but is in fine shape here. The parking lot coordinates are about 0.15 mile away, and you can pick up the trail there and walk right over. The path is generally plowed in winter. Deep snows are likely to make the cache hard to find, although an inch or less might not be a problem.
There is also a nice, new little pocket playground near the parking lot that small kids will enjoy. It has a kid-sized climbing wall (only in Colorado; we train 'em young!) as well as the usual equipment. Bring the family along!
The name of the cache comes from my nephew in Southern California who came to visit us one Christmas and, somewhat to his amazement, saw kids playing hockey on the frozen pond nearby. Our family has referred to this location as the Hockey Ponds ever since.
If the location looks familiar to locals, it is the site of a former cache (Ponder This) that went walkabout (swimabout?) in the floods and has since been archived. The container is a small camouflaged lock-and-lock with room for a few travel bugs and a little swag.
The Town of Estes Park has given permission for this geocache. Please re-hide it well and try to keep the vegetation in good shape. And have fun!
Congratulations BugRanger on the FTF, despite wintery weather!
Additional Waypoints
P15GGD4 - Parking lot
N 40° 20.794 W 105° 30.683
Small parking lot at a pocket playground
Hockey Ponds
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