This cache replaces my archived cache "Commissary Point". Last
weekend I finally located the spot some of the other cachers have
mentioned. The view to the south at the original cache location is
great, however this one is even better. I've also have been doing
some railroad research, and decided to redo the cache all together
including my new findings.
Unfortunately I still don't know the origin of the name
Commissary Point. A commissary is a store that sells food and
equipment, sometimes that could be a cafeteria or lunchroom. And
alternate meaning is a person delegated responsibility by a
superior authority. I did discover some interesting information
about the grassy area below called McGee. A railroad most commonly
referred to as the "Crouch Line" ran along Rapid Creek from Rapid
City to Mystic. The Crouch Line was a standard guage that connected
the Chicago railroads in Rapid City to the Burlington's High Line
that ran from Edgemont to Deadwood (the modern day Mickleson
Trail). The Crouch Line operated in this area from 1906 to
1948.
McGee was an important stop on Crouch Line. Warren-Lamb Lumber
built a narrow guage railroad from here heading south up the canyon
along the west side of Commissary Point. At first the timbers were
transloaded onto the Crouch Line, because the gauges (spacing of
the rails) were not compatible. Eventually the narrow gauge was
extended from McGee to Tittle Springs downstream. At Tittle Springs
the two railroads merged into a double guaged configuration. A
third rail was added in between the other two to allow the narrow
guage trains to run on the same railbed. This was a common practice
at the time.
Warren-Lamb operated in this area from 1908 to 1939 (1908 to
1914 as Lanphere-Hinrichs Lumber Company). In the later years, the
company extended the line from Victoria Creek down to Spring
Creek.
The new cache location has a view in the area only rivaled by
Buzzards Roost on the opposite side of canyon. If you look at the
picture below, try to identify the following landmarks starting on
the upper right hand side and go counter clockwise. a) "Buzzards
Roost" is the rocky cliff on the upper right edge of the picture. I
highly recommend visiting the cache over there, it will give you a
mirror view of the area you will see from here. b) The roundest
mountain on the horizon in the center is "Mount Wheaton". c) The
historical origin of the town "Hisega" is down and directly below
Mount Wheaton. If you can find the green house, that is where it's
at. Modern day Hisega extends from there to Highway 44. Hisega,
like McGee, was once a stop on the Crouch Line. d) Immediately left
of Mount Wheaton is "Thrall Mountain". e) Two summits over from
Thrall Mountain is "Tomaha Point". It's a twin peak with a vein of
granite down the middle. f) On the left side of the picture you
will see some water, that is "Rapid Creek". g) Follow the Rapid
Canyon from Hisega to the bottom of the picture and you pass
through "McGee".
Another bit of info on the area is near the original cache
location. A historical POI in my GPS software shows a place called
Moose Camp. It lies right next to the railbed, so it's a good bet
it was a lumber camp. In the below picture see if you can spot the
railbed. I followed it down the hill and it doubles over on itself
in what is called a reversing wye. There must have been a runaround
track on the end of the wye to get the engine back to the front end
of the train again. Otherwise the train would go into the wye
pulling the cars and come out pushing them. If you have time, after
finding the cache, try following the railbed and see if you come up
with the same conclusions.
To get the cache, take in the following order: Sheridan Lake Rd,
Victoria Creek Rd (FS159), FS163, and FS163-1A. I've posted
coordinates for parking that will make it an easy hike to the
cache. The road gets kind of rocky at the end. If you aren't
driving a jeep or a pickup, I'd recommend parking at the bottom of
the hill near Moose Camp and walk the rest of the way to the
suggested parking.
Hint: Grease Monkey points at the hiding spot
(see picture)
Don't forget to bring your personal letterboxing stamp, stamp pad,
and log book if you have them! The box does not have an ink pad in
it. If you're not familiar with letterboxing, you need to know that
the stamp is not a trade item and stays with the cache.