This short, two-stage multi near Cougar Mountain's Red Town trailhead will give you a glimpse into the history of Seattle's first major industry: coal mining.
In the mid-1800s, Seattle was a sleepy village, competing with Olympia, Tacoma, Everett, and Port Townsend to become the economic center of Puget Sound. Then Seattle got lucky: In 1863, extensive coal deposits were discovered on Cougar Mountain. The proximity to Lake Washington made it easy to access and develop the coal fields and to transport the ore to Elliott Bay for export. The coal rush was on. The mining towns of Newcastle and Red Town sprang up, and King County was dubbed "the Pennsylvania of the West.
By the 1880s, Seattle had transformed into the region's dominant port city, and Newcastle mines were supplying 22% of Pacific Coast coal (San Francisco was a major customer). When President Rutherford B. Hayes visited Seattle in 1880 with Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, the highlight of their trip was the train ride and tour of the Newcastle mines.
Coal miners worked these hills for 100 years (1863-1963), hauling out 11 million tons of coal. They tunneled six miles under the mountain, digging shafts thousands of feet deep. The era of "big mining" ended in the 1920s, but small-scale "gypo" mining continued until 1963.
Since then, nature has slowly reclaimed the ravaged hills and valleys. Mine shafts have caved in, tailing piles have vegetated, and logged hills have sprouted new forests. In 1985, as suburbs encroached on the mountain, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park was born, the largest urban wildland in the U.S.
WP1: Ford Slope Mine
The posted coordinates take you to the Ford Slope coal-mining exhibit. Gather the required factoids from the display and nearby Ford Slope sign.
Eleven coal seams were discovered in the Newcastle area. The Coal Creek Mine (1890) was the first major operation, using mule-cart mining to dig a tunnel __ (A) miles long and 1,350 feet deep. But in 1894, it suffered a disastrous fire; 160 men escaped and __ (B) died. The mine had to be abandoned, which led to the opening of the Ford Slope Mine.
Ford Slope operated 1905–1926, and was the largest producer of all the Newcastle mines. By 1912, workers were hoisting ___ (CDE) tons per day up the slope. Demand for coal increased dramatically during World War I, and prices rose from $2.16/ton in 1916 to $___/ton (FGH) in 1918, while production increased to an average of 900 mine cars per day shift and 550 for the night crew. Up to __ (JK) electric locomotives worked underground, hauling loaded coal cars from deep in the mine to the exit slope. A steam hoist pulled __ (L) loaded mine cars at a time up the steep slope, using a steam piston __ (M) feet in diameter to drive a huge winch with 2,000 feet of cable.
Final: Cache
N 47° 31.[G+H][F+M][A+B] W 122° 07.[J+L][C+K]M
Check your solution.
The cache is a preform tube next to a trail. No bushwhacking is necessary. This is a popular area, so please be discreet.
If this cache gives you déjà vu, that's because it replaces Coals of Newcastle, which sadly had to be archived due to the closure of the Steam Hoist trail. Hopefully, that trail will eventually reopen, and I'll be able to again provide the full multi experience.
This cache is part of my Cougar History Series (CHS), which highlights the mining, railroad, and human history of Cougar Mountain and its environs. You can find other caches in the series using this bookmark list or by searching for cache names starting with CHS.
Need a park map? You can get one at the trailhead or online. (If you use a Garmin GPSr, Northwest Trails could prove helpful.)
All caches on Cougar Mountain are placed with the consent of King County Parks and the Cougar rangers, who consider geocaching part of their outreach and education program. The cache owner is a KCP Ambassador (park volunteer) and the geocaching liaison.