GC2KW91 Profiles of Greyrock Mountain--The Mystery Cache
Type: Mystery | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: Denali41 @ | Hide Date: 12/24/2010 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N40° 41.480 W105° 16.540 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
                   

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THIS CACHE IS NOT AT THE LISTED COORDINATES!!! You must collect field Codes with related bearing information in order to calculate the correct coordinates for the cache container.

This is a cache that represents the serious side of backcountry geocaching. Review the requirements carefully so you can establish an appropriate methodology for determining the coordinates of the cache container.

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Greyrock Mountain (elevation 7,613 feet) in Larimer County has a highly distinctive profile from Interstate 25 and other eastern vantages. Its steep southern aspect shows dramatically in silhouette as seen from the east. Many admirers of this Ranked Peak do not realize that the mountain’s lines from other directions are also remarkable and highly distinctive. This “Profile Series” consists of seven Traditional Caches placed on Ranked Peaks that surround Greyrock Mountain; a Multi-staged Cache; and this Mystery Cache. Parameters of the seven Traditionals and the Multi are listed in this table.

Caches in "Profiles of Greyrock Mountain" Series

#	Cache Name	GC #	Difficulty	Terrain	Yosemite Class
1	Southern View	GC2JQDR	2.00	3.00	Class 2
2	Southwestern View	GC2JRJ6	1.50	4.00	Class 2+
3	Western View	GC2KRKN	2.00	5.00	Class 4
4	Northern View	GC2KTA1	2.00	5.00	Class 3
5	Northeastern View	GC26C63	2.00	5.00	Class 2
6	Eastern View	GC2KH12	2.00	4.00	Class 2+
7	Southeastern View	GC2KK1C	2.00	4.00	Class 2
8	Multi-cache	GC2JPAT	3.50	3.50	Class 1

Views of Greyrock Mountain from each of these cache locations and from the stages of the Multi are breathtaking, and each provides a special profile dimension of Greyrock. To locate this Mystery Cache you will need to visit a minimum of three of these eight caches. The “mystery” associated with the effort is that the information required to calculate the location of the cache is found in only three of the Traditional and/or Multi caches-- but which three of the eight is unknown to you. If good fortune shines on you, you’ll collect the information in the first three caches you visit! On the other hand, poor fate could result in the need for you to find all eight caches in order to obtain the needed bearings to calculate the location of the final.

In any case, by the time you have the information needed to locate the Mystery Cache, you will have viewed this marvelous mountain from several angles, and you’ll feel satisfied and fulfilled by your efforts and success. And in attaining these views (as well as the treasures of the log books in all of the cache containers you’ve found!) you may have hiked dozens of miles and have reached some remote areas. Discovering the most efficient approaches for accessing certain of these caches will require careful review of maps, as well as experience in off-trail, backcountry navigation.

As you find each cache, look in the cache container to determine if it holds a special Code and True bearing you will need to determine the coordinates of the Mystery Cache. Three of the eight caches contain the Codes. Look specifically for the Code and the bearing on the inside of the cache’s lid. The Code is also written on a card that accompanies the cache container’s log. When you find a Code, write the bearing associated with that Code in the following table. Also, be certain to record in the table the specific cache you’ve found the Code/bearing in. You will need to recall the cache so you have its coordinates for your subsequent map work.

X

- Cache -	- Code -	- True Bearing -
__________	A=	_______°T
__________	B=	_______°T
__________	C=	_______°T

The bearing that is specified with the associated Code is the bearing FROM the Mystery Cache position, to your location where you have found the particular Code. After you have obtained the three bearings, work with your 7.5-minute map for the Poudre Park quadrangle or with your mapping software to determine the coordinates where the Mystery Cache container is hidden.

