DSP&P Telegraph Cache

This is another cache in series of caches started by Grand High Pobah dedicated to Fallen Flag railroads. Fallen Flags are those railroads that no longer exist either through abandonment or corporate takeover.

The Denver, South Park and Pacific railroad was a narrow gauge line (3’ between the rails) that started life in Denver in 1874 and was headed to the mining camps in the mountains. The main route of this railroad followed the course of the Platte River through Waterton Canyon and eventually over Kenosha Pass.

The road up into Waterton Canyon is on the old railroad grade but after a little over 6 miles, it reaches the Strontia Springs Dam. At the west end of the reservoir, the old railroad grade continues and comes out where the Platte River branches into "two forks". It is at this location that you can park and walk the half mile or so to this cache.

The railroad through the canyon was constructed in 1878. It eventually became part of the Colorado & Southern Railroad. The part of the railroad between Waterton and South Platte were taken up in 1942. West of South Platte, they were taken up some 5 years earlier.

There are some interesting railroad-related artifacts along the right of way and you can see them every 100 feet or so on the hillside along the old grade. There were two methods employed for the telegraph line that followed the railroad and you can see the remains of both along the way if you keep a sharp eye out. The more common method was typical wooden poles. Most of these along this grade were sawed off leaving pole stumps about 3 feet high like this one:

The other method is more interesting and this method is in evidence along this route as well as in Waterton Canyon and just about anywhere else along this old railroad grade. They are one or two vertical metal poles stuck in rock outcroppings fairly high above the grade. Here is a photo of a double one:

This cache is hidden behind a spot where there is only one of these metal poles. And this is the one:

To get to this cache, you will have to do a bit of climbing. So be careful! The cache is hidden about 35 feet above the trail and about 25 feet behind one of these metal poles. I have included a suggested spot to begin your climb as an extra waypoint. If you try to go straight up to the cache, you might discover that it is too steep. The best approach is to go up as gradually as you can. I gave the terrain a rating of 3.5 for good reason.

This cache is not likely to be snow friendly.

Please leave the never used railroad spike in the cache.

One last thing. In a previous hike up this trail, I saw an intact wooden telegraph pole with cross arms. I thought about hiding the cache by it but did not see it when I hid the cache. There is at least one of these poles intact but farther down the trail towards the Ghost Railroad cache. Here is a picture provided by akillez:

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Additional Waypoints

ST1HYQ8 - You could start your climb here
N 39° 24.682 W 105° 09.826