New cache hide!

Well, I finally hid another cache. Though I have 9 under my name, only 5 now are ones I've hidden. 5 hides, 999 finds. Yeah, that's balanced. ;-)

This one originally was a GPS the Game cache, and I hid it where I've been wanting to hide a cache. The difference being that GPS provided all the stuff and GC.com you need to buy everything. So, that made it easier to hide.

I need to write to all the GPS gamers to let them know they can log the GC.com cache. I'm not going to make them re-find it, especially since two of them are from Denver.

But, I did head over to Wal-Mart and loaded up on swag. Plus the FTF prize (that didn't fit in the can) is a car battery recharger. I love the one I bought and it helps when the GPS suddenly goes dead.

So there's a new cache up at the King's Canyon Waterfall, all I'm waiting for is the good graces of RoadRuner.

Must have patience...

The wildfire of caches is continuing to rage.

I set up the GC.com Insta-Notify option for Premium Members. It sends me an email for any new cache listings (well, I have it set for traditionals). Now I wish I hadn't because now I see all the new caches popping up.

RoadRunner is one busy bird as daily I'm getting new notices...

Oh, just wait till I get back from Oregon!

Cache 999

Well today was the first day of college. But that's another topic.

On Saturday, it was the GBES's birthday and nearly everyone from around here and California showed up. Then swarmed Carson. One of the caches hit was Jesse's Hideout.

Now, previously, I've attempted this cache - three times to be exact. The first two times I saw nothing but a rock wall, lined with a rock pile. Two strikes against this hide, but as it is the only one in Carson I haven't found, I need to try one more time.

So, I drag dad along as he's been the best for seeing caches that I miss. However, twenty minutes later, we give up and glance back at the truck. Hurm, what's that cop car doing there and why is he staring at us?

Turns out the neighbors called the cops do to "suspicious activity" and it was us! This is the first time I've encountered the cops while on a cache hunt. A quick explaination cleared up the problem and off we went.

Now, today, geospyder replies to my quest for a hint. He says that this hide is similar to Safe1 caches with a twist. So after class, and before work of course, I headed over to the location. A quick walk-by spots the cache. GAH! How did I miss that?!

Oh well, that's what I get. Rock walls and rock piles take a lot for me to even bother with because so many people put lame caches there. I'm glad nv4life proves that he can raise the creativity bar in Carson. Good job!!

11 days until 1k.

A glimpse of heaven.

Though I don't hide many caches, I do adopt them when needed. So far, I've adopted 4 caches and I'm also the local watch-cacher for four caches out along Highway 50.

Recently, the owner and I (mostly I) had to upgrade an archived Virtual cache to a traditional. One of those new micros seems to be giving people a lot of problems. They're obviously not from western Nevada as the style has been popular here since grimmie began his SHM series.

So, 2 hours later I'm out at Cold Springs on Highway 50 verifying a cache was still there and took new coordinates

While there, I had a perfect moment. I was goofing off and humming to myself. I suddenly heard a loud thumping noise. Looking around I couldn't see anything, but the sound suddenly moved above me. I looked up and time stopped.

The sky was a perfect blue, the snowy mountains glistening white in the sun, a slight breeze had quieted, and there, above me, were two crows, their wings making the whooshing sound I was hearing. I watched them fly off, cawing occasionally. A moment of such stillness that I could hear the beats of a bird's wings.

On the way back in, I was toying with what cache to grab for my 998th. There's a new cache out at Carson Plains, but both stops led me to a rock wall and no luck in finding.

So I came back into town and decided to try for a cache with a couple coins. So, a walk of .2 miles (and I'm sick, this was smart) brought me to a sage filled area. Ten minutes later was a DNF, but I spotted a seriously disturbed area. I took a picture to show the damage, and spotted a golden fishing lure. Picking it up resulted in the whole ground moving. The 'lure' was in fact the handle to a lid that had been buried.

I'm all for bending the rules, but outright burying a cache is against the rules. There's just something about it that goes against the grain. So, I've asked Roadrunner to look into it. He claims there is some flexibilty to it, but he needs to review the situation.

Quickie Caching

For years, Carson City's been dry as far as new caches go. Drofrockology was pretty much the only one placing caches and then he sort of stopped.

Sure there were sparks every now and then, but nothing that caught hold.

Now there's a wildfire, right when I can't go grab them!!!

Duke.Johnson, signing his hides as The Huntsman, has been going nuts and placing caches all over the place. A few have popped up here and of course I just can't resist going to get them. Though the irritating thing is I just cleaned out Carson Valley! And there's three new ones!

