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GCG35V
Smelter Mountain cacheType: Traditional | Size: Regular 
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| Terrain:  By: DanceGypsy @ | Hide Date: 05/10/2003 | Status: Available Country: United States | State: Colorado Coordinates: N37° 15.756 W107° 53.364 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 8 Hike to the top of Smelter Mountain for great views of Durango. From Rte 550/160, exit the highway at Centennial Center strip mall (where Office Depot is). If you're coming from downtown Durango that's the next exit south of the Visitor Center exit. Take the dirt road north of the mall (CR 211) and immediately turn right on a gravel road and park in the dirt parking area at N37 15.165 W107 52.738, at the sign that says "Public Parking". Walk over to the trailhead at 37 15.257 W107 52.739. Don't worry about the no admittance signs on the construction site, the trail is not within the construction zone. This trail is quite steep in places so don't try this route unless you are a moderately strong hiker. The cache is near the top of Smelter Mountain. If you're strong enough to make it up the first 500 feet, you should be able to do the round-trip to the cache and back within 3 hours. If you're a very strong and fast hiker, you could do it in half that time. If you want some variety on the return, bushwack down the mountain rather than taking the trail. I suggest that you get yourself into one of the several north-south slickrock washes and follow it south until it empties into the east-west canyon. Follow this trail east, until it comes out where you left your car. This route is pretty, and cooler. An alternative route to the cache is to drive up the 4WD road to the top of Smelter Mountain. See map below. Take CR 211 1.7 miles to where the road (for the present) is blocked off for the Animas-La Plata Project, at N 37 14.513 W 107 54.185. Turn right (north) onto the gravel road. (Unfortuntely, this route may be blocked off at any time due to the A-LP, cutting off this access option.) Assuming the road is open, drive on up. At N 37 15.118 W 107 54.960, bear right (northeast) at the Y. The road gets really, really bad after this, with deep ruts. Continue up, then along the top of the mountain, heading east toward the cache, past all the radio towers. Park at the repeater station at N37 15.761 W107 53.348. The cache is an easy, almost flat 5 minute walk from there. This road is suitable for 4WD, high-clearance vehicles only. If you get partway up the road and decide it's too gnarly, you could always pull off and park, it is also a pleasant walk the rest of the way to the cache via the road. Original cache contents: plastic purse, shirt, tie-dyed handkerchief, plastic dog, shoelace pack, postcard, trivia game, monster roller, bead necklace, pink earrings, kids' video, paperback book. ADOPTED BY SHASHYAZ&FOXY
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Cache is in a oak thicket just south of the trail.
GC54JFY Stairway2Heaven (4.09 kms NE) GC8QN1X No trees at this altitude (211.00 kms N) GC8QM4A So many posts this will have you spinnin (211.38 kms N) GC28B9P The Elusive Shrub (211.68 kms N) GC28BDT A fixer upper (218.88 kms N) |
Driving Directions
12 Logs:
 Photo Photo
Near Smelter Mountain cache- a beautiful view of Durango!
Hogsback & Perins on the way up Beautiful Durango, COStill hiking up!
Southeast of DurangoLooking off towards the Southeast from near Smelter Mountain cache.
From parking
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