[Az-Geocaching] need an opinion

[Roping The Wind]

Well, this is the cache that I am refering to the climb to...GCXD8W. This 
cache is on top of Oak Creek Canyon (on the east side, about straight up 
from West Fork trailhead... which is just up the road from Slide Rock). 
There is 1000' feet of elevation gain in less than 1/4 miles (0.23 to be 
exact, from the closest spot on highway 89A). To get to the cache, you can 
drive in on 4x4 and quad roads off of I-17. Of course, that requires alot of 
miles of driving alot of miles south on 179 and then driving back north on 
I-17. Plus, I need a good off roadable vehicle to get back there (possibly, 
so says the cache page). Why spend all that money in $3 a gallon gas and 
help support the record profits the oil companies are enjoying (at our 
expense) when I can drive a short 10 minute drive up the road from my house 
and park less than 1/4 mile away and hike to this cache? It saves money in 
gas, saves wear and tear on the truck and gives me some much needed 
exercise! :) Anyways, I was planning on going for the first find on this 
cache a few days ago when it posted. I was going to drive up the road and 
scope it out and if it looked doable, make the climb to the cache. Well, 
that day was the day of the mudslides in Oak Creek Canyon (OCC) and the 
highway was closed. Well, that day or the next... someone else got the first 
find by taking quads into the cache from on top by I-17. :(

Anyways, I might have answered my question with this cache.... GCXCMM. I 
just got the first find on it a couple of days ago. It is an 840 foot climb 
in 0.30 miles. But really it is about 700 plus feet of climbing in 0.19 
miles, where the climb really starts. It was steep! I dont think I have 
climbed a slope that steep, other than actually climbing rocks almost 
straight up! The angle of attack on this cache, as per the profile on 
mapsource software, is pretty consistant with the angle of attack for 
GCXD8W. Except, there is a couple hundred more feet of elevation for this 
cache than there was for GCXCMM.

The vegetation in OCC is mostly pine trees in the area where I would have to 
climb it. The lower part of the canyon is not very hiker friendly if you 
arent on a trail. It is very thick in manzanita bushes and catclaw and 
stuff. However, the upper part of the canyon is more navigable off trail. I 
still hope to try and make the climb up from the bottom for GCXD8W sometime 
soon. That is, at least go out and take a look at it and see if it is even 
doable.

Scott
Team Ropingthewind