Coffman Cache Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache's goal is to remember one of the forgotten places along
the Tygart Valley River. There were many towns along the river that
once thrived and are now gone.
Coffman was a small town created by the men who owned and worked
at the Winona Mine & Coke ovens. At one time there were 30
ovens in operation with 20 laborers and 20 miners. There was a row
of white houses and a row of red houses for the workers. A dirt
road from East Grafton Road led down to the town and continued on
to Valley Falls two miles downstream.
A large amount of coking coal was found in West Virginia and
numerous coke plants were located along the rail lines. The dome
shaped ovens at Coffman had an opening where the coal was fed in
the top of each one. A tremendous amount of smoke was released into
the atmosphere by these ovens. Today what is left of them can be
seen by hiking up the Deer Trail at Valley Falls State Park. The
rows of houses are gone but I’ve found some foundations between the
railroad tracks and the river. The days of the coke ovens are now a
part of history and their memory is slowly fading with each
generation. What’s left of them stand as a monument of days gone
by.
You can reach the cache by taking the Deer Trail upstream from
Valley Falls State Park. When the trail goes from gravel to dirt,
you’ll start seeing evidence of the mining days. There are large
chunks of slag along the trail and coal on the trail. When the
trail makes a 90° turn to the left and uphill, keep going straight
on the old road. The cache will be uphill and the coke ovens
downhill. There is another road below that runs across the tops of
the ovens.
NOTE: The Park closes at dark. They are very serious about this.
Your car may be towed if you don't make it back in time.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Snyyra gerr