I have a new icon in my profile after the CITO event
It was a good time and we accomplished a lot cleaning up the trash and detritus from other thoughtless users of the forest.
posted by Miragee at
8:51:00 PM
|
0 comments
Saturday, November 12, 2005
It was a good time and we accomplished a lot cleaning up the trash and detritus from other thoughtless users of the forest.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Team Gecko found my new cache. It was his 2200th find
And FlagMan noticed that Don's 2200th find was at 2200 feet of elevation. He wrote a short log in the morning and then "fleshed it out" tonight.
I'm glad he chose my cache to be a milestone cache. He liked the container also . . . a cammo-painted tin I probably got at a Thrift Store. I'm glad that sort of container is acceptable . . . but then it is made of the same stuff as all those Altoids tin caches . . . only mine has some "size to it."
I'm glad he chose my cache to be a milestone cache. He liked the container also . . . a cammo-painted tin I probably got at a Thrift Store. I'm glad that sort of container is acceptable . . . but then it is made of the same stuff as all those Altoids tin caches . . . only mine has some "size to it."
7:10 am.
It isn’t very often a cache goes unfound for a couple of days so close to our home coordinates. Guess the dark, drizzly conditions kept saner cachers indoors this morning. Since the Iron Mountain trails represent some of my long-time favorite running routes, it was an easy choice to head up here for a sunrise workout on this Veteran’s Day holiday. Distance from Ellie Lane trailhead is a bit less than 1 1/2 miles on the popular Table Rock route. Cache is well hidden but coordinates were spot on for a quick find. Not likely to be muggled from this hidey hole. FTF. Left a TG card, a sky blue lizard, and a friendship bead bracelet and a glass heart. Took Band-Aids/pocket dispenser to add to my running kit. After closing up the container, misty clouds rolled through, reducing visibility and creating a surreal atmosphere.
Rather than run the whole Ramona Point-Iron Mountain Summit loop, I cut back to take the new crossover trail by the old homestead and out to the highway by way of Brownies on the Move. The eucalyptus grove has nearly taken over the homestead grounds since I last poked around in there shortly after the Cedar Fire. Total loop distance this way is only 3 1/2 miles versus the 8+ miles the usual way around. That allowed me to get home in time for a breakfast date before we headed to see the USS Midway for our Veterans Day commemoration. Thanks for the hide.
-Gecko Dad
posted by Miragee at
7:18:00 PM
|
0 comments
Thursday, November 10, 2005
A new Keen People map of my placed caches
After placing another cache yesterday, and having it approved in a matter of a few hours, I have 27 caches around the county.
When I placed my first cache, I chose a location close to a road less than five miles from my house because I was very concerned about my physical ability to maintain a cache.
I am feeling so much better now, and am in much better shape, so having a cache two miles in on the Iron Mountain trail doesn't seem like an impossiblity to maintain . . . However, I don't know how I'll feel about that placement a couple of years from now after a particular milestone birthday.
It is wonderful to have caches all around the area, many in pretty cool spots, if I must say so myself.
When I placed my first cache, I chose a location close to a road less than five miles from my house because I was very concerned about my physical ability to maintain a cache.
I am feeling so much better now, and am in much better shape, so having a cache two miles in on the Iron Mountain trail doesn't seem like an impossiblity to maintain . . . However, I don't know how I'll feel about that placement a couple of years from now after a particular milestone birthday.
It is wonderful to have caches all around the area, many in pretty cool spots, if I must say so myself.
posted by Miragee at
5:30:00 PM
|
0 comments
Lots of hiking since last Friday
That is the track I made when I hid the five new caches on Mt. McGinty last Friday. I hiked just over four miles and I created a Magnalog of this hike at the Magnalog site.
That is the track I made hiking to the last two caches in the "Couch Series" on Sunday. It was at least four miles round trip.
That is the track I made on Monday to retrieve the White Jeep from my "Lyons Mountain View" cache. It would be interesting to compare my speed going up the hill that day compared to my slog up the hill Friday when I was carrying the caches I ended up placing.
That is the track I made going almost to the top of Fortuna Mountain. I think that was a round trip distance of almost four miles.
That is the track I made hiking up Iron Mountain yesterday.
Wheeeuuuu . . . Now wonder my muscles are sore and I am tired. Is it any wonder all I have wanted to do today is sit here at the computer, work on the blog, and post in the Forums . . . ?
posted by Miragee at
3:45:00 PM
|
0 comments
I passed 900 caches and I'm up to 920 . . . but numbers don't matter.
