|
10/18/2008 by Kabuthunk
[YES!!! At long last we meet, you elusive cache! In all honesty, I'm quite surprised that it survived after my last attempt... the hiding spot being half-submerged in water. And in fact, several minutes after arriving at the coordinates, I feared that I was lining myself up for a third DNF. I even had what my online log would be ranting about... that I'm the single, only geocacher deemed incapable of obtaining this cache 
. But alas... I prevailed and emerged victorious 
!
So as with the previous several attempts at this cache, my wife and I (peculiar... I think this is the only time that I've made several reattempts at the same cache, with my wife being there every time) were off on a shopping errand, and I swung by this park in the blind hope of finding the cache. Luck was once again (mostly) with me, as the park was nearly empty. And by the time I reached the coordinates, I was left in solitude to attempt to obtain the cache.]
Time for some reachin'! Continuing with the same method used to search for the cache last time, I plunged my arm into the inky darkness. Once again, I turn up leaves... and more leaves. And some dirt. But the dirt was mixed with leaves anyway . The ground was (mostly) dry however today, so I decided to do what I was unable (or unwilling) to do last time... use the full reach of my arm up to the shoulder... about 31 inches (used a measuring tape at home before logging this... so this time that's actually an accurate number )... still nothing. Feeling the entire surface of just over 2.5 feet, and I was still coming up empty. Looking around, the park was still quiet, so I continued pondering. Clearing the area out as best I could, I tried to look... and saw nothing.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Thankfully however, I happened to have the item 'flashlight' in my inventory! The batteries were low... but managed to suffice for my needs. Focusing ye olde Maglite, I managed to catch a glimpse of the elusive cache... probably about 3.5 feet in!
["Well, THIS is a nice predicament!" I thought. How the hell am I supposed to get THAT?]
Luckly, it didn't require much of my creative nature. Quickly stepping out to the bushes, I grabbed a four-foot dead branch... thin and straight, just what I need 
. Using a few specific additions I added to my geocaching kit a while back, I was able to create something with which to reach the elusive cache. [SUCCESS! With the cache now in hand, I was free to log at will.
The cache container seemed quite familiar... it would appear that the FTF I got the other day was placed by the same person... huh... was unaware of that until now. Incidentally, the other geocache I found after this one (High Voltage Rock n' Roll) was also by the same hider. Well, at least SOMEONE is putting a cache or two around St. Vital area... although maybe it just seems emptyish to me because I've found all caches in the even remotely near vicinity .
In either case, I was able to finally sign the logbook and toss in a micromail ball. Technically, a full-size chainmail ball might have fit, but then the logbook wouldn't. I then replaced the cache where BBrown94 told me it was for him (and since that was before the lots of raining, where I'm thinking it actually was supposed to be)... about 1.5 feet of reach needed.
So thank for the cache! It's about time I was finally able to knock this off of my list o' attempted caches. I didn't want to be the single only cacher incapable of finding it .
Took: Nothing
Left: Logbook entry and micromail ball]
10/13/2008 by Kabuthunk
I decided to take a second swing at this cache today. Clearly, given the number of people that were capable of locating it after my attempt, the problem was with myself, not the cache . And given some of the wording used in some of the logs, as well as from my own previous search, I figured what would most likely be the location of the cache. However, just to be safe, I decided to use the 'phone a friend' option with a previous hider. He indeed confirmed that the cache is located exactly where I was planning on searching this time.
Hence, during a bit of shopping today (stuff is even OPEN today?!? Madness! But also convenient ), I swung around to the now slightly familiar park in hopes of finding a cache. However, given the confirmation of its location, I was a bit worried, given the drizzling and raining that has been going on since last night. Arriving at the cache location, my worries were... so far confirmed. The cache's hiding spot, or at least where I understand it to be, was filled to the halfway-point with water and sludgy leaves floating about in said water.
