Johnson Ranch Traditional Cache
SLO Trekker: It is gone. The cache location must have been removed.
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
(micro)
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This cache is located near the trail head for the newly constructed Johnson Ranch Open Space trail system.
The Johnson Ranch Open Space is part of the natural lands system of the City of San Luis Obispo. The 242-acre property south of town features a two-mile loop trail and a second 1.3-mile loop trail winding through the oak woodland park. The trails are open daily from dawn until dusk. although you do not need to access the trail to find this cache.
The following is an excerpt from the Johnson Ranch Open space Conservation Plan:
“The property commonly known as the Johnson Ranch Open Space (JROS) is a 242-acre ranch that was in the ownership of a local family for over 100 years, being purchased in 1901 by Mark Johnson from the Sinsheimer family. The property included a small farm and ranch house, other outbuildings, vegetable garden, and some landscaping including fruit trees along with several other large trees including eucalyptus and at least one coast redwood. Many of these buildings remain today. The property was a small dairy operation for some years, but eventually this gave way to a beef cattle operation. For a short time in the early twentieth century a small rock quarry, known as the Dougherty Quarry, operated on a portion of the property along Dry Creek, and this quarry was accessed by a spur line from the narrow gauge Pacific Coast Railway, which connected Port Harford (now called Port San Luis) with the City of San Luis Obispo from about 1876 to 1938. The property fronted on the railroad and the San Luis Obispo-Avila County Road until the establishment of freeway standards on Highway 101 in that location. At that time (about 1950) the county road became South Higuera Street and the property accessed this street and its southerly continuation, Ontario Road, at a point on the southern boundary of the property. That is the reason for the long driveway paralleling the highway in this location."
"At one time a rural school, known originally as the Belle View School, was located on the knoll just east of the current access road to the Johnson Ranch farm house. That knoll is largely gone today, having been removed as part of the construction of Highway 101. It is not certain when the school itself was removed, but it was consolidated with the neighboring Santa Fe School to the south, which shows on USGS maps in 1952 as the Bellevue Santa Fe School."
"In 2000, members of the Johnson family approached the City of San Luis Obispo regarding their interest in selling the property for conservation purposes. An option agreement was reached and the City successfully raised the $1.6 million purchase price. The property was formally transferred from the family to the City in December 2001. Since that time the site has been held in a land bank status, pending the preparation of a Conservation Plan to guide its use and development.”
The cache is located at the parking area of the trail. There can be a lot of muggles coming and going, so you may need to be patient and time your search accordingly. Please be careful when retrieving and replacing the cache so that it does not become inaccessible. Bring your own pen.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Evtug