By Roy Pace (RSPace)

On August 8, I was able to go on an amazing hike along Potter Ridge with alaskatim, glenn.fish, Ladybug Kids, rb127126, and Shrike841. A few weeks prior, I had heard murmurs that a hike was being planned and that I should get myself on the invite list. For those unfamiliar with Potter Ridge, it is roughly L-shaped and consists of Caballo Blanco, Ruby Peak (aka McHugh Peak-West), McHugh Peak, Houdini Hill, and Grandview Peak.

We met at the agreed-upon early hour of 08:00 at Storck Park and soon enough started up the trailhead on Potter Heights Dr. The beginning of the trail was a bit tricky with head-high grass, which eventually transitioned to trees, including the occasional wall of alders. Our first cache was one of Ladybug Kids’ placements. He gave us a mini history lesson on the placement and trail, which really helped in understanding some of the Chugach Park access and landowner conflicts in the area.

We came to our next cache, owned by akgh519, just as the landscape was transitioning to a more alpine terrain. This would have been an uneventful find except for the presence of a huge bull moose. Fortunately, he did nothing more than give us the side-eye before slowly ambling off. Caballo Blanco really dominated the landscape by now and we could see just how much higher we needed to climb.

Summiting Caballo Blanco brought us the reward of another cache, however, dense cloud cover had moved in during our ascent and spoiled our view from the top. Crossing the ridge to the base of Ruby in the fog was an ethereal experience, especially seeing the guys ahead of me fade in and out of view, yet hearing them well. I’m truly glad I was with this group because a fall would have… well, let’s not think of that.

alaskatim broke away from the group as we neared the base of Ruby for a few other caches, however, I am sure it was because he was tired of providing the adult supervision. Before you get nervous, though, we still all managed to finish the hike intact!

Ascending Ruby was challenging, enough so that I began to question my wisdom in proceeding ahead rather than breaking away with Tim. We did start seeing some breaks in the clouds, though that mainly reinforced how much higher we had to go. We finally made it despite burning legs and chests. The clouds continued to thin and we started seeing glimpses of Turnagain Arm to the south.

If you guessed the next part of the story involved yet more climbing in the fog, then you are correct! McHugh Peak is a majestic 4,300 foot elevation and we were already tired. Yet, we know that cachers persevere so we eventually made it! By now the sun had almost completely burned off the clouds, treating us to sweeping views of Turnagain Arm, McHugh valley, North and South Suicide Peaks, and our exit, Houdini Hill. Getting to find a FrostG1anT cache at the McHugh summit was simply the bonus.

Having reached our goal of the McHugh summit, we were now faced with the difficult choice of taking a short detour across the ridge to the east and pick up a couple more caches, or start our trek down. You can guess our choice: hint, it was more caches! If by some random chance you thought we might have headed home you should probably turn in your official geocaching card. Really.

By now, it was time to head back and we started our decent along Houdini Hill. As with life, there were still some ups and downs to go, but I felt an overall sense of satisfaction whenever I happened to glance back and see where we had been. I won’t lie, getting back to the cars was something of a relief because, wow, I was tired! Too tired and sore to partake in the after-action taco feast. Next time!

Lastly, a huge shout-out to Ladybug Kids, who checked out the trailhead two times in as many days: I guarantee he got soaked plowing through the wet foliage the first night. He also helped us with understanding the route and endpoints, so the hike was much smoother due to his efforts.

Total trip stats: 9.25 miles, 4420′ total elevation gain, 12 hour total time. Starting point was Potter Heights Dr and ending at Honey Bear Dr. Because I know you also are wondering: 15 caches were found that day

by Michael Malvick (Ladybug Kids)

In July 2026, my younger daughter and I joined my brother and his family for a trip to Thailand to attend a wedding of a Norwegian cousin.  The day after the wedding,  American and Norwegian family members took a tour of Ao Phang Nga National Park in Phang Nga in the Strait of Malacca between the island of Phuket and the mainland of the Malay peninsula of southern Thailand.  The highlight of the tour for me was visiting “Koh Panak Mangrove Hong” Earthcache (GC5TY1K).

