More awesome hikes and a few caches too

So the week is still going strong as far as the work outs go. Managed to do something every day this week and feel pretty dang proud about it.

Picked up one of the new caches during my hike after work on one night, then was invited up to REI for some shopping and caching afterwards. That was entertaining, mostly in trying to find the right parking spot and trying to power the various electronic gizmos I have with me.

Then a new cache published late Thursday night, but after looking at the scene, I decided a .6 mile hike up onto Prison Hill at 10:45 at night wasn't worth it, so just grabbed a few others scattered around town. The next night after work found me hiking up there, though too late for the FTF. I had a great 2 mile hike straight up the hill the down the trail in the dark and only two moments of real heart stopping panic. I was seeing things and my mind was having a ball making my imagination run wild.

Saturday, nvsrvyr came down to pick both me and bookmarked up for a hike back up Jack's Valley Wildlife Management Area to get him the caches up there and the final to a multi that is really tough. We trudged up there, getting hung up on a cache that is feared to have fallen down the critter hole. Though Bookmarked really made an effort to dig it out. That's where Puzzleman caught up with us and we continued the hike up.

Stopping at one more cache before the long haul straight up to the top of the ridge where the final rested. The going was slow and tough due to the steepness and the sand drying out and become soft and loose again. Every step sank you in about an inch or so and the angle slid you downhill more often than not. Eventually we made it up there and I was to the cache site first...

... only to find it muggled!! NOOOO

The swag was left lying on the ground nearby, but the container and the logbook were both gone. Puzzleman wandered around the hill looking for it. Though up there, one side has enough boulders that you can make your way around, the other side is a sheer drop off that you have to see in order to believe, despite me telling everyone it was a steep drop. Gathered up the geolitter, took pictures as proof, ate lunch, then it was back down the hill.

Stopped by two more caches in a general bushwhacking approach. During the hike to one, I got a phone-a-friend call from sierradogs about the cache Fat Boy Slim. They didn't quite believe me it was there and took some encouragement from one "directing" the other inside to where the cache was located. I gave them enough hints that they felt confident finding it (though later ai received a text telling me the Mr. Sierradog was stuck in the cave and Mrs. Sierradog would be coming to dinner solo). A total of 3 miles of up into the mountain and down before reaching the vehicles again to head home. For it was time to clean up and head to the Firkin and the Fox for our monthly geocaching get-together!

nvsrvyr and I were there first so we got to enjoy the quite area for dinner, then Puzzleman and his family showed up and we hung out until everyone else came in. All told, we had Clark Gable, mdpebright, Junk Yard Dawg, sierradogs (and pup) - both of them, he escaped the cave, barefootfamily, Puzzleman and his wife, bookmarked, ejc365, and GoodNight Goofies came in late. Awesome get together and a lot of fun was had. I overheard a lot of varied conversations, too numerous to count. This is the type of get-togethers I love. Relaxed, sociable, and just plain fun and everyone in involved.

After all that, Sunday nvsrvyr picked up again to be on the trail by 9. We headed up to the first cache in Indian Hills (Money Rocks) and wound ourselves around the entire top of the hills. It took a couple stops to study the aerial images and the ground before us to figure the right road and the best approach to some of the caches and often times we found our judgement rewarded with an easy walk vs a trudge down and back up a ravine. The second and third caches we found quickly and we stopped briefly to have a snack while admiring the great overview of both Carson and Eagle Valleys.

At the fifth cache of the day, nvsrvyr made a startled noise and I looked up in time to see a massive black bird soaring right along the ridgeline in front of us. This great beauty kept circling around us, lazily holding the thermals and only flapping his wings a few times before a turn or to raise up higher. I took both pictures and video and later learning we were watching an immature Golden Eagle. Wow! Absolutely stunning and breathtaking.

Continuing on, we grabbed a creative cache by BigTruckCrew and Lil' Miss Muffit. Unfortunately, it had been placed in such a way that the 4 star difficulty was a 1 at best. nvsrvyr found it without a problem. Then it was once again down the hill to the flats and off to the next cache. Now, awhile back I had researched some older caches in Carson looking for the first. During that I had found a few other archived caches that had no indication of being picked up. One such cache was Indian Hills cyber-cache. My brain chose this moment to recall that name, recall we were hiking Indian Hills and put the two together. Pulling up the coords, by sheer dumb luck we were a mere 300 feet from the cache on the trail we were on! Go!

It had been archived on January 20th, 2003. Two folks found it a month later. We found it 7 years later. Moments like that are why I love caching. Finding the treasure no one else knows about.

We kept walking the trail, where we split for a time to get caches in opposite directions that the other already had. I headed north and nvsrvyr headed south and I caught up with him just before he reached the last little hill back to the Yukon.

This weekend has been amazing. Some great hikes, amazing cache adventures, and hanging out with the most awesome of friends. Now let's just hope that I'm not in too much pain tomorrow - unlike the rest of the country, I'm one of the few who have to work.

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1/12/2010 God Bless East Stewart
1/13/2010 Clear Zone #10
1/13/2010 Reno/Tahoe IAP TB Hotel
1/13/2010 WWJEat6
1/13/2010 A "Hi-Tech" Solution
1/13/2010 NevadaWolf couldn't find Bakers Dz.13 - Chocolate Fudge
1/13/2010 WWJEat7
1/14/2010 Great Bargains Encourage Sales
1/14/2010 Good Boys Earn Stars
1/15/2010 Prison Break
1/17/2010 CV2D South
1/17/2010 Sunridge2D NE
1/17/2010 Indian Hills cyber-cache
1/17/2010 One of these rabbits.....
1/17/2010 Something Off The Wall