Pine Canyon Conservation Area
Cache 8 of 8 in the PCCA Tour | Cache is located at the posted coordinates.Â
The Aerial Tramway
An aerial tramway once ran 4.5 miles across the spine of the Oquirrhs, carrying ore in buckets from the Bingham mine on the east side over to the smelter here. Today, only concrete tower footings and weathered timber remain.
Look around. Look east, up the ridgeline — on a clear day you can still spot one of the old tramway towers standing on the skyline. Look down: the concrete pads near you are the foundation of the tower that used to stand here.
Getting there
See the PARKING waypoint for the approach. The route crosses open desert to a concrete pad area, with no shade — carry water.
What's inside?
A logbook, the cache's letterbox stamp and ink, a pen, and a printed card on how much ore the tramway moved in a day, and how it fit into the larger story of getting metal across the mountains.
The lid word. This is the eighth and final word in the set. Collect all eight to unlock a future Mystery bonus.
First time at Pine Canyon?
The Pine Canyon Conservation Area is 3,000 acres of protected open space on the east bench of the Oquirrh Mountains. From 1910 to the mid-1970s, this was the International Smelter — one of Utah's largest industrial sites. The land was cleaned up and replanted. The Wildlife sign at the trailhead names six common animals you might see here, including mule deer, coyote, and elk.
This cache is one of eight in the PCCA Tour. Tour 1: Trailhead is the best place to start — there's an Adventure Lab there too.
The PCCA Tour
Bonuses: Trailhead Bonus (Adventure Lab) · Lid-Word Mystery (coming later this year)
Please tread lightly. The tower foundations are fragile and historical — look, don't climb.
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