naUTICAl Cache (Retreevers Landing) Traditional Geocache
naUTICAl Cache (Retreevers Landing)
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Size: 
(regular)
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Going nautical is our favorite way at Utica Reservoir. Now other geocachers have a reason to do the same. Cache is located at 6800' elevation and about 1 mile (as the otter swims) from the main launch area. Forest Service restroom facilities are nearby, but no running water is available. The area is usually snow free from June through October.
The cache is on an island that we have come to think of as our own. However, we invite you to visit and experience some of the same pleasure this mid-Sierra gem has brought to our family. We can, of course, claim this spot as ours only when others are not around, and when we visit the birds and mammals make it a point to remind us that we are just visitors to the home that rightfully belongs to them.
This cache is located 1/3 of the way around the world, going west, from the prime meridian. It is in a clear, 1.6 pint Rubbermaid container. When placed it contained:
Geocache note
Log book, pen, and pencil
Butterfly mini puzzle
Butterfly keychain
Small pocketknife
Trading card frame
Toy lizard
Phillips Screwdriver
Scooby Doo pencil
Utica is a favorite destination of kayakers and canoeists as it has many small islands and is somewhat protected from the wind, making it a wonderful place for a paddle. In the morning calm the water is glass–like, and moonlight paddling is a family favorite of ours. There are many little bays and channels to explore.
There is much to see, especially if you get up early and are patient. Mammals include deer, coyote, golden-mantled ground squirrel, chipmunk, and chickaree. We have also seen river otter on the lake, and one time our car was broken into by a bear at nearby Spicer Meadow Reservoir, even though there was no food inside. Birds include Common Merganser, Osprey, and the usual mid-Sierra passerines such as Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and Mountain Chickadee. Hawks may possibly include Goshawk, and woodpeckers include Williamson’s Sapsucker and Black-backed Woodpecker among the more common Flickers and Hairy Woodpeckers. Fishing is popular at nearby Union Reservoir, mostly for stocked rainbow trout and illegally planted brown catfish. Since water from Union spills over into Utica, you will find these fish in Utica as well. At night, listen for Great-horned Owls as you take in the spectacular view of stars and hope for meteors crossing the Milky Way.
Although there are a variety of ways you could get to this cache, most will choose to paddle their own canoe or kayak to get there. It would also be possible to hike and take a short swim, but late summer may be the only good time to exercise this option as the water is very cold or frozen (“stiff,” as Bambi’s bunny friend would say) the rest of the year. In winter you could probably reach this cache on cross-country skis or by snowmobile as its location should be accessible except when the snow is very deep. Make sure the ice is thick and solid before crossing the lake.
Summer visitors will find parking at the main launch location, located at the west end of the lake. Winter visitors will probably want to park at the Spicer SNO Park lot near Highway 4 on Spicer Reservoir Rd. (Permit required – see ohv.parks.ca.gov for details.) To maximize your solitude, visit early or late in the season or midweek, as Utica Reservoir is very popular on late summer weekends. Boats with motors are not allowed on Utica Reservoir.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Guvax ubyybj.