They stood like two sentinels overlooking the city below. They served as landmarks for hikers, pilots and many others. They were visible from just about any point in the Salt Lake valley. Now they are gone. The world has moved on.
Click the images for a larger view.
At the site of this geocache, two giant metal towers once stood. They were just a few hundred feet down the south ridge from the summit of Mt. Wire. Long affectionately known as “the Billboards,” the towers were the site of my now-archived cache, Billboards BYOB. An additional structure, a long-decommissioned airplane beacon tower in a fenced enclosure, still remains. It is possible to climb this tower for a slightly higher view of the valley.
 |
|
 |
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
|
Credit: gotwings
|
Just how long ago the towers were constructed is unclear. The Salt Lake Tribune article about their removal states “the early 1970s,” but I have a photo from 1973 in which they are already looking somewhat aged. When their original purpose, redirecting the beaming of communication signals between Salt Lake and Park City, became obsolete, they took on a new life as navigation markers for hikers and pilots, giant canvases for graffiti artists and, unfortunately, as eyesores for residents of Emigration Canyon. Their removal occurred in November of 2013. The world has moved on.
 |
|
 |
|
himilecyclist and friend - 1973
|
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
Having hiked to the towers many times, they have assumed a rather important role in my life. I first learned of their dismantling in an amusing way. I was hiking on a much lower hill in Emigration Canyon and setting up a new multiple-choice field puzzle cache, based on answering questions at certain coordinates. Looking around for objects to use as questions, I noticed that only one “billboard” was visible atop Mt. Wire. I thought that was quite strange, but it didn’t for a second occur to me what was going on. I even debated using the question, “how many billboards can you see from this site?” The helicopter hovering in the area should have clued me in further, but I had always assumed the towers would be there forever. I was unaware that the world had moved on.
 |
|
 |
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
It was not until I read gotwings’ log for my Billboards BYOB cache, formerly located in one of the tower footings, that I knew for sure what was going on. It still didn’t seem possible, and even now feels like some sort of weird, impossible dream that you wake up to discover never happened. Mt. Wire is no longer Mt. Wire, but just one of many peaks with few distinguishing features in the Salt Lake foothills.
 |
|
 |
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
I felt a definite sadness at the removal of the towers, but assumed I was probably the only one to feel so. I soon learned otherwise, though, as friends made comments expressing a similar feeling of loss. Upon hiking up to the site on a few occasions during the final debris removal, I encountered several other visitors who had come to see the change firsthand, to collect souvenirs and reminisce. The world may have moved on, but it was not a welcome event for many.
 |
|
 |
|
Credit: gotwings
|
|
Credit: gotwings
|
It is now amusing to contemplate how many people were emotionally attached to what were basically huge, industrial, graffiti-covered eyesores on a quite picturesque mountain. If the towers had never been built, and were just now being planned for construction, all of us would be beyond furious at the idea.
 |
|
 |
|
(Before) Credit: himilecyclist
|
|
(After) Credit: himilecyclist
|
As I have hiked nearby hills in recent days, upon looking over at Mt. Wire, it is almost unrecognizable. It will take some getting used to. Fortunately, the even-more-loved beacon tower is still intact at the summit, and even has a dedicated group who keep it painted and in good condition. A plaque in the cabinet at its base pays tribute to this. The Billboards, though, are now only memories. After surviving decades of fierce wind storms, lightning and vandals, they have succumbed to progress. The world has moved on without them.
 |
|
 |
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
The geocache you are after is in one of the eight former footings of the towers. I have attached a washer found in the demolition debris to the inside of the lid as a memento. When you write your “found it” log, please consider including your own memories (good or bad) of the Billboards, and any photos you would like to share.
 |
|
 |
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
|
(The trail marker hasn't moved on) Credit: himilecyclist
|
The cache title is taken from the Dark Tower series of books by Stephen King. These extremely enjoyable books describe, in 4,250 pages, just how The World has Moved On.
 |
|
 |
|
Credit: himilecyclist
|
|
Credit: gotwings
|
"Back in the day," these towers were a marvel of labor and engineering. It must have been no small feat to construct them on rough, uneven ground at exactly the right location, both on the mountain and in relation to each other, to ensure the signals went in the exact direction needed, not to mention the physical challenges of transporting the materials to the summit and constructing them on site.
Enjoy the hike, the cache and the memories!