Geocaching

Official Geocache Page

After nearly pulling my hair out at Up the Down Staircase I headed home defeated and decided to pick this one up as it was on the way. I was able to find nice easy parking and headed down into the well hidden, but very nice little park here. This cache was super easy for me to find. My GPS led me directly to the spot and I didn’t even break stride walking up to the cache. The logbook was a bit damp and needed some maintenance but it was still signable so I did so.

While I was here I had spoken to my brother about Up the Down Staircase and I decided to head back and look again.

Official Geocache Page

We finally decided it was about time to call it a day and left Alameda and headed back to Berkeley. We dropped Charley off at his car at the Bart station and said our goodbyes. My brother had noticed that we had driven right past a cache when we pulled into the parking lot and we decided, hell why not, lets do one more.

This was another one of those semi pointless caches, there really isn’t anything worth seeing here and it’s hid like many, many other caches. Thankfully it didn’t take us long to find it. We walked right up to it and found it.

Official Geocache Page

We were headed over to a different cache and I noticed that we were practically driving right by this one so we decided to swing by real quick and get it. This wasn’t the most exciting cache of the day, it’s in a convenience store parking lot, but it was at least nice and easy. The muggle factor could be very high on this one though if you ever try and get it, we got luck in that there wasn’t really anyone around.

When I got home that night and I was logging my finds I noticed that this one had gone inactive. This was the second time this had happened to me, it happened to me back on Redwood Trailhead as well. Anyway, I contacted the owner and told him that his cache was actually still there and that we had found it. My brother was the one to make the actual find and he said that it was rather exposed so when he put it back he hid it a bit better.

We didn’t stop and have a snack but we did find a missing cache

Official Geocache Page

As it turned out, spotting this object from Can I Have Your Autograph? was the key to solving this puzzle. As the all the cache page does is tell you approximately where to look and then to locate this object. So since we had spotted the object we had solved the puzzle.

We pulled up to the giant metal ball and started hunting. It didn’t take long before my brother came up with the cache.

Official Geocache Page

This was my last find on my little caching adventure. My brother, dad and Charley got this one after they dropped me off after our day of Geocaching so I figured I might as well get it as well. This one was a bit tricky, my GPS was bringing me to the right spot but I couldn’t for the life of me find it. I did eventually find it, in a pretty clever spot as well, I signed the log and went home to log my finds.

This is where things got funny.

When I went to log this one the cache page said that it was disabled because the owner had stopped by and found the cache missing. Apparently, someone who found it before me put it back in the wrong spot. So I was more than a bit surprised that I had found a missing cache. I contacted the owner and told him where I found it and I guess he went back and re-hid it in it’s original place.

Official Geocache Page

Well, since I was already out getting the first to find on Meadows Canyon I figured I might as well see what else is on the way home. As it turned out I had passed one on the way down to Meadow Canyon called Tilden’s Inspiration Point. If you have never been to Inspiration Point, you should really make the trip, it quite aptly named and very beautiful.

This cache gave me trouble. I was there smack dab in the middle of the day so there were muggles everywhere. For some reason my GPS was a little jumpy so I wasn’t exactly sure where to look. The GPS did finally settle down and I was pretty sure I was looking in the right place but with so many people around it was hard not being conspicuous about it. I finally got a break in foot traffic and found the cache though. I took the cache with me to a nearby bench to sign and then I had to wait even more time for a break in foot traffic so I could put the cache back.

Official Geocache Page

After the disaster that was La Loma Quarry we all felt a bit defeated as we headed over to Old No. 7. We quickly found the area that we were supposed to be looking in and I had barely gotten out of the car before Charley had this one in hand.

So it was a nice to have a quick victory after the hard fought defeat. We signed the logbook and headed out for another.

Official Geocache Page

After finding “I’m late I’m late .For a very important date” we took a slight detour off campus and headed to a geocache called Circle of Redwoods. The walk to it was a bit of a killer with some really steep hills and my dad was hurting. The older folk decided to hang back so my brother went off and did this one solo.

We found the circle of redwoods easy enough, finding the cache location was a different matter. We spent a good 10 minutes looking around, checking under rocks, under plants around the trees and we just couldn’t find it. Finally, we started working together and when my brother moved a bunch of stuff out of the way I was able to locate the micro sized cache.

We both signed the log and met up with our Dad and my brothers Father-in-law.

Official Geocache Page

This was our third find of the day and my very first Multi-Cache. This wasn’t a very good first multi-cache though because it wasn’t your typical multi. Anyway, the listed coordinates take you to the entrance of a building and then you are given directions on how to find where the actual cache is hidden. This cache is another good example of what is great about caching. At the final location there is quite a sight to be had and well worth the visit. The logbook was fairly easy to find, there were two possible place that it could have been for the most part, I started on one, my brother on the other. My brother chose the correct side and found the cache.

If you are ever on the UC Berkeley campus this one is definitely worth the trip to check it out.

Official Geocache Page

This cache is a bit more personal than the others, Kyle is my nephew. For Kyle’s fourth birthday his Grandfather, on his Mothers side, who is really into Geocaching placed this cache by my brothers house.

While my Father was still here we were all hanging out at my brothers house and decided to go for a walk. As it turns out, this cache and another were along the walk. My brother had long ago found both of them so he let me take the GPS and off we went hunting. My dad and I arrived at the cache location first and started hunting. The cache description says “A redtip cache hidden in typical fashion”. This of course didn’t help me at all as I have no idea what a redtip is nor how they are typically hidden.

My dad and I looked and looked but we weren’t having any luck. Kyle eventually caught up to us, I guess whenever they go on walks they always check the cache to see what has happened to it so Kyle knows where it is very well. Kyle couldn’t help but help us and he quickly pointed us in the right direction and we had the cache in hand.

Official Geocache Page

My brother has really got into Geocaching and he kept telling me about his adventures which was making me curious about it again. My dad came into town for about a week and while he was here we all took a trip down to Monterey for a long weekend. While we were there, once we had my brothers kids down to bed for the night (not to mention our father) my brother and I decided to see if we could find the caches that were near our hotel. There were five of them out there and this was the first one we hit.

As we were zeroing in on the location we noticed a sign that said “Bingo” so we figured we were in the right area. We looked and looked and we weren’t having any luck. But then I noticed something, I was able to remove something that was attached to the sign and then, behind that, they had drilled a small hole and there was the cache! It was a very clever hiding spot.

My brother and I signed the log and headed on our way to the next cache, it felt good being the one to find it and I could feel the addiction growing in me already.

Since we have found this cache the owner has made it unavailable. Apparently, a neighbor right near the cache site has seen geocachers out there and he thinks they are trying to steal his identity (his mailbox is near the Bingo sign). People have tried to explain to him what they are doing but he doesn’t listen and just threatens to call the cops. So, sadly, this one is now gone.