1
Pinecrest Everest
This is the final
destination of a
series of 15 geocaches on a beautiful hike to an unnamed(?) summit above
Pinecrest.
Start the hike at
15 Pinecrest Gyachung Kang, which is also the parking and trailhead. Unlike the Killyon's
branch of this road, where parking has been severely restricted, parking here is
generally not a problem.
This is quite a
beautiful hike, and somewhat unusual compared to other Wasatch hikes.
Rather than up, up and more up, this hike is relatively level for quite a
distance. In fact, the first seven caches require little climbing to reach.
The hike also has no switchbacks and is composed of very distinct sections,
offering some variety. It offers a quick getaway from the valley or winter
inversion escape, although many of the caches would not be findable in very deep
snow.
Due to narrow canyon
sections and some tree cover, GPS reception is sometimes iffy, so don't hesitate
to use the hints which are intended to make your stops brief at each site.
Dogs are welcome and
plentiful. Flies (the biting kind) are not welcome and also plentiful at
times, so be sure to bring repellent (the lemon eucalyptus variety seems to work
very well). In addition to flies, some bushwhacking near the summit make
long pants and sleeves a good idea.
If you are hiking in the
summer months an early start could mean the difference between an
enjoyable hike and a somewhat miserable one. On my several hikes during
the placement of these caches, leaving the trailhead at about 6:30 AM paid off
with NO FLIES during most of the hike. They seem to become active around
10:30 or 11:00.
Although this looks like
prime rattlesnake country, I have never encountered a single snake during my
many hikes in this area. Nonetheless, use caution when reaching into
cracks, etc.
One-way hiking distance
to the summit is 3.5 miles. Elevation gain is about 1,700 feet.
The 15 caches are named
after the 15 highest mountains in the world. The highest of them all,
Mount Everest, is featured at this summit location.
The cache listing photos
were taken along the trail and are not intended as hints. Click the photos
to enlarge.
The cache containers are Pacific Northwest style (double
bottled).
Please ensure both lids are closed tightly before leaving.
The caches along your
route are listed in order below. Let the countdown to the roof of the
world begin!
15 Pinecrest Gyachung Kang (26,089 feet)
14 Pinecrest Shishapangma (26,289 feet)
13 Pinecrest Gasherbrum II (26,362 feet)
12
Pinecrest Broad Peak (26,414 feet)
11 Pinecrest Gasherbrum I (26,509 feet)
10
Pinecrest Annapurna (26,545 feet)
9
Pinecrest Nanga Parbat (26,660 feet)
8
Pinecrest Manaslu (26,759 feet)
7
Pinecrest Dhaulagiri (26,795 feet)
Dhaulagiri Heights - An EASY field puzzle can be solved at 7 Pinecrest
Dhaulagiri and found on the way to the summit.
6
Pinecrest Cho Oyu (26,906 feet)
5
Pinecrest Makalu (27,825 feet)
4
Pinecrest Lhotse (27,940 feet)
3 Pinecrest Kangchenjunga (28,169 feet)
2 Pinecrest
K2 (28,251 feet) (See navigation notes in listing)
1
Pinecrest Everest (This cache) (29,029 feet)