Park ^4

CONGRATULATIONS TO rodman69 FOR THE FTF!!

The boundary separating Jackson and Grand Counties is the high ridge of the Continental Divide as the divide trends generally east-west through the Rabbit Ears Range. The highest peak in this range is appropriately named Parkview Mountain. It rises west of Willow Creek Pass to an elevation of 12,296 feet. In the 1930s a stone emergency shelter was built at the summit. It still stands and is open to all who reach the top–it’s visible from long distances, and serves as a motivating beacon to those who attempt the hike/climb. What makes Parkview particularly special is not this structure–it’s the sensational views in all directions from the summit that differentiates this mountain from the others in the Rabbit Ears Range. Once you’ve witnessed them, this spectacular setting will be indelible in your memory.

I’ve named this cache “Park ^4". Why? From the summit of Parkview Mountain four prominent “Parks” are on display. Immediately to the south, the expanse of the northern portions of Middle PARK is conspicuous. Shifting to a northern view, the southern reaches of North PARK dominate the view. To the northwest the mountains of the PARK Range, which form the western border of North Park, rise up, crowned by the higher peaks of Mt. Zirkel Wilderness. And to the east, the high, beautiful peaks of Rocky Mountain National PARK complete the summit panorama. Truly, Park ^4...

Getting to the cache location takes some serious effort. Parkview Mountain’s top is flanked by pretty steep terrain that results in some huffin’ and puffin’ while reaching it. None of it exceeds Class 2, but the loose scree will make the effort seem even greater than it actually is! Descending can be even more challenging than the climb for some people, but can be done safely if suitable care is taken. But the overall effort can be well worth it because by accomplishing it you earn several noteworthy stars: the personal satisfaction of getting to the top of Parkview and back down; a cache that won’t be shared by too many other geocachers; and the inspiring scenery associated with four wonderful “Parks”.

The cache is placed about 40 feet from the SW corner of the shelter at the north end of a natural rock “rim” that’s 2-3 feet in height and 15-20 feet long. It’s made easy to find to compensate for the work you’ve done to reach its location. After signing the cache log and recording your thoughts, be certain to sit down and admire the wonderful vistas. Scope out the inside of the rock shelter. The interior walls serve as a “summit register” that people sign and date to show their having reached the summit! Sign it, even though signing it does not qualify as having found the cache. For that, you must sign the cache log. Under Attributes I've listed the hike distance as both less than as well as greater than 10 km. If you need to hike all the way in from Willow Creek Pass, the distance is about 8 miles round trip. If you have a high clearance 4-wheel drive and can find and negotiate the correct jeep road, the distance is less than 10 km.

A word about nearby Benchmarks. Three were once near this summit, two inside the shelter. The “Nail” Benchmark is no longer present, as the table’s been removed. That’s too bad–such a unique BM! The BM designated as the “center” of the inside “remains” because there is still a “center” to this structure, and the “center” was the BM, not a disk or other object. It’s another unique, actual BM. The PARKVIEW Benchmark seems to be missing, although the reference disk for this BM is still in excellent condition. embedded as a brass disk in the shelter’s foundation concrete at its NE end.

Enjoy your visit to the top of this mountain. Enjoy your cache find.