There used to be a cache here, but it was archived - possibly in response to the 2015 Grizzly Bear Complex Fire (which scorched more than 80,000 acres of timber and forage, plus two homes and dozens of outbuildings). I've decided to place another cache here as it has some interesting history and some of the old structures are still standing.
But first, let's talk about the term "Hoodoo." Etymologically, “Hoodoo” seems to come from the word “voodoo” or “vudo” – a word that has its origin in the Ewe and Fon languages of Ghana and Benin of Africa and may refer to divinity or something more like "spirit." Throughout the west, you'll find the place-name used to refer to geological formations such as mountains or, in many cases, tall, thin spires of rock. This area has many natural basalt columns – some in the shape of spires – so the term makes sense. Prior to the English name for these geographic formations they were already the origin of many legends from Native Americans.
Now on to the history. From the original cache, I was able to pull up this: “Established as a detection point about 1933, the first lookout was a treetop crow's nest platform. The present 100' steel Aermotor tower, along with a ground house for living quarters, followed shortly after the tree perch. Hoodoo has not been regularly used since the 1960's. A Passport in Time project completed painting the ground cabin, although no restoration was done to the interior.” Elevation at the tower is 4219 feet.
The Grizzly Bear fire burnt most of the trees around the tower, but the trees nearest to the tower and the outbuildings were spared. The bottom flight of stairs of the tower have been removed to prevent people from ascending to the top. Also, the outbuildings now appear to be the homes of various rodents – so use caution when exploring these areas. From the gate, it is about a ½ mile hike to the structures.