“Koh” means “island” in Thai.  A “hong” is a sinkhole that formed in the middle of the limestone island due to the rock being dissolved over time by water, similar to how limestone caves are formed.  What makes this hong unique is the bottom is accessible only through a narrow passageway that is filled with water at high tide and becomes navigable as the tide falls.  Our tour operator scheduled the tour so we arrived at the island just as the passageway could be swum through, but before the hordes of kayakers arrived.  So, with mandatory swim noodles and flashlights (torches) in hand, we jumped off the boat and followed our intrepid guide through the passageway.

We had to be careful not to bump our heads on the sharp rocks and to look up in other places to see the surprising variety of speleothems (draperies and stalactites) growing off the ceiling and upper walls. Just as we entered the hong, the only rain of the day started falling, which was not a problem since we were all already wet from the neck down. Once inside, we enjoyed swimming and walking on the muddy bottom around the mangroves and seeing many mud skipper fish hanging out on the roots and trunks of the trees. We looked up in awe at the circle of sky above us formed by the hong’s vine and tree covered limestone walls.        

Once our visit was complete, we headed back through the passage and saw that the tide had fallen enough for a group of kayakers to enter the passageway, but not quite get through, so our timing had been perfect. Photos on the cache page indicate the tide drops far enough for visitors to eventually be able to walk through passageway, leaving kayakers who tarry inside the hong too long high and dry. 

With everyone successfully navigating the passageway back to the bay, we set course for “James Bond” island and lunch at a floating village.

By Mike Malvick (GreatlandReviewer)

When the time comes to remove a cache page from the public-facing geocaching.com website and geocaching application, the “archive” log type under “admin tools” on the website and the “archive” log type in the application is the correct step to take. The local Reviewer or the Cache Owner using the “archive” log type has the effect  of removing the cache from cache maps, pocket queries, lists, and other places. The cache page remains visible on the Cache Owner’s “Geocaches Owned” list, but it appears greyed out with the “archived” notation. The cache page may still be logged, but not edited, unless the cache page is locked by a site administrator or the local Reviewer. Only a site administrator at Geocaching HQ or the local Reviewer can “unarchive” the cache page to return it to active status.

Different from the “archive” log is the “disable” log. This log type “disables” the cache page which normally indicates the cache container is unavailable in a field due to the container missing, the location being closed, or for other reasons. The cache page may still logged and edited, and the cache still appears on maps, pocket queries, lists, and other places, but the icon’s appearance is different to signal its disabled status. The Cache Owner and the local Reviewer may “enable” a disabled cache page when the cache is ready to be found.

Cache Owners are encouraged to archive their own cache pages when they are no longer able to perform maintenance on a cache in the field, they move away after removing their container from the field, land manager policy (permits) change, etc. If the Cache Owner only “disables,” the cache page, the cache page remains public-facing and a thirty-day clock starts running which will lead to a follow-up Reviewer Note reminding the Cache Owner to perform the necessary maintenance and “enable” the cache page. If the Reviewer Note is not acted upon, the local Reviewer will eventually archive the cache page, but not before the defunct cache page has continued to be visible for several weeks after the cache itself was no longer viable. This interim period of the cache page being disabled when the Cache Owner knows maintenance will not be performed and the cache page will not be enabled can be skipped by the Cache Owner going directly to the archive step.

Ideally, as Alaska State Parks permit compliance work continues and caches are removed from the field by cachers other than the Cache Owner, an “owner maintenance required,” log should be written to the cache page to notify the Cache Owner that the cache page may be archived. The Cache Owner should then archive the cache page themselves. 

By following these logging guidelines, Cache Owners can reduce their local Reviewer’s workload and do their part to keep the playing field clean.

By Wes Skinner (NorthWes)

This is an update on compliance with terms of the 2026 Geocaching Permit issued by Alaska State Parks.

