Geocaching

Official Geocache Page

I had heard about this cache before I saw it so I knew what was in store for us. Back in the mid eighties when I first moved to the bay area along the shores In Emeryville there was all this really neat art that was out in the water. One of these was an airplane. Most of the art work is now gone but the airplane remains.

This cache is located out onto a deck like pier. At the end of this pier is the airplane in question. Now this airplane is probably about 5 feet from the end of the pier, you can reach out and touch it if you stretch. In order to actually retrieve the cache you need to crawl over the railing and then make a leap of faith over to the pilings that the airplane is resting on.

My buddy and I were looking at it, trying to figure out the best plan of attack. When were were there the tide was low so falling meant landing on the ground and not in the water. My friend volunteered to make the leap and I let him. Heights aren’t my favorite thing in the world, if I was there by myself chances are I would have done it myself but since my friend volunteered I wasn’t going to complain.

Even once my friend made the leap it isn’t easy to find the Geocache. The cache itself is hidden way out on the back of the pilings so you have to step completely out there and then maneuver yourself to the back. My friend did it and made it back safe and sound. This cache was definitely the biggest adventure of the evening.

Official Geocache Page

I had scouted this one out a while back. The first time I got to the cache area I couldn’t find where you were supposed to enter the area, I saw a spot with a rather frightening drop off but I didn’t think that would be the spot. I decided to look on my Treo to see if the cache description would shed any light on it. Well, it turned out that this was a 4.5 star difficulty terrain and that the scary drop off was how you were supposed to go and get it. I decided then that I would come back with my brother to get this one as I didn’t want to fall and break my leg and be there by myself.

So I came back with my brother and we were actually able to find an easier way to start our decent down to the cache area without having to deal with the drop off. We had to cut through someones front yard a little bit but it was minor. Once we got past that area we started the journey down steep canyon to the cache. I don’t know if this cache is worthy of a 4.5 star difficulty, maybe when it is wet it would would be that hard. That being said, it isn’t an easy hike down, it is rather steep and slippery.

We finally made it down to ground zero and I was able to locate the cache fairly quickly. Getting back up to the car was probably a little bit harder than getting down. The hill is quite steep and slippery but it is very doable.