The Twelve Labors of Hercules: Labor Eleven Traditional Geocache
The Twelve Labors of Hercules: Labor Eleven
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is a singular cache that can be done on its own or as
part of a larger series of caches that make up "The Twelve Labors
of Hercules"
Hercules is the Roman name for greatest hero in Greek mythology.
Like most authentic heroes, Hercules had a god as one of his
parents. Hercules was the son of the supreme deity Zeus and a
mortal woman. As Hercules was growing up he was a victim of a
number jealous attacks and antagonisms that eventually led him to
kill his own children. To atone for his crime, he was sentenced to
perform a series of tasks, or "Labors", for his cousin Eurystheus,
the king of Tiryns and Mycenae.
Labor Eleven: the Apples of the
Hesperides
The Hesperides were nymphs entrusted by the goddess Hera with
certain apples which she had received as a wedding present. These
were kept in a grove surrounded by a high wall and guarded by
Ladon, a many-headed dragon. The grove was located in the
far-western mountains named for Atlas, one of the Titans or first
generation of gods. Atlas had sided with one of his brothers in a
war against Zeus. In punishment, he was compelled to support the
weight of the heavens by means of a pillar on his shoulders.
Heracles, in quest of the apples, had been told that he would never
get the them without the aid of Atlas. The Titan was only too happy
to oblige.
He told the hero to hold the pillar while he went to retrieve the
fruit. But first Heracles had to kill the dragon by means of an
arrow over the garden wall. Atlas soon returned with the apples but
now realized how nice it was not to have to strain for eternity
keeping heaven and earth apart. Heracles wondered if Atlas would
mind taking back the pillar just long enough for him to fetch a
cushion for his shoulder. The Titan obliged and Heracles strolled
off, neglecting to return.
... and now onto the cache
The cache is hidden at the top of Organ Needle. In the picture
below the Needle is a part of the second from the right
outcropping. It is the highest point in the Organ Mountains.
The climb to the top of Organ Needle is a full day affair and will
require an elevation gain of ~4K feet. The climb will also require
some rock scrambling and lots of hiking up steep, loose terrain.
Bring plenty of water and energy for this one!
The most common method for ascending the Organ Needle starts at the
road that leads up to Modoc Mine. Intrepid drivers with very
capable vehicles can drive all the way to the mine, but for the
rest of us the hike starts not far from Baylor Canyon Road. Here
are some directions to get you to the correct road:
0.0 miles Exit I-25 at the University exit and drive east
4.9 miles continue straight at the junction with Soledad Canyon
Road
6.1 miles cross a cattle guard
7.9 miles turn left onto Baylor Canyon Road
9.3 miles turn right onto a narrow dirt road heading east
9.6 miles bear right at a junction
Continue to follow this road (in vehicle or on foot) that gets
increasingly rougher as it heads up the mountain.
Shown below is a view of the Organs from where a stock Grand
Cherokee could comfortably drive to. In this photo you can see
(bottom, middle right) the road cut just before it reaches the
Modoc Mine.
The route to the top follows the old road past Modoc Mine (don't
forget to grab the cache there!) and then a steep use trail that is
cairned, but somewhat difficult to follow at times. Eventually the
route heads up the length of Dark Canyon, a narrow, steep canyon
that ascends to a small saddle alternately referred to as Dark
Canyon Saddle or Hummingbird Saddle. A typical segment of the trail
in Dark Canyon is shown below as my climbing partner, Max, makes
his way up.
From this saddle climbers should descend to the left and after a
few feet this informative trail concrete marker will erase all
doubt as to which way to continue.
Follow the instructions on the sign and after a few minutes you'll
reach the crux of the route. A 20 foot high right leaning crack
system that leads to easier ground above.
The route is a little intimidating at first glance, but upon
further inspection good hand holds can be found. This section is
certainly dangerous and unexperienced climbers should not attempt
it if they feel uncomfortable. Remember, it's always easier to get
up than it is to come down! Please use your best judgement. Some
people do choose to use a rope on this section, because of that
fact I am rating the terrain a 5. However, IMHO this section is a
fair bit easier than the section on Florida Peak, but every climber
is different.
After breaching this barrier the summit is a short distance away
and some spectacular views of the surrounding areas await. Shown
below is that tiny little peak that constituted Labor 2, Baylor
Peak!
This climb should not be undertaken with solely the knowledge
gleaned from this page. Additional information about climbing Organ
Needle can be found here:Gerry
Roach's trip report, Adam Helman's trip
report, and The
Summitpost.org page
*** When you find the cache be sure to write down the three digit
code inside the front cover of the log book. That code will be
needed to find the final cache in the series. ***
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nybat gur obggbz bs gur furys