1. August 31, 2026 was the target date established by GeocacheAlaska! Inc. for geocachers to work towards in bringing their cache placements within Alaska State Parks into compliance with terms of the new 2026 permit requirements. Here are notes on progress in meeting compliance goals:
   As of August 21, we’ve reached approximately 40% compliant status across all state parks. We’re expecting a dramatic increase in this compliance rate after the August 30th event set in Eklutna valley, with the purpose of removing geocaches associated with the HELP power trail along Eklutna Lake. Please continue your efforts to get ‘owner maintenance’ logs completed on geocaches you own (or where you’ve agreed to act as a proxy for owners who are unable to reach the geocache themselves). See point #2 below for preferred best language to use in logging your owner maintenance visit. Note that compliance with this requirement is being monitored by GeocacheAlaska! Inc.’sAdvocacy Committee using the Geocaching Swiss Army Knife (GSAK) application. After August 31, caches without owner maintenance logs may be disabled by Greatland Reviewer, generally giving one more month to attain compliance with permit conditions. If you receive a “Temporary Disable” note from the local reviewer on your geocache, read the log and the prior reviewer note carefully to see how you can bring your cache into compliance.
2. Recommended owner maintenance log templates (both physical and online):
   Tip: add a photo of the cache logsheet to the online owner maintenance log showing this language to help with confirming compliance! If you act as a proxy, make sure you obtain cache owner agreement ahead of time. Cachers who have already logged an owner maintenance note with “recently found,” “good to go,” and others versions are requested to please edit their logs with the appropriate template to assist the audit team
   1.  Annual Owner Maintenance for Alaska State Parks permit number LAS-35694.  Cache container inspected and log signed, as required.”
   2. “Annual Owner Maintenance for Alaska State Parks permit number LAS-35694 performed by pre-arranged proxy with CacherX.  Cache container inspected and log signed by CacherX on behalf of the Cache Owner.”
3. Alaska State Parks states it is unable to supply GeocacheAlaska! Inc. with shape files for the more than one hundred state park campgrounds where geocaches are not allowed.
   Alaska State Parks replied to our request for state park campground shape files with this statement: “We believe the location of a developed/designated campground should generally be readily identifiable to someone placing or maintaining a cache. A cache owner should not need a GIS layer to determine whether they are placing a cache within an established campground—for example, an area with designated campsites, campground facilities, access roads, signage, etc.” Thus, individual geocachers are responsible for ensuring their geocache placements meet the terms of this statement, and we further recommend that geocachers keep their caches at least 0.1 mile outside of the areas described by Alaska State Parks as ‘readily identifiable’ as an established campground. As always, individual geocachers are responsible for meeting the conditions of use set by land managers.
4. GeocacheAlaska! Inc. will not be reporting virtual caches or earthcaches as part of the 500-cache limit count to Alaska State Parks. The type of ‘noncompliant use’ of state park lands allowed by permit involves physical geocache containers owned by private individuals which are left on public lands. The no-container aspect of both virtual caches and earthcaches removes them from the count.
5. Additional known land use policies for Alaska may be found at the following links: Wiki: https://gcwiki.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/GEO/pages/526814/Alaska.  The link may also be found at the bottom of https://gcak.org/advocacy/

by Wes Skinner (NorthWes)

As August ends, we geocachers are about to see the onset of fall. This means access to geocaches placed in the wild areas of parks and forests will begin to become more challenging, with snow easily possible at higher elevations by the end of September. Strong efforts by individual  geocachers have produced positive results regarding our efforts to bring all geocaches placed on Alaska State Parks into compliance with the new 2026 permit allowing geocaching to occur on state park lands. As of August 21, 40% of all geocaches on all state park lands are deemed  compliant with the permit. More than 300 geocaches have been archived, helping us reach towards the permit cap of 500 geocaches total in Alaska State Parks.

The update article contains language we’d like to see used in logging an owner inspection under terms of the permit. Photograph your physical log and include that in the online log! This language allows us to more easily verify owner maintenance efforts as we’re using GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) to track status of geocaches on state park lands. Note that we have included a format to document when an owner maintenance visit is performed by proxy (meaning someone whom the cache owner has given permission to for performing the owner maintenance visit). The proxy log helps us keep accountability for how maintenance actions are occurring. Here are those suggested log versions (as also seen in the update article):

1. “Annual Owner Maintenance for Alaska State Parks permit number LAS-35694.  Cache container inspected and log signed, as required.
2. “Annual Owner Maintenance for Alaska State Parks permit number LAS-35694 performed by pre-arranged proxy with CacherX.  Cache container inspected and log signed by CacherX on behalf of the Cache Owner.”

