Silicon Valley Hanging Tree? Traditional Cache
Silicon Valley Hanging Tree?
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Frank Stanger's book 'Sawmills in the Redwoods' recounts a pioneer legend of the South Bay.
According to the recollections of John Preader, born in 1877, a large oak tree standing along Whiskey Hill Road about a hundred yards from Sandhill, had once borne the sign: "Here lies the body of a horse thief, hanged on this tree." The ancient, decrepit oak near here (see waypoint) has the broken remains of a large side branch that might have once held the noose. Was this the tree? Do a thief's remains lie below? Was there actually a lynching in pioneer Woodside? Who knows, but it's a great excuse for a cache! While you're at the old tree, look up towards the top. You'll see a lot of holes drilled into the bark and wood of the old oak. This is a 'mast tree', where woodpeckers store acorns they've gathered, so they can be recovered and eaten later. If you're at the right season, you'll be able to see brown acorns that have been tamped down into the pecked holes. The cache is offset from the old tree, and can hold a few small trinkets, but BYO pen or pencil. It's legal to park on the side of Whiskey Hill Road opposite the cache (southbound), in which case be careful of traffic. Or use the parking waypoint and take a safer stroll up the road shoulder.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Unatvat ovfba ybj.