Skid Road Traditional Cache
PurplePeople: This one's run is done.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Huddart Park hasn't been logged since 1860, but you can find signs of the 19th century woodsmen's activity if you know where to look.
This cache is placed near the junction of two large trenches that run vertically on the steep hills of Huddart Park. These features, uncharacteristically straight for natural watercourses, are actually the remains of 'skids', where immense old growth redwood logs were dragged down the hill by teams of oxen. The logs were likely taken to the water-powered mill owned by Edwin Oakley, which was not far below at the intersection of West Union Creek and Squealer Gulch. It was built in 1852, but by 1861 it was listed as 'wholly useless' by the county assessor. The area had been logged out, and steam had overtaken water wheels as a power source.
Over the years the old skid road has been eroded by water captured from streams that it intersected. An old bridge on the Chickadee Trail not far above the hide was undermined in the El Nino year of 1998 and abandoned. Not far below the hide, erosion has turned the skid road into a deep gully.
The vegetation here also shows signs of the old loggers' presence, with non-native ivy and French broom proliferating. Unfortunately, the native oaks here are falling victim to the Sudden Oak Death fungal blight.
You are looking for a small camo-taped jar. The difficulty rating is for sometimes challenging signal conditions - it's not a tough hide. The cache is a few feet off a new connector trail. It can be reached from the lower branch of the Chickadee nature trail, or by hiking uphill from the Redwood picnic area.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ng onfr bs fznyy oebxra gerr.