As president, I’m striving to keep a positive mental attitude as I work through my personal emotions generated while working through the issues related to complying with the new permit. There’s been a broad spectrum of negative feelings, and I’m sure you’ve experienced many of them as well. I want to thank our volunteer community reviewer (Greatland Reviewer – Mike Malvick) and our Advocacy Committee member Roy Pace for their suggestions, input, and many many hours of hard work in helping work out the details of implementing the new terms of this permit. Without their work and and feedback, the positive progress we’re tracking would not have been possible.

Again – winter is coming. Please strive to get out and perform cache maintenance visits (and log them online!) so that your geocaches keep their place in Alaska State Parks. And, if necessary, enlist the help of others to reach out and take care of geocaches you’re not able to access right now. We have a suggested proxy log for those visits, and there are quite a few local geocachers eager to help out in achieving successful cache maintenance visits. Don’t hesitate to archive geocaches as necessary, and keep a positive attitude as we strive to become compliant with the permit.

By Mike Malvick (GreatlandReviewer/ladybugkids)

Adoption notices for scobey’s caches have started going out today July 30.  If you signed up to adopt one of scobey’s caches, the e-mail account you linked to your geocaching.com account will receive and e-mail from “Geocaching” with the title ”You have a geocaching adoption request.”

To complete the adoption process, open the e-mail and click this link:

The following window will pop up in your default browser:

Click the three “yes” boxes and “accept.”  A second window will open which reads:

Click the “view your new listing” to view the cache page that now appears under your profile.  You may edit and update the cache page as necessary using the “Admin Tools” in the upper right hand corner of the page.

If you missed out on adopting a scobey cache and would like to, the list is posted in the GeocacheAlaska! forums at https://geocachealaska.proboards.com/post/22975/thread.  Reply to the post with the GC of the cache(s) you wish to adopt and you will receive an adoption notice will be sent to you within a week.

Via The Geocaching Blog 

 

 

Accessibility meets adventure: the Birkenstock-friendly guide to geocaching

BirkenstockReport is an Alaskan geocacher with a mission: to make geocaching more inclusive and accessible while celebrating adventure and exploration in all its forms.

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As a young adult, an autoimmune disease left BirkenstockReport paralyzed for 6 months. Now in recovery, she wears Birkenstocks, a type of sandal, to help her feel the terrain underfoot.

With each geocache she finds, she leaves a “Birkenstock-friendly” rating to let others know what kind of terrain (and footwear) to expect.

In this interview, BirkenstockReport provides thoughtful insight on how geocachers of all abilities can find an adventure that meets their needs.

 

Geocaching HQ: When did you start geocaching?

I started caching in May of 2025! I am almost complete on a 366-day streak! I have lived in South Central Alaska for the last ten years and have been so overwhelmed by how great the caching community is up here.

 

Geocaching HQ: How did you select your username? Does it hold a special significance for you?

My username is BirkenstockReport. I wear neon colored Birkenstock Arizona UVA sandals pretty much every day of the year. Sometimes even with socks! I earned my name by providing a “Birkenstock-friendly” rating on all the caches I find. When I rate a cache, I am basically telling you if you could find this cache wearing rubber sandals.

The reason behind the Birkenstocks is that I had a bout with Guillain-Barré syndrome when I was 19. I lost feeling in my hands and feet, and grew slowly paralyzed until my amazing team of doctors at OHSU could diagnose me. I received donor antibodies (thank you for your blood donations!) and regrew my nerve function over the next year, but even after I learned to walk again, the hands and feet never really came back. You can learn more about my journey here. As a result, I find that the fewer layers on my hands and feet, the less clumsy I am, hence the toes out in an arctic climate. I do find caches while wearing boots or tennis shoes when I need to, but only to protect my skin, since I often don’t realize when I have a splinter, a blister, or frostbite.

Geocaching HQ: Many of your cache logs include a “Birkenstock rating.” Can you explain your rating system?

