Hetch Hetchy-Moccasin Multi-cache

This cache has been archived.

Wintertime: From Wintertime:

Many thanks to all the cachers who did this multi over the years. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the town of Moccasin and learned some interesting information about the Hetch Hetchy project.

Given that there have been no reports about the cache for three years, it seems time to archive it. Retired-ee recently passed away, so there is no longer one of us in the area to maintain a cache even if someone were to replace it. Also, we were losing our battle with poison oak near the cache!

If you see this note and have never visited Moccasin on your way to/from Yosemite, please do take a few minutes to drive through this unique town.

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Hidden : 3/28/2004
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:


The cache is not at the posted coordinates, but is within one mile of them.

This cache will take you to a tiny town you may have passed by many times without noticing. It's hard to imagine that this quiet area is associated with one of the most bitter environmental disputes in U.S. history. The cache itself is located nearby; you will need to obtain some information at the posted site to determine the final coordinates.

The History of Moccasin
Although San Francisco had investigated the possibility of obtaining water from the Yosemite area as early as the 1880s (before Yosemite became a national park), the devastating water problems after the 1906 earthquake renewed the city's interest in having more--and more reliable--water.

In 1908, Secretary of the Interior James Garfield granted the city permission to build a dam across the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The permit was vehemently denounced by a number of individuals, companies, and organizations--most notably, Sierra Club president John Muir. In an impassioned statement to Congress opposing the proposed water rights, Muir said, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man!"

Fearful that Department of the Interior permits would always be subject to scrutiny and reversal, city officials turned to the U.S. Congress to decide the matter once and for all. In December, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Raker Act granting San Francisco rights to turn the Hetch Hetchy Valley into a reservoir. Preparations for construction of the 150-mile-long Hetch Hetchy Water and Power system commenced a few months later. In October of 1934, pure mountain water from the Tuolumne River began flowing to San Francisco.



The coordinates provided for this cache will take you to the original Moccasin Powerhouse, an imposing Mediterranean-style building with a red tile roof and wrought-iron accents in Moccasin, California. This powerhouse was taken out of service in 1969 after a more modern facility was constructed. But the lovely old building still stands, flanked by yew trees and camellia bushes.











Take a few minutes to drive around the town of Moccasin, which is owned by the City of San Francisco. The few dozen houses are occupied by HHW&P employees who maintain system facilities from Yosemite to the San Joaquin Valley. In the mid-1990s, the city stopped allowing employees to take over homes from those who had left, requiring new employees to find housing in nearby towns. Moccasin's population dropped precipitously, and the houses fell into disrepair. (See Carl Nolte's article in the San Francisco Chronicle.) But a grand jury report in 2000 prompted the S.F. Public Utilities Commission to reverse its rental freeze and repair the houses. Almost all of the homes are now occupied again.

You can download a PDF booklet about the history of the SF PUC (including Hetch Hetchy) on its website.

The Cache
The Hetch Hetchy-Moccasin geocache is less than a mile away from the Moccasin Powerhouse. To derive the coordinates for it, go to the specified location and look for four numbers on a wall. Assign the letters "abcd" to the four numbers.

Now, replace the letters below with their associated numbers to find the cache coordinates:

N 37 4b.00c
W 120 a(b-1).803

(Note that "b" is used twice and "d" is not used at all. Also be sure to subtract "1" from "b" where indicated.)

You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.

As of October 2015, the container is an ammo can, so it's big enough to hold large travel bugs and trade items. Please hide the cache well with sticks and leaves after you replace it.

We hope you enjoy learning more about this historic site. Have fun!

A note about poison oak
Although the cache is in a shady area that isn't particularly hospitable to poison oak, some has taken hold. Please be cautious when approaching the cache, especially if you're particularly susceptible to poison oak or if it's wintertime and the telltale leaves are gone.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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