Musings about Geocaching: 2005-12-18

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Another hike to Gaskill Peak on a gorgeous clear day

I enjoyed the hike up to the top of Gaskill Peak last Friday, so when Princess Toadstool said she was heading for another mileston, cache #1400, I suggested she find my new cache on Gaskill Peak, as well as SMOKEY's two caches, with the one on the top being number 1400.

It was a long hike from the beginning of the Forest Service Road, but it was an absolutely beautiful, and very clear, day.

Looking out from the slot.

Taking pictures of the fantastic view.

Looking down on Lawson Peak from the top of Gaskill Peak.

The "Alien" rock and the spectacular view beyond.

The view to the east showing Barrett Lake

I put the White Jeep in my cache and Nancy retrieved it from there and put it in the cache at the top. I forgot to take more pictures of it and "Lil' SMOKEY" when I retrieved him from the cache, but I'll make sure I take pictures of "Lil' SMOKEY" during the time I have him in my possession and when I finally send him back out in the wild.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Another great day with the San Diego Cache Event Team

Ramona was the location for Saturday's "Event." I met the group near the "K cache" at 8:00 in the morning. The first cache on my unfound list was "Indian Head Peak," the cache P.T. and I spent more than four hours not finding . . .

We took a more westerly angle to the approach, but still had to navigate around the boulders as we neared the top. I took a route around the top and when I came around the corner after climbing between some tumbled boulders, I could see the Toby's Gang, TrailGators, and dugnarm already on the top. TFTC was still down below the treacherous access and neither he, nor the other guys, were anxious for me to climb up there. However, it wasn't any worse than what we encountered on "Lawson 4," so I went for it.

Once on top, I declined to attempt getting to the actual cache location. duganrm was the only one of our group who did leap over there and back . . . several times. He is absolutely fearless . . . and I think the soles of his boots must have some extra sticky stuff on them.

We took pictures of the Jeep TB

each other,

and the cloudy view

before heading back down the boulder-strewn slope. By the time we got to the bottom, most of us bore black marks from the burned branches of shrubs that are beginning their recovery from the horrific conflagration that burned so many thousands of acres in October, 2003.

The cache is only half a mile from the parking area at the end of the cul-de-sac whre we parked.

We covered 2.4 miles to get up and back down from it . . .