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What does Stephen King, The Superbowl, The College Bowl & The Academy Awards have in common?


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If your a Geocacher, then it’s a Power Trail!!  East of Sacramento are more than 3 Power Trails that have 160 caches combined.  Easy? hmmm no…. these are Mystery Caches, all 160 of them.  You have to solve the puzzle, or answer the questions to be able to get the coordinates to these caches.  It usually involves hours of research online to get the answers to solve the puzzle.  The Cache Owners did an incredible job of research to put these series together.  All of them are quality caches and it’s very rewarding to say that you have 160 Mystery Caches solved and logged!!  So sit back and pull up a Puzzle cache or two, after you have solved it enjoy the journey to the cache, log it and look for the next one, or in this case the next Series.

We started out at 3:00 am from Redding, CA heading toward the first Mystery cache on the SKH Series. Arrived at 6:30, Uh-Oh…. whats this?  No road?  No problem we have a Jeep!!!  Headed through the construction zone towards the first cache, got it!!!  All was ok until we me up with a Cement Barrier…. again, so glad we have the Jeep!!  We squeezed through the barrier and a telephone pole and now we find the road!!  Wouldn’t recommend driving on the first part, a bike or a walk might be a better way, well unless you have a small vehicle that you can take off roading!

First cache on the SKH Series: GC3B3DA SKH – Desperation by Voodoo Crew

When we started the College Bowl run there was another barrier, it seems there is a lot of dumping going on in the area, very sad to see.  Saw some Bald Eagles in the area and a couple of Hawks too! It was really a pretty area if you can look past the trash dump.  This place needs a CITO, and I would love to join in on cleaning it up.

First cache on the College Bowl: GC39HC3 The Rose Bowl by Voodoo Crew

We moved along at a fairly good pace, about 2  a minute average, then moved along to the Superbowl series. I grabbed my 6000th caches on the Superbowl Series, pretty cool.  It was great weather and wasn’t too hot, we started early enough that we didn’t hit the heat until about 3 pm when we were on the last part of the Academy Awards Series.

First Cache in the Superbowl Series: GC3A1WB Super Bowl XI (Raiders vs. Vikings) Voodoo Crew

First Cache in the Academy Award Series: GC3C770 The 1st Annual Academy Awards (1929) by Voodoo Crew

A big thank you to the Cache Owners!!  All the caches were in good shape, and there was parking available if you came in from the right direction, nothing to dangerous.  Your on a road, and traffic goes fast so you need to be careful, but hey we are used to that since Power Caches became popular. We found all but about 2 of the Geocaches on all of the combined Series.

After finishing the Mystery Cache Power Trails we headed over and did the Family Guy letterboxes and a Virtual.

Letterbox cache: GC3ABC2 Cleveland Brown – Family Guy (Letterbox Hybrid) by Voodoo Crew

Not a bad day – My accomplishments for the day:  178 caches total for the  day, 4 cache types: Virtual, Traditional, Mystery and Letterbox, and I  found my 6000th cache!!  Calling it a day and turning off the GPS‘r … oh wait… isn’t that a cache close by…. maybe one more???

BIG BEAR at Firestone GC78


BIG BEAR A

GC78 Firestone by Scott Hinds

BIG BEAR’s birthday wish was to do this cache, it was published 10/02/2000 called Firestone.  It is located near Bodega Bay, North of San Francisco. So after biking the Golden Gate park earlier in the day, we jumped in the Jeep and headed north up Hwy 1 to the cache location.  The road into the cache was winding but it was a beautiful drive.

This was rated a 1/1 but we parked at the closest point and walked over, looked down and thought no way this is a 1 terrain.  We did see a trail though and later found out if you parked at the Trail Head (which we passed on the way up to the cache) that you could have an easy hike into this cache that was a terrain of 1.    Since we were at the closest point we through caution to the wind and started our way down to the cache, our terrain was about a 4.  It was very steep, but the views were extraordinary… it was beautiful.  There was no fog and we got there just about Sunset to witness one of the prettiest views of the ocean.