I have to remember to pace myself, I've two weeks left until the Trip, and I'm already at 997. All I need is two more before I have to wait.

Thankfully, school is starting next week (ARGH) and my free time will evaporate.

But today, I went to go grab one of his. Called "A Little Cache" it's hidden off of Little Lane. There's a field that a lot of dirtbike BMX'ers like hitting and lots of whoops and twisting roads, in a small sage field.

I went out to bag it early and ran out of time. Second try there, I missed the trail and ended up circling it. This saved my bacon. The recent snowstorm left clear clues as to what was where and there was a very distinct mark on the ground that was left when the item hiding the cache (no spoilers here) was moved. Found the cache, and hoping beyond hope, opened the log...

For an STF. Drat.

So, to find a place to log in and to try for something new, went back to a prior cache I'd found 10 days ago. A D-Dawg's Critter Coin was waiting, so grabbed it. I'll post of picture, it's a great snake coin.

Work beckons and another 12 hour day faces me.

Overtime Oddities

Today, I found the surest sign I've been at work too much lately.

This morning: Woke up early, so decided to go to Heidi's for breakfast. Afterward, saw an easy drive-up cache that was just posted, and have a possibility for an FTF. Make it to the cache site and see tiretracks and footprints. Fearing the worst, find the cache, open the log and... Got it. Another first to find.

This evening: While standing at the Club Booth that I'm covering because the closer got sick suddenly, I'm thinking, "I wonder if anyone found that cache that Dad and I found yesterday.

Elasped time: 8:30 hours.

I honestly believed until just now (while looking at the cache page) that I had found the new cache the day before. How I managed to gain a whole day is beyond me. But it happened.

This is my... 10th day working, though two of those days were half, one with Nicole and the other because I was sick. So far, I have over 30 hours of overtime.

I'm taking today off!

Paperless caching

Well, no longer dying sick, but still feeling less than normal... so...

I'm a firm believer in paperless caching. Originally when I started, I was not a Premium Member, so printing out each page and manually punching in each coordinate was the way to go.

Well, one day, I punched the wrong number in and promptly turned a 2 star with a view, into a 5 star with no view.

I signed up the next day.

Since then, I've gone from downloading LOC files into EasyGPS to taking the GPX files into my MapSource. Also upgraded to a Legend cx and a PocketPC phone - so now I can load the GPX file straight into GPXSonar.

Then, to my heart's delight, I discovered the wap.geocaching.com web site. Oh be still I can log from the road! Find a cache, log the cache, all while at the cache site. Gives my logs a rather "now" feeling about them, and keeps me from having to remember which caches I hit.

Add to it that I just got a Bluetooth keyboard for my phone and logging becomes a snap!

Though, Mama Gravy pointed out one day that she'd printed out a cache page that turned out to be just outside of my Pocket Query range. Well, I guess some paper is good.

I hate being SICK!

So, being that I'm bed bound today, I decided to work on my website and try to update it (or at least get it back up and running). So far, it's almost done, save for the Historical Markers section.

This also got me thinking about listening to PodCacher, and I began at the beginning. Their second show listed some things that they carry in their bags.

So, here's some of what I carry in mine:
First Aid Kit
Log Repair Kit (spare logs, stash notes, tape, staples, hole punch, etc)
Small / Micro Cache replacements
Magnets
Velcro
Super Glue
Rubber Bands
Pens, Pencils, Sharpie
Dental Mirror
Telescoping magnet
Silicone bag (for drying wet caches)
Spare geocoins

At least that's what I can think of. I found a little purse made of canvas, looks a lot like the gasmask bags from Twin Cities, cept more pockets.

On me at all times I carry my pen and wolf print stickers.

Let it snow!

Well, so much for the caching day.

Instead, Nicole and I just went and had lunch, then picked up Bob's daughter. Maybe next week.

Welcome to the Madness

Well, not really, this is just me trying to do a blog about my geocaching adventures in the silver state.

Tomorrow we'll see, as I'm finally going out with Nicole to find some local caches. I love addicting people to this sport.

I'll also test out the Mobile Blogger, see if I can't get some candid moments.

The picture is of me and Mama Gravy at Skwerl's house. The two golden beauties are Muffin and Willow (though you'll have to ask the Skwerls who is who).

Edit - If I remember right, Muffin is the one in front, Willow is behind. Muffin is the darker of the two.