The system can be kind of arbitrary, and also depends on the season. Winter caching in Alaska is not for the weak, so I try to project what it might be like in summer for most of my ratings. A 10/10 means that the cache is probably 100% Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible, which doesn’t just mean that it’s on paved ground. I pay attention to how far the curb dip is from that portion of the sidewalk, and if there are ADA spaces in the parking lot. I don’t need those supports anymore, but sidewalks without curb dips used to be the endgame for me. A 9/10 is probably a cache hidden on a well-stomped trail. An 8/10 probably isn’t ADA-friendly, but it is probably a grassy area free of thorns and large rocks to trip over. The next big impact is slope. A steep terrain of any kind can make me slide right out of the backs of my shoes, or slide through them and tear them. Those generally run about 5/10. Anything below a 5 means that I would have swapped out to tennis shoes or boots if I had planned better. A low Birkenstock rating does not mean the cache is bad. It just means that I had to plan my route more carefully or come back with friends to be successful.

Geocaching HQ: What are your must-have supplies or TOTTs (Tools of the Trade)?

My must-have TOTT is bear spray and friends to talk loudly when we are out and about with the big creatures. My other favorite TOTT is my extendable hook. I think it’s usually for grabbing frisbees, but we have a lot of urban high-terrains that require tree climbing or fishing, and I love those ones! Mirror sticks are also great for checking under ledges and such. Caching in Alaska is awesome because you can kinda throw your hands in any little nook and not worry about snakes and spiders, but you can still end up with cuts and bites if you’re not careful.

Geocaching HQ: When you plan an outing, how do you know which geocaches will be accessible?

I love to review logs when I am winding down for the night. If I plan to explore an area, I make a list of caches that I think will be accessible to me. I can handle long walks and steep climbs, but I do struggle with caches that require balance, such as some tree climbs, and especially caches that say “you’ll feel it before you see it.” No, I won’t! I call these splinter caches because I pretty much only come up with splinters that get infected. I really appreciate it when COs include that line on the page or in the hint, because I know to save it for a group outing, or at least to try and pack a mirror stick.

I also find that boulder fields, such as the one that leads to one of Alaska’s oldest caches, can be pretty tricky for me. I’m still going to do it; I just know that I need to take my time and wear layers so that when I do slip, I don’t get scratched and bruised. I’m also probably never going to get a rock climbing cache, and that’s OK! Not all caches need to be for all bodies. That would make the game horrible, because cachers are diverse people and like finding different caches. The important thing is just that the cache page has as much information of that sort as possible to help someone decide what works for them.

Geocaching HQ: What are some misconceptions about geocaching and accessibility?

1. Pavement is not automatic accessibility. There are a lot of factors that make a cache accessible or inaccessible. Check out Handicaching.com to explore their rating system to help you understand the factors for people who use mobility devices.
2. Not all disabilities require the same supports or TOTTs.
3. There is nothing wrong with hiding only high terrain caches. Hide the kind of caches you want to find.
4. Not all disabilities require terrain considerations. Warning someone that a cache has flashing lights or a jump scare is helpful, too, if you can find a way to do it without spoiling it. One of my favorite caches of all time would be a nightmare for some of my friends with auditory concerns.
5. There are caches with higher terrain that are still ADA accessible– especially Virtuals and EarthCaches that can be completed by boat, and Traditionals/Mystery Caches/Multi-Caches that can be found while sitting in a kayak or on a 4-wheeler or while riding a horse. Some of these seem obvious, but if it’s not, consider sharing that on your cache page.

 

Geocaching HQ: How can cache owners make their caches more accessible?

Be a yapper! Talk about your cache on the cache page. You can do this in a very straightforward way by using a handicaching rating, or explaining the terrain with bullet points, or you can just tell the story of the day you hid the cache. Telling us about where you parked, how far you hiked, what you saw along the way, the snacks you had, what the grass and mud felt like when you slipped, how bad the mosquitoes were, whatever you want. That storytelling shares essential info that can help a cacher decide if this cache is right for them. Plus, reading logs and cache pages is fun. Maybe even more so for people who don’t get to be out in the outdoors as much as they’d like.

