CacheMonkey's Christmas Grove Traditional Cache
CacheMonkey's Christmas Grove
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache is within the protected Red Hills Fir area. Please tread lightly. SEVERE FINES ARE IMPOSED IF CAUGHT REMOVING ANY TREES OR CONES FROM THIS HISTORIC SITE!!!
Growing up in Tuolumne county has its perks. As a kid my dad used to tell me of when he was my age the family would put in for the Red Hills Fir Harvest for Christmas every year. The history behind it is a long known Tuolumne County secret. I have only found it in a few books referring to it in the local museum.
Back in the 1800's the miners along the Chinese Camp Area would get depressed in the winter months due to the lack of Christmas Trees this low in elevation. Wagons from the higher mines would supplement their meager earnings each year by bringing Christmas trees down to the miners settled along the creeks of Red Hills. They were known to charge up to 1\4 oz of placer gold per tree. The local miners thought up a plan. They struck up a deal with a couple stage drivers coming from the valley. They agreed to pay 1oz of gold for every 100 Noble Fir saplings brought back from the foothills. Thinking they would cash in on an easy payday, the valley stage returned from up the hill loaded down with 500 saplings.
Pulling in to the Crimea House, the trees were unloaded and the stagehands were paid 5oz of gold to be split between them. They were then invited to stay the night and partake in imbibing at the local saloon. The next morning, the hung over stagehands were handed a bill for the nights soiree...equal to 5oz of gold! This wasn't the first or last time the residents of the mountains got over on the "flatlanders".
Those trees were planted all over the area but the remaining large grove still stands in the northwest corner of the Red Hills area. Many fires have ravaged the old grove over the years, but a select stand of Noble Fir have survived. They are now protected and in the National Registry of Protected Places. Red Hills no longer allows off road vehicle use in order to protect the Red Hill Grove. Fences block all access from J59 to this grove as well. In order to see it you now have to make the arduous hike over Red Peak. A few select trees are put up for auction every 10 years or so and the drawing is only open to Tuolumne County residents. While my father sadly passed away before he could win the drawing, I got the privilege of a winning Harvest Ticket ten years ago. It was by far the best Christmas my family will ever remember. This cache is placed at the edge of the grove, next to a corner of the fence. Once again, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING FROM INSIDE THE FENCED GROVE!! Happy caching!
Additional Hints
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