Napa Creeks: Ritchie Creek Traditional Cache
Buttercup&Professor: Lost in the Glass Fire.
Napa Creeks: Ritchie Creek
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Parking is available at any of the lots in Bothe State Park for $8.00. There are several trail combinations that you can use to get to the cache; some are a bit easier than others. However, getting to this cache will not take near as much effort as reaching the park's other caches. Because of the tree cover, the hint may be required. Please replace the cache as you found it.
Ritchie Creek is the centerpiece of one of the smallest, but most beautiful sub-watersheds in the Napa Valley. The creek drains the steep slopes of Ritchie Canyon, flowing east through dense forests of redwood, fir, oak, madrone, and manzanita before joining the Napa River amid widespread vineyards about three miles south of Calistoga.
Despite its relatively small size, Ritchie Creek supports a modest run of threatened steelhead trout. Keep an eye out for adult spawners making their way upstream during the winter and early spring and for young steelhead throughout the year. The creek crossing near the convergence of the Redwood Trail and Spring Trail is a good place to see them.
The creek is named after Matthew Dill Ritchie (Ritchey), a settler who took up residence at the edge of this narrow, wooded canyon in 1850. However, Ritchie's claim to fame came several years earlier in the Sierras. An immigrant from Indiana, Ritchie arrived in California in 1846 and took up residence on the ranch of William Johnson along the Bear River near Wheatland, Ca. In February 1847, William Eddy, a weary survivor from the Donner Party, staggered into the Ritchie cabin and told of the dire condition of his fellow travelers still stuck in the Sierras. Ritchie took the man in and helped organize a group of men to return to the mountains and rescue the remaining members of the Donner Party. Ritchie's son, William, also played a role in the rescue efforts. At only 19 years old, William transported supplies from the Johnson Ranch to the First Relief party as they made their way back from the mountains in early 1847.
The Ritchie family moved west shortly after, taking up residence in Sonoma for a brief time before finally settling in the Napa Valley in 1850. William's stay in the Napa Valley was a short one however. Accused of stealing three mules from a ranch along Santa Rosa Creek, William was arrested and brought to Santa Rosa to stand trial. The trial would never take place as a group of armed men kidnapped Ritchie on the night of May 30, 1854. William's lifeless body was found hanging from an oak tree the following morning.
Congrats to ClanDuncan and RedBeret for the first to find !
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fghzc.