Tueday we took off to finish "Beyond the Bridge," a cache we got sidetracked on last week when we looked for some other caches in that area on the same walk.
Finding the last two waypoints, and the cache, was easy, compared to what we went through the previous week hiking way in on that trail and crossing the river during our quest to the puzzle caches. "Beyond the Bridge" was very well-executed, as all of Pathfinder and Snoopy's caches are.
From there we drove to the Registrar of Voters so I could drop off my Absentee Ballot. Since we were close, P.T. decided to do a maintenance visit to a cache she adopted from TucsonThompsen that is in the Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP). It was a long walk, .7 of a mile, to the first cache on that trail. The next caches were relatively close, but by the time we were ready to turn around, I think we walked more almost two miles and we made it to the top of North Fortuna mountain.
Too bad it was so overcast, but you could see the tall buildings of San Diego in the distance. Some days, even when the sky is blue, the haze prevents that.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wednesday morning I woke up too early and was really tired. Since the weather looked "iffy," I was very prepared to stay home and recuperate. However, after my morning coffee's caffeine kicked in, I decided to meet P.T. and go on the Iron Mountain hike we had planned for the day.
She thought we would only do three caches and cover about two miles total distance. Instead, after finding "Brownies on the Move," we decided to check out the trail. We walked up, then up some more, and the rhythm of motion kept us going all the way up to "Table Rock with a View."
We had a hard time finding that one because the hint didn't match the cache's location. Since some muggles found the cache a while ago, I wonder if it was put in a different place from the cache owner's hiding spot.
It was only .3 to the next cache, "Out in the Open," and it didn't look like a rough trail, so we took off towards it. I had brought a cache with me and in one particularly cool spot, near some huge boulders, with a great view of the ocean and San Diego and Pt. Loma in the distance, I placed it. Too bad it wasn't a beautiful, sunny clear day.
We took several readings to make sure of their accuracy and I took a spoiler picture because the cache is very well-hidden.
T.R. Violin's "Out in the Open" is just that. An Altoid's tin sitting on a little rock ledge. We thought about covering it up until we reflected on the cache name . . .
We had fun "bushwhacking" back to the trail, following a wash and then doing some boulder hopping. It didn't look very far to the trail across the little canyon, but the distance was deceiving. Perhaps because it was overcast and there were no shadows for clues.
After finally getting back to the car, I was ready for some easy, drive-by caches and we did a couple of those before doing an interesting multi cache that showed us "2 Picos" and "93 Buzones." That was a fun cache . . . and the final location allowed us to get a "two-fer." I don't know how the second cache at that location got approved because it is only about 75 feet away from the final stage of the Multi.
The last cache of the day was a DNF. We found the feature we were supposed to find, but didn't find the log we needed to sign to make our find "official."
Finding the last two waypoints, and the cache, was easy, compared to what we went through the previous week hiking way in on that trail and crossing the river during our quest to the puzzle caches. "Beyond the Bridge" was very well-executed, as all of Pathfinder and Snoopy's caches are.
From there we drove to the Registrar of Voters so I could drop off my Absentee Ballot. Since we were close, P.T. decided to do a maintenance visit to a cache she adopted from TucsonThompsen that is in the Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP). It was a long walk, .7 of a mile, to the first cache on that trail. The next caches were relatively close, but by the time we were ready to turn around, I think we walked more almost two miles and we made it to the top of North Fortuna mountain.
Too bad it was so overcast, but you could see the tall buildings of San Diego in the distance. Some days, even when the sky is blue, the haze prevents that.
Wednesday morning I woke up too early and was really tired. Since the weather looked "iffy," I was very prepared to stay home and recuperate. However, after my morning coffee's caffeine kicked in, I decided to meet P.T. and go on the Iron Mountain hike we had planned for the day.
She thought we would only do three caches and cover about two miles total distance. Instead, after finding "Brownies on the Move," we decided to check out the trail. We walked up, then up some more, and the rhythm of motion kept us going all the way up to "Table Rock with a View."
We had a hard time finding that one because the hint didn't match the cache's location. Since some muggles found the cache a while ago, I wonder if it was put in a different place from the cache owner's hiding spot.
It was only .3 to the next cache, "Out in the Open," and it didn't look like a rough trail, so we took off towards it. I had brought a cache with me and in one particularly cool spot, near some huge boulders, with a great view of the ocean and San Diego and Pt. Loma in the distance, I placed it. Too bad it wasn't a beautiful, sunny clear day.