There aren’t too many of these old caches left and this one filled in a spot, or rather a date on our “Finds by Placed Month” calendar.  The caches with the older years for 2000 and 2001 are few and far between.  They were published when Geocaching was just beginning and now are very sought after caches.  On Firestone at the time there are only 260 finds for the cache.  For being published 11 years ago you would think there would be a lot more finds.  I hope this cache stays active, the owner has stated on his cache page that he has moved and it is difficult for him to maintain it, the Geocaching family is pretty good however at helping to maintain caches if they know that the owner can’t do it himself.  Trying to fill in the Jasmer Challenge Calendar: GC1GBC1 The Jasmer Challenge (Northern California Edition) by jasmerb

This cache for me will be remembered for not only the numbers it fills in for me but the memory of one of the most beautiful spots I have ever been to, and we ended the day by watching the sun go down. Perfect ending to a perfect caching day and it was a great way to honor my best friend’s birthday!

Happy Birthday BIG BEAR!

Honoring a Fallen Soldier: Chad Regelin-Earned 16 medals; Anderson High grad was Sailor of Year


Shampoodles called me and asked me if I wanted to stand on horseback with the Redding Rodeo group for Chad Reglein’s funeral procession… would I? Absoulutly!!

Tru2Cntry, Shampoodles, Ponytails & Heather

We were honored to stand by on horseback with flags held high, while the funeral procession wound it’s way from Anderson to the Igo Veterans Cemetary where Chad was laid to rest. We stood by with hundreds of people who lined the streets to honor this amazing young man that gave his life for our Country. We waived to all who were taking part in the line of cars, some were very decorated Military Officers, some were family in black limosines, and some were just part of the many friends and family that knew him and grew up with him. Most waived back and gave us a thumbs up too, some waived their kleenex and even some saluted, we tried to hold back our tears but they came anyway. Such a privilege to honor this young man and the life he gave up for me so that I have the freedom to live in America. Thank you Chad Reglelin, I did not know you personally but I wish I had and thank you for all you did for our country: The United States of America, may God Bless America!

More on Chad Regelin via Redding native Chad Regelin earned 16 medals; Anderson High grad was Sailor of Year » Redding Record Searchlight.

Thank you Shampoodles for asking me to be a part of such an amazing morning and thank you for letting me ride Goldfish, what a beautiful horse! I was honored to stand with you and Ponytails to salute Chads funeral procession

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After the funeral procession Shampoodles & Ponytails loaded up the horses and we all headed out to the Jelly’s Ferry area for a great afternoon of horseback riding and geocaching. The days are still short but we managed to get 5 Geocaches before heading back to the barn… Thank you Shampoodles was a great day!

GC1PKPC Moose Rides Again by Rocky, Bullwinkle & Moose
GC2AAKZ DBMC-Water- by denihike
GC1N7DW Lava Stronghold & Pool by Biojava
GC2AAKM DBMC-Air-by denihike
GC39Q17 Ponytails & Shampoodles Go Riding by ponytails

New Year – New Caching Adventure!


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New Years day typically starts off with getting together with friends and family and watching football,  or just relaxing after a hectic Christmas season.  This year we fired up the Jeeps, called our Geocaching Friends and said the weather is perfect lets go off road and grab some 5 star terrain Geocaches!  5 Star Terrain ususally means you need a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle which is why we all have Jeeps!!  What a blast this was, 7 Jeeps, 12 Geocachers: BIG BEAR, Lookout4 and Anna, Teco_mac, Cantseem, Playcache 1&2, JeeperJones 1&2, Crowshoot & Floflower… oh and Tru2Cntry,  2 non Geocachers (hey they have a Jeep, they qualify!) Lets all meet at 12:00 at the OHV4 Staging Area.

OHV4 Staging Area Meeting Place
Ok, we are all here… let the fun begin!


Playcache

Teco_mac & Cantseem in my Jeep

Don & Liz

Crowshoot & Floflower

Now that we all made it up the gnarley part of the road, lets get to the Geocaches!!

GC2T00Z dakotas wreck site by cheater rick.

GCQEDE Route 4 – Most Difficult by dzdiver

GC2QADG T2C Hits 3000 by BIG BEAR.

GC396G7 WELCOME TO 5000 TRU2CNTRY by BIG BEAR.

GC396G1 HANG GLIDING by BIG BEAR.

The off roading continued up to the Hang Gliding Cache where we all broke out the food and had a picnic, the view from here was incredible and we were blessed with a beautiful day, great weather and the chance to share it with great friends!