Geocaching HQ: What’s your favorite part about geocaching? What keeps you engaged with the game?

I love being together across time in nature and sharing those experiences with people around me.
I am also a stats nerd and love challenge caches. If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, find some challenge caches and challenge yourself! You don’t even need to sign the log to take on the challenge (just don’t log as found until you’ve actually signed the log, of course).

I am also OBSESSED with the Cache Odyssey series. This is a set of six GeoTours that has hidden a fully ADA-accessible Letterbox Hybrid geocache in each state. They worked really hard to make sure that every cache was unique and interesting. Most of them are Large and require multiple stages or gadgets to find the logbook, and are an awesome way to introduce a friend to geocaching. My first find was obviously the Alaska Cache Odyssey, but every time I travel to a new state, that’s the first cache I look for.

  BirkenstockReport challenges all of us to think more deeply about what “accessible” actually means. Accessibility is more than just an attribute—it includes terrain, environmental conditions, safety information, and detailed cache descriptions.

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Via The Geocaching Blog 

By Mackenna Handeland (BirkenstockReport) 

        In 2004, Jeep became the first business to partner with Groundspeak on a trackable campaign. They released 4,000 matchbox-style yellow Jeep Wranglers with custom TB dog tags into the wild. The campaign was so successful that it was followed up in 2005 with 5,000 white Wrangler Rubicons, in 2006 with 6,000 Green Jeep Rescues, and in 2007 with 8,000 red Jeep Commanders. The 2004 jeeps were delineated simply with numbers; the 2005 jeeps were given first names; the 2006 were all named after mountain peaks in the United States, and the 2007 jeeps were labeled with north american rivers.  Many of these travel bugs are still in circulation today– a few with the original Matchbox cars, a few with replacement cars or tags, and a few full-on proxies or replacement jeeps. 

When they were first published, they all had the same goal, which was simply to move around to caches and meet as many cachers as possible. Of course, some of them were instantly taken and saved for personal collections; some disappeared through normal travel bug attrition, and as they became rarer to find in the wild, some were straight up “stolen” and placed for sale on eBay, with sales topping out over $100 for some. Many folks fought back against this with Jeep TB recovery missions– rescuing them from archived or lonely caches, reaching out to people no longer in the game who had logged them, and helping maintain them in various ways. It’s probably one of those good samaritans who found TB1NN9Y and refurbished it. It still has the original jeep and dog tag, but and they added a laminated card and gave it a mission: to go back to its namesake river, the Situk.

I was in Iowa in June of 2025 and had only been caching for a little over a month when I saw a “TB Hotel” on the map, GC2G63Z “Rose’s Travel Bug Bed and Breakfast.” Intrigued, I drove over to a neighborhood not far from my hotel and was delighted to find a very large tote next to someone’s front porch. Inside were three very nicely labeled and large pelican cases, the biggest of which was for trackables. I didn’t know much about trackables yet at that point, and hadn’t picked up many, but when I saw that this one wanted to go to Alaska, I snagged it quickly. This was good because in that moment a huge midwestern storm opened up overhead and we went from dry pavement to full hail in the time it took me to close the case up and jog back down the driveway to my car. 

I logged the TB as removed and explored the page a little. What was a Jeep Travel bug? Why was it named after a river in Alaska it had never been to before? I eventually learned what it was and took it with me on the remaining adventures in Iowa and then brought it back to my home in Eagle River. I asked around with other geocachers and even messaged some cache owners for caches in Yakutat, but no one had plans to go anytime soon. So I put it in a little baggy to keep it safe and carried it in my backpack from cache to cache for eleven months. Then, in May, Isaw a heck of a mileage sale through Alaska Airlines and determined that I could get to Yakutat and back in one day for 8,000 miles. I asked my boyfriend Kody if he wanted to join and he said, “of course.” Yakutat is a fisherman’s paradise, well known for its steelhead run among other fish, and Kody is one of those fishing fools. So we booked it, and one year to the day that I had picked it up in Iowa, we were on our way to Yakutat. Kody is about two steps away from being a full muggle, but acquiesced to my request log all the caches he has found while with me after this trip. You’ll see him in logs as Maurice the Manpanion, but call him the Manpanion to his face and I will be in trouble.   

