January 17, 2011

Levee Bicycling - Turnstone

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. The widget seemed really bouncy here for some reason. Previous logs helped to direct our search, and we eventually found the cache after searching 4 different places. TFTC.

The Lesser-Spotted Tea Tree

By: SeanStafford Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container:

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. More thorns! Ouch. TFTC.

The kingdom of Tea

By: SeanStafford Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. I don't know about tea, but this cache gave a firsthand experience with thorns! Freeway roar in the distance. TFTC.

Levee Bicycling - Meadowlark

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. Thanks for all the caches along this trail! A nice leasurely pace, and a great chance to spend time together outdoors.

Levee Bicycling - Alvarado

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. This cache marked our return to the southerly side of the creek. We're heading back to the start now. What a great day! TFTC.

Sherpy's surprise

By: SeanStafford Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. This spot initiated a spirited discussion of what the concrete block might have been used for. TFTC!

The log of destiny

By: SeanStafford Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. A great winter day to be out and about! TFTC.

button/Pin Exchange

By: fredalinabrundage Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. There was a steep trail off the levee into a park near here, and they enjoyed the thrill of plunging down it. TFTC.

Levee Bicycling - Arizona Street Bridge

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. The Pepper trees made the three of us start sneezing! TFTC.

Levee Bicycling - Hilton Tree Fort

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. I made this one a lot more difficult than I needed to. As I was signing the log, a bicyclist came by and asked if I had 'found everything I needed'. Knowledgeable muggle or cacher? Hmmm. Thanks.

Levee Bicycling - Stumped

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. Dogs barking behind the fence, but I think that's not because of us, but the other dogs coming down the trail. TFTC.

Levee Bicycling Public Gym

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. I was glad to have a cache monkey for this one! TFTC.

Levee Bicycling Sanderling

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Levee Bicycling Flying Buttresses

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. At this point, we were playing leapfrog along the trail with a man and his really cute golden lab puppy. TFTC.

Levee Bicycling Beard Staging

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. This was our first stop, and I realized that I had forgotten a pen. Thankfully it was a quick pedal back to parking, and then we were on our way. Thanks for the large cache. It seems the folks accross the fence don't use their patio much doesn't it?!?

Levee Bicycling Decoto

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Levee Run - Decoto

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Out for a bike tour of the Alameda Creek trail with my boys, who got new bikes for Christmas. We made the crossing and are starting along the northerly side. Plenty of time to explain all those gears and when you should use them! TFTC.

January 15, 2011

Belmont Nano-Park

By: UnixGal Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Not Chosen

2nd time to this park for a cache. Like the first time, I spent a lot longer searching than I thought I would. Didn't have to explain geocaching to a curious neighbor this time though! TFTC.

Troll Den

By: k1ayman Difficulty: 3.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Micro

Whew! I'm glad to erase a previous DNF on this cache. Last time was dusty and spidery, this time it was muddy and...spidery. Of course! Thanks for not making the cache container black!

January 11, 2011

Ferngully

By: city.girl Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Small

Cool Rocks! Definitely some storm damage along the trail, but maintainance has been busy getting things cleaned up. I loved the sounds of the creek babling down below! TFTC.

Arguello Entrance

By: city.girl Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Other

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been in this park, way back when 'Taylor Made' was brand new. As others have mentioned, thanks for pointing out this entrance, I wasn't aware of it until now. Off I go down the trail!

Fido 911

By: UnixGal Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

I found this cache before the rain hit. Plenty of folks out and about, grocery shopping and clothes washing. I hope it's not a bad sign, but movers were going in and out of the vet's clinic with boxes. Could the business be relocating? Anyhow, TFTC!

January 8, 2011

Between a Rock and a Hardwood Place

By: k1ayman Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

I took a seat, grabbed the cache, and then spent the next 10 minutes struggling with it. Dang fat fingers! TFTC.

Vine Yard

By: k1ayman Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Small

Good to erase a previous DNF. I took it slow and steady, and the widget cooperated. Pausing a bit before taking the quick detour off trail because of the mud, I was quickly rewarded with a well concealed cache. Kids were practicing baseball in the park. Is it spring training yet? Thanks!

Sesame Street

By: Bob&Elliecat Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container:

As others have mentioned, stage 1 is missing. I took a chance that the final hadn't changed from the previous version, and came up with a find. Twice as nice the second time around!

January 5, 2011

For Whom The Bell Tolls

By: caccbag Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I've always enjoyed looking for these bells, and am glad the state decided to restore and replace them. Thanks for the back story and the cache! mjp303

A bowler has lost his marbles

By: caccbag Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

I was a bit worried the maintainace workers thought I was a commuter trying to schlep a free parking spot, but in the end it was a quick in and out, so my concerns were unnecessary. Lots of places like this in the midwest, but out here, not so much. I liked the cache ghillie suit! Thanks.

New Year's Trip Track Log

5 days and over 2100 miles.