We took several readings to make sure of their accuracy and I took a spoiler picture because the cache is very well-hidden.
T.R. Violin's "Out in the Open" is just that. An Altoid's tin sitting on a little rock ledge. We thought about covering it up until we reflected on the cache name . . .
We had fun "bushwhacking" back to the trail, following a wash and then doing some boulder hopping. It didn't look very far to the trail across the little canyon, but the distance was deceiving. Perhaps because it was overcast and there were no shadows for clues.
After finally getting back to the car, I was ready for some easy, drive-by caches and we did a couple of those before doing an interesting multi cache that showed us "2 Picos" and "93 Buzones." That was a fun cache . . . and the final location allowed us to get a "two-fer." I don't know how the second cache at that location got approved because it is only about 75 feet away from the final stage of the Multi.
The last cache of the day was a DNF. We found the feature we were supposed to find, but didn't find the log we needed to sign to make our find "official."
posted by Miragee at
1:30:00 PM
|
0 comments
Monday, November 07, 2005
I have a White Jeep in my possession . . .
My new caches finally got approved late last night. Chuy and Cegrube were FTF in the dark just after midnight. Later in the day, T.R. Violin hiked up there and left a White Jeep in "Lyons Peak View." What to do? What to do? After all the hiking I did Friday, and yesterday, I wondered about being able to hike up there, but I didn't let the "You-can't-do-it" voice have any power. I turned off the computer, changed in to my hiking clothes, and took off.
I hiked up the hills as fast as I could and once I got on the main trail, saw someone in front of me. At first I worried it was another Geocacher and there was going to be a sprint between the two of us over the last 300 feet up that steep rocky trail to the cache, but it wasn't. It was just someone out walking their little dog . . . off a leash. Very brave I thought. The dog was just about the size coyotes prefer for lunch or dinner.
After I got the jeep out of the cache, I took some pictures of it with the other Travel Bug that is still residing in the cache, "Masked Cacher Chris."
Then I took a few pictures of it trying to get Lyons Peak in the background.
And then I took a picture of it with some of the pale Nolina plants in the background.
Such silliness over a little toy . . .
And speaking of toys, I took a picture of the shelf above my computer monitor with some of the toys and trinkets I have retrieved from caches.
And, then I took a picture of my two new cammo-painted ammo cans, along with a bunch of stuff I bought at the 99-Cent store, a Thrift Store, and a garage sale last Saturday.
Maybe I'll fill up one of those containers and find a very cool, remote place for a cache, and give the White Jeep a send off in another brand new cache. It would also be nice to leave the jeep in Lawson #4 . . . if we are able to make that hike sometime soon.
Did I mention this is a serious addiction . . . ?
I hiked up the hills as fast as I could and once I got on the main trail, saw someone in front of me. At first I worried it was another Geocacher and there was going to be a sprint between the two of us over the last 300 feet up that steep rocky trail to the cache, but it wasn't. It was just someone out walking their little dog . . . off a leash. Very brave I thought. The dog was just about the size coyotes prefer for lunch or dinner.
After I got the jeep out of the cache, I took some pictures of it with the other Travel Bug that is still residing in the cache, "Masked Cacher Chris."
Then I took a few pictures of it trying to get Lyons Peak in the background.
And then I took a picture of it with some of the pale Nolina plants in the background.
Such silliness over a little toy . . .
And speaking of toys, I took a picture of the shelf above my computer monitor with some of the toys and trinkets I have retrieved from caches.
And, then I took a picture of my two new cammo-painted ammo cans, along with a bunch of stuff I bought at the 99-Cent store, a Thrift Store, and a garage sale last Saturday.
Maybe I'll fill up one of those containers and find a very cool, remote place for a cache, and give the White Jeep a send off in another brand new cache. It would also be nice to leave the jeep in Lawson #4 . . . if we are able to make that hike sometime soon.
Did I mention this is a serious addiction . . . ?
posted by Miragee at
6:40:00 PM
|
1 comments
Sunday, November 06, 2005
I finally finished off the "Couch Series"
A few months ago LostGuy51 placed three new caches in Hollenbeck Canyon. The first people to look for them had a bit of trouble with the coordinates, and then the temperature soared, so until three weeks ago, I didn't try to find any of them even though they are only a few miles from my house . . . as the crow flies. On the day I found "It Got Me Off the Couch #3" and "It Got Me Off The Couch #2," I hiked down from the top and placed two new caches along the way.