We took off from Anchorage at 7 am, and changed planes quickly in Juneau, arriving in Yakutat just after 10 am. Getting upgraded for the 38-minute hop from Juneau wasn’t too wild, as they didn’t have drink service, so we arrived in Yakutat sober and ready for adventure. 

Our first stop was to pick up the rental car, which we got from Economy Rentals for $70 for the day. The GMC was probably as old as the travel bug with us, and had an actual light switch controlling the driver’s side window, but it was the perfect car for getting around the village. We then swung back to the airport for our first cache of the day, GC3XRFK “Warbird,” hidden by Bearbait Bob in 2012. It was a quick find before we headed down towards the main part of town and picked up coffee from Yakutat Coffee Co and snacks at the AC. 

Then we hit the road to head to Mile 9 Campground, which is nine miles up Dangerous River Road and features a boat launch and several quiet campsites. When we arrived, the whole place was gloriously empty and pristine. With in a few moments, GC5YA2T, Situk Shenanigans, hidden by TundraTim in 2015 was in hand. I dipped the TB in the cache, and then sprinted across the campground to baptize the Jeep in the cool, swift waters of the Situk River!

With the mission accomplished, we decided to spend the rest of the day exploring Dangerous River Road and the rest of the land around Yakutat. We drove another 18 miles out to the end of the road, where it crosses the Dangerous River and dead ends next to an airstrip. The river starts just north of the bridge at Harlequinn Lake, a glacial lake dotted with ice that was slowly migrating down the river. We paused to enjoy the view and learn about the public use cabins nearby, which we are 100% sure we will stay in next year, then hiked around and hid a new cache. GCBRQ13 “Danger is My First Name” is located near the sign welcoming people to the junction in the trail. North to the lake, south to one of the public use cabins! On the way back, we placed a letterbox across the river from Mile 9 Campground and then circled back into town, where “Welcome to Yakutat,” was placed with permission of the land owners, who make a great cup of coffee 🙂 We also DNF’d a cache at Glacier Bear lodge, but I don’t mind having something to redeem on my next trip to Yakutat. 

We ended the day by driving out onto the peninsula and exploring the cemetery and the beach, before heading back to the airport around 4 pm. We got there about 40 minutes before takeoff (the rental car company said “just leave the keys in the cupholder at the airport, we’ll take care of gas– how far could you have gone?”), but TSA wasn’t ready for us, so we were kindly directed to the bar that shares the diminutive parking lot with the Alaska Air terminal. We had some quick beers while watching our plane change out cargo 30  feet away and then boarded. 

We were upgraded again, and this time the flight attendant was ready to keep the party going with an almost excessive drink service on the 37 minutes back to Juneau. We landed in juneau about 1.5 sheets to the wind with a four hour layover, so we hopped in an uber to downtown and had dinner on the warf and then wandered down the road to find a few more caches, including GC3MM5T, “Working in a Gold Mine,” hidden by AlaskanSailors in 2012,  which required a little more dexterity to crawl around a very short mine shaft than I expected. Kody has been instructed to delete all photos from that event, but an artist’s approximation is below:

After finding a gold mine, we wandered back through the capitol enjoying some sights as I pointed

out previous finds to Kody. We saw GC84EMM “Capitol Stones- Juneau Earthcache #44” and checked on GCGAQ1 “Museum Trading Post” and GC10PK7 “House on the Hill” before wandering down the steps to the lower grounds and calling another uber to meet us at the bottom. 

We tumbled back to the airport and headed home, arriving in Anchorage around 10:30 pm under the midnight sun. We will be back very soon to enjoy more of Yakutat, which still has three FTFs waiting for the next brave traveler.

As for the jeep, I’m not sure what is next for it. Should I release it into a cache with a new laminated goal and hope no one steals him? Should I display him in my own porch cache, which was 100% inspired by the porch cache I originally found it in? Should I bring it to events for discovery? I think the only sure plan is to not sell it on eBay. Let me know what you think by messaging me on the app!