January 2, 2011

San Joaquin Valley

By: Thutmosis Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Not Chosen

Returning from a very long trip to SoCal, this was a good point to stretch the legs and appreciate the world just outside the fast lane. bthomas sent our answers and posted the pix. I was impressed to learn that the pumps lift the water in the canal 113 feet. TFTEC!

January 1, 2011

Sand Dunes of Tatooine

By: bthomas Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Not Chosen

That R2D2, I'd follow him anywhere! Even when things look bleakest, he had a plan. Thanks for the tour of the desert, and for bringing me not once, but twice, to Death Valley. It's one of the most amazing places I've ever visited. Coordinates: N36 36.635, W117 06.714. Elevation -25 feet. Slip face is to the southeast, so prevailing wind comes from the northwest. Tough to gauge the angle, 30 degrees seems pretty close. It's steep!

October Quakefest

By: Umbra Scit Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

It was dark and chilly when we finally arrived at GZ. I would have loved to see the views, perhaps another time. TFTC.

California DeLorme Challenge (Southern & Central)

By: Moose Mob & Associates Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

Inked the log on 12/31/10 on a sunny, cold, and clear day in the midst of a 2100 mile road trip to finish up map pages in the southeastern portion of our great state with bthomas. Finished up a handful of Death Valley loose ends the following day on 1/1/11 as our grand tour continued through Teakettle Junction and over Lippencott. My pride required that the approach to the cache was on 4 wheels...no huffing and puffing up the hill for me! The final pitch was a bit brushy and snowy, but we made it. (The only damage was the breather tube on the front differential that got ripped from its safe moorings way up in the engine compartment and was found dragging on the ground a hour later.) Thanks for providing major motivation to get out there and explore! Many thanks to prior finders and trail companions, Motor Bug and bthomas. It was Ben who took me on my first off-road geocaching trip along the Rincon trail in the San Gabriel Mountains. From that point I was hooked! We had hoped to meet up with ckayaks (another GBA wanderer) who was coming from the opposite direction, but circumstances intervened and our planned reunion never materialized. Other memorable moments on the way to finishing this challenge included a trip over Sherman Pass, Morrow Rock, Cannizaro Plain, 402 caches in 23 hours along ToTG (...a number that seems pitifully small these days...), a snowy hike to the oldest cache in California, and numerous others. I'm grinning as I sit here reminiscing! Thanks for a fantastic adventure!

The Penny Sign Kids Cache

By: Alpick Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

Caching towards Death Valley with a few quick stops, of course! TFTC.

Pioneers

By: Two Feathers Clan Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

We searched GZ for several minutes before realizing there was an offset. The cache is in good shape. Thanks for pointing out the pioneer cemetery.

Titus Canyon

By: Binks Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

Small consolation this find after realizing the target waypoint of the trip would be off-limits. Thanks for pointing the way though.

Welcome to Nevada

By: Alpick Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

Sort of confusing since this cache is pretty far from the border. But then again, if it were right on the line it would be in the national park, which is off limits. Thanks for the heads up!

Sit Here

By: Pale Raven & busboy66 Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I would have taken a seat to log the cache, but that couch was about 30 degrees! A bit distracted, I ended up leaving bthomas' widget at GZ, but he was able to quickly retrace steps and recover it. TFTC.

Rhyolite Cemetery

By: Lil Devil Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

Happy New Year on the way to Death Valley. Amazingly, I located a cemetery cache that bthomas hadn't found yet! It was a must visit and well worth the effort, especially since we had to return and double check the digits (my bad). TFTC!

Devil's Racetrack

By: Team Min Dawg Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Virtual

Caching on the first day of the New Year in an absolutely amazing place! Stark. Timeless. Beautiful. What an adventure! Thanks for bringing us to the Death Valley backcountry, and thanks for the virtual cache. Lippencott and Saline Valley South pass next.

Swimming for a Handle at the Castle

By: Lego Dan and Ranger Roger Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Virtual

That's some pool! Especially in this desert. We enjoyed our visit. bthomas has been here several times before, but this was my first. TFTVC.

Great Scott's Throne

By: Scooterman Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Virtual

A very interesting place. Thanks for bringing me here. Interesting to see the logs of several other Bay Area cachers on the same day. Unfortunately we didn't cross paths though. TFTVC!

Rhyolite/Bullfrog Cache

By: DesertXplorers Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

Wide open spaces with the whispers of bygone dreams...I love old ghost towns! TFTC.

Bitter Cache

By: thejohnsonz Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Virtual

Plenty of people visiting Salt Creek today. The water was flowing nicely. bthomas answered our questions, and I'll pose some new ones. What do pupfish eat? Do pupfish have any predators? Thanks for pointing out a very interesting life and death struggle in a harsh place.

Teakettle Junction

By: Florian Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Virtual

Whew, that road had some serious washboards! Another check on the bucket list. bthomas took my picture, please check his note. TFTVC!