GC1JQWE Black Tiger Cache
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: b-line-stall @ | Hide Date: 12/07/2008 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N40° 00.332 W105° 23.790 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
               

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This cache was placed at 7600 ft and is on difficult terrain. If you don't use the trail it could be dangerous. Be careful and you should be rewarded with a beautiful view.

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This cache is located on one of the least known hiking trails in the Boulder area. It can be accessed from either end of a trail that climbers frequent. Although the East end of the trail is easiest to hike, the West end is easier to find and keeps you away from private property. The trail can be a little dangerous so wear sturdy hiking shoes and go when the weather is good. You may encounter ticks in the Spring. Allow 40 minutes if you plan to hike the entire trail, a little less if you're going out and back. If you have any doubts, read the spoiler. Be careful and watch where you're going, not your GPS.

Helpful Hint: Do NOT attempt to climb up from the canyon or down from the peak, the terrain is too steep.
Parking is possible at the intersection of Lost Angel Rd and N. Gulch Road. Worst case you can park in the Dream Canyon hiking area 1/4 mile on to the West on N. Gulch Rd.

I almost forgot to mention, this cache was placed so that on the way there, you can get a good view of the path of the Black Tiger Fire that burned through this area in 1989.

Update: I have moved away from this area, although the cache is still there. The parking situation may have changed. Here are some suggestions. The West end of the trail starts near the area where Lost Angel Rd meets N. Gulch Rd. Owl Creek Rd is also nearby. There used to be parking near this intersection. You can also find parking further West on N. Gulch Rd, in the area known as Dream Canyon, a popular hiking spot. The cache is not in Dream Canyon so you will have to hike 1/4 mile back to the intersection. The other end of the trail is East of this intersection on Lost Angel Rd. You will notice an old jeep road that heads South around the mountain. You can reach this road on public land but the easiest access might cross private land but the land owners in this area were pretty friendly. If all else fails, ask permission. Either end of the trail is easy to spot but the actual point where it hits Lost Angel is not as easy to locate. It's a great trail and worth a little effort. I hope that helps.

11/11/2015 By benji55545
I think I took the absolutely worst route to this cache, short of parking down at the bottom of Boulder canyon and attempting to climb up. I parked at the 'Attention hunters' sign posted on a tree next to a forest service map near the intersection of N. Gulch and Lost Angel roads. I didn't find the small black sign mentioned in NIMBS2K's log from 2013, but I think I found the correct trail. This was located at 40.011181,-105.4009217 and though small, it was fairly obvious even with the snow cover. I happily followed the trail until it led into a stand of trees and I could no longer see it. I ended up next to a small cabin and decided to continue up the hill. Big mistake. Looking at the satellite photos, the trail by the cabin actually curves back downhill to meet the trail I was intending on following to begin with.

So, I ended up traversing across bramble, logs, and boulders, not touching a single piece of flat ground until I got fed up and scrambled my way up to the top of the ridge. Not recommended. Oh, and did I mention how incredible windy it was today? I was half certain I was going to be blown off the mountain. Finally, blissfully, I managed to make my way down to GZ. Even with the snow, I was able to track down the cache without too much difficulty.

Now that I was at GZ, the trail was obvious, and looked like a much more desirable path as opposed to climbing back up to the top of the hill and scrambling back across. I normally take the full loop option when it's available, but since I didn't actually come from either direction on the trail, I had a choice to make. I could take the shorter option to the west, or I could take the longer option to the east, which might offer a little protection from the wind. I'm sure happy I chose the longer route to the east, because the hill did in fact block the wind, at least for much of the walk back. It took me to an old mining road, which actually had some fresh tire tracks in the snow. I jumped off the road when I saw a trail off to the northwest that appeared to head back to Lost Angel. Well, turns out not quite. It dumped me out directly on top of a house. Oops. Sorry! Skipped aside, walked down the driveway, and rejoined the proper road. I think the correct alternative trailhead is here: 40.0140067,-105.3949657

Take a look at Boulder's property viewer site (currently at http://maps.bouldercounty.org/boco/PropertyViewer) if you're interested in knowing exactly whose land you might be walking across. The area is a crazy criss cross of forest service, Boulder city, private, and mining claim land. The trails seem to be in popular use, but just keep in mind that if you come across a local they may be politely allowing you to cut through their land.

07/09/2015 By b-line-stall
I am not sure why I'm getting new maintenance reminders. The cache has been found since a needs maintenance log was posted. I have improved the trail description so it should be easier to find. When I get back to this area, I'll add some waypoints to the description.

08/17/2014 By Vivi
We hit the trails with Mondou2 today. The weather was perfect for caching. We enjoyed the variety of containers and placements.

As advertised. No problems here. What a great hike and views. SL. TFTC.

Thank you, b-line-stall, for placing this cache.

08/17/2014 By mondou2
Out caching with Vivi on this beautiful summer day. This was my third attempt and found the trail after a short walk from the sign. After that it was straight forward with beautiful views, Enjoyed the hunt. Left a whistle and SL. Thanks!

06/18/2013 By NIMBS2K
Fantastic cache. We had a great Father, Son (and Mom) outing on Father's day which included a golden eagle flying over us only 50 feet from the cache site. We loved the hike, exploring a mountain cabin on the way and the beautiful scenery along the trail.

Note: Do NOT use the "Driving Directions" link on the cache page. As mentioned in the cache details it is too steep and dangerous to hike from highway 119. Instead, Take highway 119 to Sugarloaf Rd to Lost Angle Rd and follow the directions in the cache description to find the trail. Also, the start of the West path is a little hard to find. Look for a small black sign that says "Private Drive" on N. Gulch Road just South West of the intersection of Lost Angel Rd and N. Gulch Road. The path is a few feet East of the sign and looks unused or more like an animal trail at first. Believe us, the hike is well worth the challenge to find the trail.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.