SIGN UP / MEMBER LOGIN
Pine Knob CITO
Printer Version
Spy on this Cache
|
|
SIGN UP / MEMBER LOGIN |
|
|
N 39° 51.490' W 079° 41.302' |
|
|
Hopwood, Pennsylvania 15445 United States Near By Caches
Hidden On: 22 May 2003
Difficulty:
Comments:
|
|
| Additional maps for this cache available at: |
|
|
This hide is a special Cache-In-Trash-Out (CITO) cache.
This cache is located close to the summit of Pine Knob which offers a commanding view of Uniontown and beyond. It is possible to see some of the taller buildings in downtown Pittsburgh from here on a clear day. Unfortunately, this spot is also quite the party place and it gets more than its share of abuse from inconsiderate persons who just can’t enjoy the view without throwing their bottles, cans, and other trash from the viewpoint. Pigs! There is quite a bit of trash scattered around this area in spite of the best efforts of volunteers to clean it up. I don’t know if a few geocachers can make a difference but it’s worth a try. The cache will be found down in the drop zone. It has a logbook, pencil, and a few trade items but most of the space inside is reserved for garbage bags. Please take one or more and pick up as much trash as you can carry out with you. Take a picture of your cleanup effort and post it here on the cache page to show your appreciation to the Pennsylvania DCNR Bureau of Forestry for providing so many wonderful opportunities for outdoor recreation. Directions: There is an established trail to Pine Knob from Lick Hollow Picnic Area. This popular state forest picnic area is located just off of US Route 40 approximately 4 miles east of Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Lick Hollow is open from 11:00 AM to dusk from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day. It’s closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If it is closed, you can park outside the gate and hike down the access road to the picnic area and trailhead. This will add about .5 miles to your hike. It is a difficult but very scenic and fun hike that climbs approximately 600 feet in 2 miles. There is also a road which will get you much closer to Pine Knob and the cache but there are some things that you need to know before considering this route. Pine Knob Road (T-532) is in rough shape and there is a locked gate at the lower end. One sign indicates that this gate will be open in November but another says that the road is closed December to March. Huh? The gist of this is that you will probably encounter this gate if you try to drive up from the lower (west) end of Pine Knob road. It is only about .6 miles from the gate to the cache but it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to park there and hike up because there are numerous “No Parking” signs at this potential trailhead. The alternative is to come in from the opposite direction by driving down Pine Knob Road from the paved road that runs along the crest of Chestnut Ridge. This road is called SSR 2001, Seaton Road, Summit Road, or Skyline Drive depending on the map you have or who you ask. The condition of Pine Knob Road varies from poor to bad. It’s about two miles down this rough dirt and gravel road to the cache. It will almost certainly be impassible during winter months. In other seasons, and in good weather, it probably will not be all that difficult to make it all the way down and back up IF you have a rugged high-clearance vehicle. Four-wheel drive would be a bonus. It might be possible to make it in an ordinary passenger car but I wouldn’t want to try it. It will be a long walk back to civilization if you damage your vehicle or get stuck! Note: The indicated difficulty and terrain ratings assume that the geocacher will be making the trek from Lick Hollow. Geocachers who drive or ride to Pine Knob in a motor vehicle should earn their stars by picking up extra trash! Waypoints 39° 51.775', -79° 40.675' Entrance to Lick Hollow Picnic Area 39° 51.477', -79° 40.685' Trailhead in Lick Hollow Picnic Area 39° 50.712', -79° 40.980' Switchback (Halfway Point on Pine Knob Trail) 39° 51.460', -79° 41.250' Pine Knob 40° 26.395', -79° 59.720' USX Tower This cache is hidden in Forbes State Forest. Permit expires: 12/02/11  |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| ! | " | # | $ | % | & | ' | ( | ) | * | + | , | - | . | / | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | : | ; | < | = | > | ? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | : | ; | < | = | > | ? | @ | ! | " | # | $ | % | & | ' | ( | ) | * | + | , | - | . | / |
|
Clues:
decode
|
|
Add a Log Entry
CACHE LOGS - May contain hints(spoilers)! decode | |
27 Dec 2008 by
geogirty
(Finds: 4 Score: 21.5)
(Hidden: 0 Score: 0)
Open Log: Unrestricted Thank-you Al Gore! What a great day for an adventure, 65 degrees, sunny skies, Western Pa? I must be dreaming. Had to park out at the gate on 40, Lick Hollow area is closed for the season...add another star to the degree of difficulty. What a fantastic hike: the streams were roaring, small springs tumbled in amazing waterfalls, and the seeps had all but submerged the trail up to the first switch back. Managed to reach the overlook without any difficulty, the view was spectacular. A handful of kids on ATV's were there for the view as well. Of course getting to the cache had that old QM wrinkle, "how the heck am I supposed to get there?" I opted for the direct approach, after rolling, sliding and unceremoniously crawling I reached GZ. Snagged a bag and two orphaned TB's. Managed to load up half a trash bag with cans and bottles but thought the area was remarkably litter free. Headed back to the car, the descent was tougher than the climb: wet leaves + rocky treadway + bag of beer bottles = recipe for trouble. Made it to the car as the sun was setting. This is a great cache and a must do hike for anyone that loves PA woodlands. TFTC | |
|
18 Dec 2008 by
Quest Master
(Finds: 105 Score: 511.5)
(Hidden: 45 Score: 210)
Open Log: Personal use only I am pleased to report that the permit for this cache has been renewed. Pleas pay it a visit and do your part to clean up Pine Knob! Please note that the cache has been relocated slightly per DCNR regulations.
| |
|
02 Mar 2007 by
Quest Master
(Finds: 105 Score: 511.5)
(Hidden: 45 Score: 210)
Open Log: Personal use only I have been informed that the permit for this cache has expired. I will see about renewing the permit but right now it appears that the Bureau of Forestry is going to be strict about enforcing the 3-year time limit. Do not hunt this cache. It will be pulled ASAP.
| |
|
12 Dec 2004 by
Nellsnake
(Finds: 69 Score: 316.5)
(Hidden: 12 Score: 62.5)
Open Log: Personal use only 1st of 2 on a snowy but pleasant 34° day in Fayette County. This cache was getting a bit lonely, so I made the trek down past Uniontown to go after this one. The gate to Lick Hollow was closed at route 40, so I decided to drive around and up Skyline Drive. The higher I climbed, the more significant snow accumulation there was, up to about 1 inch where I pulled off from it. I parked near the entrance to Pine Knob Road since there was a sign indicating the road was closed from December through March. I had a pleasant ~2 mile hike downhill to the cache area and enjoyed the view at the lookout, although the visibility was fairly limited. However, the fresh snowfall blanketing the trees and ground in the area made up for that. I could clearly hear the peal of Sunday morning church bells down in Uniontown below, yet I could barely see down to that area below from the lookout. After snapping a few photos, I scoped out an approach to get down to where I needed to be to find the cache. Once in the area, I was able to find it fairly quickly in its spot in good shape. I signed in at 10:52 a.m. and picked up an Old Time Radio CD and a Geolutin traveling whistle and left a GEO car sticker and a GC.com keychain compass. There really wasn't any trash visible in the area for C.I.T.O. (perhaps because the snow was covering it up). I then had a nice invigorating hike/jog back up to the car. Thanks, QM!
|