Today it was a near perfect day for hiking. There were some high clouds and a nice breeze. The smells of fall were in the air including the refreshing scent of drying fennel plants. The creek I had to jump across back in January when I went to find my very first cache was dry today, but there were a few places where water remained in nice pools to provide water for the wildlife in this wildlife reserve.
The first of the Couch Series caches is a micro hidden in an Oak tree along the trail in this bucolic setting.
The coordinates had me in the middle of the trail nearly 30 feet away, but I glanced around for likely hiding spots and went right to the cache without even looking in my Palm at the cache description, or reading the hint.
After signing the log, I continued up the trail. It was nearly a mile to the next cache, and I had walked almost a mile to the first cache, but the trail was fairly level, at least compared to the McGinty hike, so there was no reason to not continue now that I am in better shape and four miles is not too far to hike on such a beautiful fall afternoon.
As I continued up the trail, the only disturbing thing was the occasional sound of gunfire. Quail season started a couple of weeks ago. I was hoping that was all they were shooting at, and that the only guns were shotguns . . .
I took a few more pictures as I continued up the trail that became narrower as it ascended along the west side of the creek.
This was looking to the south in the hazy mid-afternoon sunlight.
At the cache site, I had to "argue" with a few plants guarding the ammo can. There were a couple of nolina plants and a chamise bush that didn't want to let me grab the can.
I looked through the nice selection of swag and then signed the log as "Second-to-Find." I replaced the cache and headed back down the trail. I saw this amazing hollow tree not quite halfway back to the car.
There is a bee hive just above the large hollow opening, but they seemed fairly docile this afternoon, unlike the busy bees I ran into at "Boogity Boogity."
The last person I saw on the trail was a hunter. I think he was more surprised to see me that I was to see him. I'm sure glad he was just walking and not actively hunting at the time because he was very young, and looked inexperienced.
Before getting back to the car I placed another cache but after I got back I saw that it is too close to a cache I found way back in February. I approached that cache from a different direction back then, and everything looked so different when the grass was green and three-feet tall that I didn't recognize the area.
So, I need to pick up that cache and place it somewhere else . . .
Oh dear . . . this is a very serious addiction . . .
Today it was a near perfect day for hiking. There were some high clouds and a nice breeze. The smells of fall were in the air including the refreshing scent of drying fennel plants. The creek I had to jump across back in January when I went to find my very first cache was dry today, but there were a few places where water remained in nice pools to provide water for the wildlife in this wildlife reserve.
The first of the Couch Series caches is a micro hidden in an Oak tree along the trail in this bucolic setting.
The coordinates had me in the middle of the trail nearly 30 feet away, but I glanced around for likely hiding spots and went right to the cache without even looking in my Palm at the cache description, or reading the hint.
After signing the log, I continued up the trail. It was nearly a mile to the next cache, and I had walked almost a mile to the first cache, but the trail was fairly level, at least compared to the McGinty hike, so there was no reason to not continue now that I am in better shape and four miles is not too far to hike on such a beautiful fall afternoon.
As I continued up the trail, the only disturbing thing was the occasional sound of gunfire. Quail season started a couple of weeks ago. I was hoping that was all they were shooting at, and that the only guns were shotguns . . .
I took a few more pictures as I continued up the trail that became narrower as it ascended along the west side of the creek.
This was looking to the south in the hazy mid-afternoon sunlight.
At the cache site, I had to "argue" with a few plants guarding the ammo can. There were a couple of nolina plants and a chamise bush that didn't want to let me grab the can.
I looked through the nice selection of swag and then signed the log as "Second-to-Find." I replaced the cache and headed back down the trail. I saw this amazing hollow tree not quite halfway back to the car.
There is a bee hive just above the large hollow opening, but they seemed fairly docile this afternoon, unlike the busy bees I ran into at "Boogity Boogity."
The last person I saw on the trail was a hunter. I think he was more surprised to see me that I was to see him. I'm sure glad he was just walking and not actively hunting at the time because he was very young, and looked inexperienced.
Before getting back to the car I placed another cache but after I got back I saw that it is too close to a cache I found way back in February. I approached that cache from a different direction back then, and everything looked so different when the grass was green and three-feet tall that I didn't recognize the area.
So, I need to pick up that cache and place it somewhere else . . .
Oh dear . . . this is a very serious addiction . . .
posted by Miragee at
8:26:00 PM
|
0 comments
10-Day Forecast
