WILLAMET Traditional Cache

This cache combines two of my favorite things about geocaching. Hiking in the forest and finding benchmarks. The cache is reachable by hiking up the Newton Road from Highway 30, or down from the Newton Road parking area off of Skyline Blvd. The hike is a bit steep either way you go, but is on good trail. Just take your time. You either hike up to get to the cache, or up to get back to your car - your choice. :-)

The cache is hidden near one of my favorite benchmarks, RD3664 WILLAMET. It is one of the oldest in the Portland area with a date of 1881. It is also one of the few benchmark discs with a name as a designation. While you are at the cache site take a short side trip and see this great piece of history. Log it too!

If you are going up from Highway 30 you will pass two white mile posts. At milepost 2 you are about halfway there. At milepost 1 you are almost there, just around the corner and up the hill. From this direction the leaning tree and cache are on the right of the trail.

If you are going down from the Newton Road parking area just follow the main trail downhill all the way. Going downhill the leaning tree and cache are on the left.

There is a 4GB USB drive (still in package) and medal for FTF. Cache has other kid-friendly swag and room for small trackables.

Congratulations to CrunchyFrog83 for the FTF!

The Benchmark:

1. Benchmark coordinates are N 45° 36.297 W 122° 47.703, although GPS signals bounce around and you may have better luck following these instructions and using the photos for reference.
2. From the cache cross to the other side of the trail.
3. Find the spot where the geotrail goes between a Douglas Fir tree on the right and a Maple on the left. From this spot you will see white and blue flagging tape on a bush to the right. Directly in front of you between the trees in a NE direction, to the left of the nearer tree that has a two-pronged fork, you will see two tall skinny trees in the distance, one behind the other. The benchmark is directly in line with these two trees beyond the farthest one.
4. Follow the ridge about 127 feet using the trees as a guide. This will require some bushwhacking, but nothing major. About halfway you will find a big dip that you will have to drop down and climb back up to the ridge. Shortly after this you will see the benchmark area.
5. You will come to an open area covered with ferns and vegetation. On the far right is a multi-trunk tree. On the far left is a tree with what looks like a white spout sticking out of it. In the center between these two is a white witness post for the benchmark.
6. The benchmark is immediately behind the witness post on the ground next to the fern.
7. Return to the trail by following the ridge back the same way you came.
8. Be sure to log your benchmark find on geocaching.com at RD3664. Find other benchmarks near caches you visit by looking under the Find... list below the cache description using the ...all nearby benchmarks link.

Have fun! Be safe.