Is that about to slow down my search? NEVAH!!! Well... maybe slightly, but not for long. I took my jacket off so that I could cram my arm as far as it would go without soaking my clothing. And so, submerging my arm up to the elbow in icy cold rain water and leaves, I felt around, poked, prodded, and ran my hand over every fold and bend of every surface within reach... about 2 and a half feet deep worth, anyway. I was tempted to go further, up to my shoulder, but that would have required lying on the ground, and hence dipping the upper half of me into the large puddle beside the grating. And so, I passed on that option, deciding my 2.5 foot attempt was good... for today at least.
At this point, I scooped ALL of the leaves and debris as deep as my arm went into the aformentioned puddle beside the grating. Painstakingly picking through the large pile of leaves, sticks, and a slight bit of garbage (very little surprisingly), I found absolutely nothing cache-like. In fact, the only remotely solid thing was a four inch long twig. By the act of bending and messing around with, I confirmed that this twig was not the cache .
So... I'm not sure where the cache may be at this moment. Perhaps it has drifted deeper than I wished to delve, at which point it will have to wait for a drier day... if it's even still reachable. Failing that, I hope that it didn't float and find its way into the grating itself. I looked through the grating and didn't see a thing, anyway.
And just to be sure, I went to the other side of said arm-jamming slot, and proceeded to check the first two and a half feet of the inside of THAT side. No luck. I also tried a nearby similar type location, both sides... no luck.
Alas, either I really suck at this cache, or it may ACTUALLY be gone this time. I'm kinda hoping for the former... I've put two good attempts into this cache... one of which involve a REALLY cold hand and lower arm .
So... I shall keep an eye out on this cache and see what happens with the next several logs. Hopefully it will remain for me to hunt again!
10/4/2008 by Kabuthunk
Decided to swing by here on the way to shopping today. My wife was along, but waited in the car as per usual. But THIS time, she not only didn't fight me to go geocaching, but was asking where to turn to get to THIS one. Slowly but surely... she's giving into geocaching .
Unfortunately, I couldn't report back to her with a 'found it'. She parked on the street nearby, while I hopped out and headed over to the coordinates. At first, my GPS decided to lead me a bit astray, putting me about 15 or so meters North of where the the cache is likely located (or was, if it's missing or something). After poking my arms into various places a perhaps magnetized cache might go, I turned up nothing. Looking at the GPS again, I was dragged about 10 meters West of the coordinates. There being nothing there that I would associate with the cache description, I checked the GPS again. Surprise of surprises, it decided to tell me that the coordinates were ACTUALLY about 10 meters East. At that point I saw what, given the description and hint, must have been where the cache was located.
I thoroughly searched for about 10 minutes that two square feet of vicinity, mainstakingly poking and feeling every possible crevace to see if a method of hiding the cache was there. Looking from every possible angle I could and poking my fingers into anything else, I turned up nothing. I even crammed my arm into other 'perhaps magnetized might go' places, but still ended up empty-handed.
Thankfully, the park was dead-empty. Except for one guy walking his dog who started the living bajesus out of me. His dog was like... 5 feet from me before I looked up and noticed they were there. He was calling the dog back, because the little guy was curious about me and sniffing in my direction. I just tried to pretend like I was just relaxing there, but I'm pretty sure he thought I was a little weird or missing some marbles upstairs or something . Once he wandered off, I continued my search in solitude. After a few minutes, I called off my search entirely 
.
I'm not sure if MHz called it in saying it won't last long, or if I was just blind today. In either case... the result was the same... yet another DNF for me. I'll keep an eye on this cache and see if someone else finds it. If so, I'll be damned curious as to where it's hidden, since I'm pretty sure I covered all possible bases with that one .
A really nice park though otherwise. I'm very surprised that there's no other caches in here in general!
Ah well... another day, another day. This cache is only a few kilometers from home, so if I see any updates on it, you can bet I'll be there in short order .
Bark up the tree! (0.31 kms E) High voltage rock n' roll (0.35 kms SW) Teeny Timbit the Dust (0.65 kms NW) Snoopy's Park (0.66 kms SW)Hints (Back)
the hint is in the name.
Oh grate! Another cache by jonhycache (2/1) (Archived)
Micro Hidden on 10/1/2008
Terrain: 
