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Geologist and educator Joseph LeConte teamed with John Muir to found the Sierra Club. A well-known landmark in Yosemite Valley is the Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center (YCHC) formerly LeConte Memorial Lodge, the first stop on this two-step virtual multicache. The current structure is not located at the original LeConte Memorial site but was moved here for a curious reason. You will be looking for ruins of the first structure.
[Revised September 23, 2026 to reflect a name change of the lodge in 2016]
At the posted coordinates, you will see the famous and picturesque Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center, which has provided over 100 years of service in providing information to Yosemite visitors as the Park’s first visitor center starting in 1904. It also represented the northern terminus of the John Muir Trail. It is the second oldest structure in Yosemite Valley.
The Sierra Club’s provides background on the YCHC on its website at http://www.sierraclub.org/yosemite-heritage-center. The website also includes an explanation for why the original name was changed in 2016.
Near the first waypoint coordinates, you will find a sign that features lodge hours of operation, a contemporary artists sketch, and the date the lodge was moved. This date, 19ab, is the clue you will use to determine coordinates that lead you to the cache site.
The second set of coordinates are calculated as follows:
Date the lodge was moved = 19ab where a and b are each single digits
Calculate c = a + a, also a single digit
Calculate d = c + c, also a single digit
Second waypoint: N 37 44.cc0, W 119.34.d00
[1919 so a =1, c = 1 + 1 = 2, d = 2 + 2 = 4. N 37 44.220 W 119 34.400]
At this location you will find a modest interpretive sign and the remains of the first lodge.
Due to the terrain and forest cover, you are likely to experience variable and even erratic GPS readings. When this is the case, it helps to move out into an open area and take a bearing before proceeding. Bicycling or walking is encouraged since parking near the destination can be challenging, particularly in the summer months.
To confirm your find, email us with answers to the following questions:
1. What month in 1904 was the original lodge dedicated?
2. How much did it cost and who raised the funds?
3. Why was it moved?
4. Who paid for the replica?
5. Which parts of the original structure were moved?
Have fun and let us know what you think of Geo Joe’s story.
Additional Hints
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