The terrain in the vicinity of the cache has many potential hiding places, but the specific location should be easy to recognize if you arrive near the proper GZ. When you have made your calculation, you are welcome to e-mail me your computed coordinates. If you are in the "ball park", I will help with any tweaking of your coordinates if necessary, and I can e-mail photos that will ensure that you will locate the cache on your first attempt. It’s a long hike to the Mystery Cache coordinates, and if you have performed all of the advance work correctly and have computed reasonably close coordinates, I want to make certain that you will find the container!

Good luck. Have fun with the challenges associated with obtaining the information and doing the map work needed to get you to this cache location! And really appreciate the various profiles you will observe of Greyrock Mountain!

Additional Waypoints

10/16/2015 By Cache U
Today was the perfect day to go after this final cache in the series, 60's and sunnt with a mild breeze. The CO and icezebra11 were kind enough to tweak my final coords to indeed assure I would make the find the first time to GZ. The cache is in good shape, with only three names on the log in almost 5 years. Oh, for the good old days of DGP points! I had a lot of fun going off-trail for the caches in this series, and commend the CO for the effort necessary to set this up! Kudos to those who have already found this, and to future finders!

10/26/2014 By Denali41
I recently was in the vicinity of the cache container and took a detour in order to check on it. The cache is in fine condition and remains well hidden.

11/05/2013 By Denali41
After communications and photo sharing with icezebra11 it was clear that the original cache container was missing. I gave Brad permission to log the cache because he certainly was at the exact spot and he would easily have found the cache had it been in place. It's hard to understand how the container could have been missing, because the cache is hidden in an area where muggles are unlikely, and it was well-covered. But the photos showed that it was gone. Today my puppy Orizaba and I hiked up to the cache location with a replacement container. All is well again. I wrote the names of Pixel Magic and icezebra11 on the replacement log, so the record of finds is correctly displayed on the log sheet.

I appreciate the series of profile photos that icezebra11 included with his "Found it" log. What a great collection of the various views of this fine mountain!

09/28/2013 By icezebra11
What an adventure this has been. I have been to the peaks and have seen all eight of the profiles of Greyrock that could hold a clue to the location of this mystery cache. The series started for me with the Southeast profile on February 17. Seven and a half months later I can log the smiley. It took me three attempts at the mystery container before being able to claim it.

The first attempt was when I only had two of the three bearings but I thought it was worth a try. The bearings I had crossed at a fairly flat angle so any minor plotting error can put one a long way off. Such was the case on my first try. After completing all eight profiles I had the three bearings needed. I plotted them out and then made attempt #2 to find the mystery cache. I spent about 1 1/2 hours that day looking all over the area trying to find it but I struck out again. So before trying it a third time, I provided my plotted coordinates to Denali41 who confirmed that I was pretty close. He gave me the small tweaks necessary and so I was all set.

Today I set off up the trail to find the final container. I figured this would be a "hike and grab" since I had good coordinates and an excellent hint from the cache page. Got to GZ and saw a boulder and fir tree that fit the description. I had looked in this location the second time I came up but didn't find it. I looked under that overhang this time and it still wasn't there! Now I was really scratching my head wondering what I'd done wrong. I widened my search range but didn't find a boulder and fir tree that matched the description.

I had taken some photos of the spot I first searched and I sent them to Denali41. He confirmed that I had been looking in the right spot and could see from my photos the container was gone. He gave me the OK to log the find and said he will get a new container put out.

Greyrock is a wonderful peak with many interesting profiles. It is a great climb too, with some fun scrambling near the peak. Several times when I hiked the trail there were technical climbers on the southwest face. That looked like fun too but I've never done any technical climbing. Maybe someday. Get out an see Greyrock from all the angles. It's an adventure you'll enjoy a great deal. Thanks Steve for this awesome series!!!

08/10/2012 By Denali41
Post-fire maintenance check. I was on a nearby mountain summit that had a good view of the cache locality and looked carefully with binoculars. The cache area was NOT burned by the Hewlett Fire, so the cache will be intact and available for finding when the trail system reopens to public use.