Heart of the Hills Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Hill City is the oldest city in Pennington County. The first post office opened in 1877. The moniker of “Heart of the Hills” comes from its location near the geographic center of the Black Hills and its proximity to many of the areas tourist attractions.
In recent years the city has diversified to become a center for the arts in the area featuring several art studios and festivals. An annual quilt show and Native American quilt show are also offered. There are seven art studios and galleries in town with several regionally known artists. Styles highlighted are sculpture in bronze and stone, watercolors, painting, and framing. Native American artwork and jewelry are also prominent.
Because students helped to fight a wildfire that threatened the community in 1939, the school's mascot is Smokey Bear. Still the only school in the nation with Smokey Bear as its mascot.
Hill City hosts the Run for the Gold Dogsled race each January or February. This event attracts international competition and consists of teams of eight dogs and a musher, and is part of the International Sled Dog Racing Association schedule.
On August 12, 1990, Sue Hendrickson, an American paleontologist working for the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research discovered the fossil of what would become the most complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex ever discovered. The fossil was named "Sue" after the woman who discovered it. After discovery, excavation, and transport to the Institute's facilities in Hill City, controversy arose as to who the rightful owners of the fossil was. The parties in dispute were the land owner, Maurice Williams, the tribe - and thus the federal government, and the Black Hills Institute. Since Mr. Williams had put the part of his land "in trust" with the federal government was case to this action. On May 12, 1992 FBI agents seized Sue from the Institute over the course of three days. The fossil was shipped to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Through the ongoing court battle it was finally decided that Maurice Williams was the owner of the fossil. The federal government later brought a 39 count 153 charge indictment against the institute and several of its members which was related to this case and other fossils. This case turned into the longest criminal trial in South Dakota state history. Finally Peter Larson the president of the institute was convicted on two counts customs violations for which he served two years in federal prison. Sue was finally auctioned off by Sotheby's auction house, and sold by Maurice Williams to the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois for 8.36 million dollars.
The cache is located near Major Lake in town. As you approach ground zero, you will be near a steep drop off. While facing the lake and cat-tails, place yourself with two pine trees to your left and one to your right. The cache is near the one on your right. Next to a small burned stump. You will have to climb down a few feet on a steep, slippery slope to reach it.
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Additional Hints
(No hints available.)