Sherars Falls Cache Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This place needed a cache BAD! So...
Park along road where it says "no boat takeout". Although I would if I missed the sandy beach takeout, given the alternative. Should be a quick cache and dash away from muggles. Historical Description: Deeper than the volcanic canyon walls in this area, the history is steep and rich. During the Ice Age, approximately 15,000 years ago, the glacial dam 3000 feet high held back the enormous Glacial Lake Missoula in what is now Northern Idaho. When this dam broke, the Missoula Flood water raged down towards the Pacific Coast, crossing the Columbia Basin and extending as far South up the Deschutes Canyon to Maupin, evidenced by erratic boulders not typical of the area. The Missoula’s flow was so intense that it reshaped the Columbia Gorge as it overflowed its basalt rock walls, reaching 400 feet deep and speeds up to 90 MPH. Human habitants have been present in central Oregon as far back as 11,500 years ago, and living in the Deschutes River for the last 2,000 years. The Tenino, the identified people living in the Lower Deschutes area, were divided into four subtribes that wintered in the Tygh Valley area, and spent their summers at a village just down river of Sherars Falls. They had regular festival gatherings depending on the fish runs, berry seasons, and hunting expeditions. This American Indian presence remains true today as the Sherars Falls portion of the Deschutes River is Tribal land, operated by the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs. Fishing at the falls is by special permit only, and can be witnessed by the tribal members on hand built platforms, protruding from the rocky cliffs, as they practice the ancient technique of dip netting into the falls. When the Oregon Trail split off from the original path along the Columbia river, this became known as the Barlow Cut Off, and saved some 100 miles of travel, but also meant travelers would need to cross the John Day river as well as the Deschutes river. This site was a well-known obstacle for the pioneers because of its steep hazardous canyon walls. They would arrive from the East by way of the Buck Hollow Canyon, cross near the current day Sherars bridge and continue up Winter Canyon towards White River Falls. Crossing the Deschutes river by ferry was not a simple task. This eventually led to building a bridge, and later widening the bridge for wagons. When Joseph Sherar bought the bridge in 1871, he also built a stable, a blacksmith shop, and a 33 room hotel. Over the years, the hotel had to be rebuilt due to fires, and eventually Sherar sold the bridge to Wasco County in 1912 when it became a free bridge crossing. A visitor should be so lucky to spot the 3 petroglyphs; “She who watches, the Chief, and Passing Time,” which are very near the geocache, but there actual location will not be revealed as there is far too much vandalism sustained over the years, so keep a watchful eye or find a local willing to spill the info. Complete the 12 Cache Passport and the first 250 receive a custom Maupin Area Chamber of Commerce GeoCoin. Passports can be obtained from the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center or online at www.visitmaupin.com Contact Info: MaupinChamber@gmail.com Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center is located on Highway 197 Maupin, Oregon 97037 The Historic Maupin GeoTour Code word can be found in the lid of this cache. Special thanks to Wolffbudz for graciously allowing the Maupin Chamber to occupy his cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pnoyr-tngr cbfg.
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures