OTR #9 - The Old Toll Road Traditional Cache
OTR #9 - The Old Toll Road
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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The Old Toll Road - #9 of a series of 12 caches.
The Road with Two Names
In the 1850s, Bull Trail was constructed to connect Calistoga with Lake County. Having grades of up to 35% made this road impassable for loaded horse drawn wagons. The alternate was to use Oat Hill Mine Road (a hike/bike trail today) which connected with Butts Canyon Road several miles east of Middletown.
In 1866, the California legislature authorized John Lawley to construct a better route. Completed in 1867, this new route used part of the old Bull Trail to connect Calistoga and Lake County with a toll house near the road's summit on Mt. St. Helena. This new route was called the Mt. St. Helena Toll Road and was in use until the 1920s when the state purchased the Toll Road.
The state chose a new route for the first 3 miles north of Calistoga where the new route connected with the old Toll Road. The Mt. St. Helena Toll Road that was bypassed became known as the Old Toll Road and Lawley Road.
Twelve new caches were placed along the part of the old Toll Road that was bypassed. If you start your journey from the Lake County Highway (Highway 29) north of Calistoga, you will see two road signs, both being correct: Old Toll Road and Lawley Road.
This is a narrow, winding road. There is traffic so please be careful where you park.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ebnqfvqr fvta. Ybbx sbe 135# fgrry svfu yvar.
[Tethered in place]