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The road back…

Larry’s trying to find another way out…

Jeep Rubicon Rock Crawling

Image via Wikipedia

San Francisco Virtuals, Webcams & Earthcaches


BIG BEAR & T2C at The Golden Gate Bridge

Nov 27, 2011 – We had a blast on our continued hunt for all the Virtuals in San Francisco. Starting out on Thanksgiving Day on the East Side of San Francisco and continuing our hunt today

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IGOR – GCDE – A very old Cache!


GCDE Igor

Nov 27, 2011 – BIG BEAR and I got up early this morning to make our way to this cache site… its got a very old GC#. This cache fills a spot in our “found for that year and date chart” that we both needed, and that’s why we seek these older caches out.

The terrain/difficulty rating was a 1/1.5… but that was the hardest 1.5 terrain I have ever done,

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Something Old in Vacaville


Christmas Tree Trimming in Vacaville

I have visited Vacaville many times because of the great Factory Outlet Stores they have there, and I use to visit the Nut Tree when it was open years ago, it was a great little place to shop for gifts, and chocolate, it reminded me of a Harry & David’s in Oregon. I was staying in Vacaville last week with BIG BEAR for the Thanksgiving Holiday and while he had to go to work he encouraged me to do the Virtuals in downtown Vacaville. So I loaded up the GPS’r and took off for the day.

I had a great time walking the little Town Hall and learning the History of Vacaville. It just so happened that they were putting up the Christmas Tree and all the trimmings for the Christmas Holiday while I was there. It was a beautiful fall day and I really enjoyed the little town of Vacaville.

I was able to do all 3 Virturals in town, most of the tour took me through the little town and then I drove down to the City Hall and over to the Cemetary to finish the rest of the Tour. I found a 100 Year Old tree, and some old School Bells that used to tell the children in the area that School was about to begin. Vacaville was also home to one of the Pony Express Stops. I have a whole new appreciation for Vacaville besides just coming to shop I got acquainted with its past and I will visit the little Town Square again when I come to town.

Susanville’s Smiley Face



Susanville is a great place for cachers to hide series of caches in the shapes of icons. After doing the Valentine Series that is in the shape of a Heart in June I was really looking forward to doing the Peace Sign and the Upside Down Smiley.

This Smiley Face series is placed on the side of a 4000 ft terrain mountain. There are no trails, or “Geotrails” to follow when doing these kinds of series, you are heading straight to each cache via the way the direction the GPS is pointing you in. At times you are bushwhacking, or following an animal trail, so it can be challenge for some cachers.

GC2MGYT SMILEY FACE 1

These caches are not caches series that all cachers can do, you have to know your physical limits, your time limits and know your GPS! You don’t want to run out of daylight, or batteries or water, and always tell somebody where you are!

I went with my good Geofriends: Swimbait and HookRN, and the views from up on top were beautiful. We scored the last Cache in the Series just as the Sun dropped behind the mountain, it had taken us most of the afternoon to hunt down each of the caches that gave us all the “Upside Down Smiley in Susanville. On our way back to the Geomobile, we got the chance to say Hi to the CO, this series is in his backyard and he was there. Thanks for a great series!!

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Potem Falls – Who doesn’t love Waterfalls?


Oct 23, 2011 – Wow! This weekend I got to visit Potem Falls and do BIG BEAR’S FALLS cache… if you haven’t done this one yet its a must do!! Put in on your Geocache bucketlist. The trail in is not a tough trail at all and we added some new spoiler pictures to help with finding it. The GPS is pretty useless down in the canyon so go prepared with pictures and you won’t have a problem. Its off of Fenders Ferry road which is only paved part of the way in then its a dirt road, but any vehicle is fine. We took the Jeep but a Mini Van or even a small car will have no problems at all. Great place for a picnic and I have heard there are fish in the little pool at the bottom of the falls… :)

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GCH3P5 BIG BEAR FALLS

Hot Air Balloons in Montague


Sept 24, 2011 – Got up early and made our way North to catch all the Hot Air Balloons taking off and then go some Caching in the Area

Some of my favorite Caches on our route:
GC2NT0A Hoy Rd. #1
GC2NT13 Hoy Rd. #2
GC2NT1F Hoy Rd. #3

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