Top of The Reef Cache

[Windwalker]

This is an old geocaching hike, but to those that weren't there it's new. It's by far one of our more remembered cache hunts. Rather than beat an old horse to death I copied the GeoCaching.com log and pasted it here.

I believe Udink made this hike the previous year. The hike should take about five or so hours but we exploried here/there for a couple/three hours. Eight hours of hiking around just to sign your name in a log book, Mental Health could make a mint of GeoCachiers.


Our first attempt, at the "Top of The Reef" and "San Rafael BM #4" caches, was last fall using the north side trail. It was cut short by the narrow pass and a tiny rock that was supposed to be used as a stepping stone. This is where you separate those faint of heart and those that are just simply full of B.S. I've spent my somewhat short thirty year career stepping into what could be near death experience because it was my job but never have I taken a chance unless I had too or was force too. Liza's career puts her in a position of having to help heal those that try to push their limits, she's seen more blood than I have. Well, the short and sweet of it is "WE'RE JUST CHICKENed OUT!"

We hired a couple guides, returned and had what turned out to be a memorable experience that we can add to our list of "WHAT WERE WE THINKING!" caches. We saw sights that can be found no where else in the world, flirted with cliffs that give a whole new meaning to pucker power and entered small slot canyons that tested how much I can suck in my gut. Our tour guides, DeViDe, promised to "Bring Us Back Alive." And true to their word they did, although I'm quite sure I saw Dewayne pout a couple times when we said "No Way" and walked in another direction. It is positively amazing what people will do just to put their name in a little log book. The DeViDe's can't be hired for money, but rather promise them good company, a good time and you can lead them about anywhere in the San Rafael if you can find time in their busy schedule

We spent more than eight hours on this little hike, the J&L Lee teams longest to date. Two of those hours were spent just having fun exploring here and there as we returned. I and Liza did our first chimney climb, up and down. It may have only been ten feet but that was enough to add a whole new experience to our war chest of memories.

If anyone reads this log before going out to find these two caches, please give me a heads up. We took a Sachagaweea (?) Dollar from one of the caches (San Rafael Bench Mark #4 I believe) and forgot to leave a trade item in exchange. Contact me and I'll get something mailed to you. It would be a great help if I could get you to drop it in the cache for me. Good Luck, and I hope you have as much fun as we had.

Special Thanks to the DeViDe's for being our friendly guides. It made the hike enjoyable and successful.

This log will be used for both the "Top OF The Reef" and "San Rafael B.M. #4" caches. No use beating a dead horse, they were both scored on the same hike and within an hour of each other.

J&L Lee
"We're Not Lost, We Know Exactly Where We Stand!"

And it wont be on the edge of no 1,500' cliff.

[accadacca]

Wow! Nice report! The swell is truly an amazing area of the state that is unseen by the masses. Looks like an epic hike and cache. It is amazing what people will do to sign a little book. But it is all about the adventure...... Great pictures and write up, I enjoyed it.

**Only 24 more posts until you become an Explorer.

[Sombeech]

That looks like a good time. You guys really got after it!

This isn't the usuall "driving down a dirt road" cache. I think that's what most people get the impression of with GeoChaching. Those are some great pictures to show us what it's all about.

[Udink]

Nice pictures! This is one of my favorite caches ever. I wish I'd made it just a bit further to find the cache near the benchmark, but my friends were complaining (something about aching muscles...) and we were almost out of water, so we turned back after finding "Top of the Reef." It looks like you took a slightly different way up than we did, but most of those pictures look familiar.

This isn't the usuall "driving down a dirt road" cache. I think that's what most people get the impression of with GeoChaching. Those are some great pictures to show us what it's all about.

That's my favorite kind of cache. I've found quite a few caches that have sat for years with zero finds, mostly because they involve a looooong hike. Moonshine Wash south of Green River and Take a Walk Cache are a couple of my favorites, along with The Wickiup, which Wind Walkers and I raced for--I lost. :) That's a different story, but a very good one.