halstaff

I wonder if I should take 18 or 38 around. Anyone else have a suggestion? We are looking forward to the get away.. Today is 8/24...... We just got back from a short vacation in Big Bear. We used the 38 which is the route I prefer anyway. Sounds like this will be a fun event.

The staff at Adventure 16 has always been great especially when it comes to boot fitting.

Picked up a #23 Vulture and a #22 Chuy from Blackboard Blues.

#5 it was......now I am ready to get back to geocaching!!!! much more fun.......I like to look in the caches for stuff........Plus after a good day of caching alls I am is hungry not achy. Great to hear about your marathon! I am training for my first Half Ironman in March and really like to take the opportunity to cache instead of workout sometimes. You don't need to sit in the hot tub and take ibuprofin after caching (most of the time at least). Enjoy your recovery time, you deserve it!

It is great to see that this cache has finally been found. At least I feel better now knowing why we were not able to make the find. This remains one of my most memorable cache hunts even though it was a DNF. I hope to get back and make the find someday.

July 18th is good for me.

I recently had a DNF adventure that proved to me that finding the cache isn't the most important thing. While in Kauai, we tried for a FTF on this cache Alakai Views This couple would have been in serious trouble if we would not have come along. Someday we will come back when the river is down and finish this cache, but it ended up being the highpoint of our caching while on the island.

I would not change a thing! This cache was one of my favorites because it was more difficult than the average cache. The challenge of being the FTF was certainly exciting. I wish we had more caches like this that test the mind and body. I have several that I have been working on, but I won't place them if people don't like the difficult caches.

I have used Atlas snowshoes for many years and really appreciate their quality and reliability. I currently use a pair of the 1230's, which have the ratcheting buckle system. This makes them very easy to put on, even with gloves. I have found the spring-loaded bindings to work very well. Make sure to consider not only your weight, but also the weight of all the gear you will be carrying when you decide on the size of snowshoe to buy. I love to camp in the snow, so I am usually carrying a backpack or pulling a sled when snowshoeing so I use the large shoes.

Although I don't make a big deal about the number of caches I have found, I have made the milestones special. Since I love to hike and climb, I have looked for the harder caches with a good hike and a big hill. I completed number 200 today with a local mountain cache with some easy rock climbing that was rated at a 4 1/2. It was a great hike with tremendous views. It will be a cache I will certainly remember and return to. I have already found the cache I want for my 300th find. It is rated a 5.

The Boy Scouts have started to recognize the use of a GPS as a essential skill. They have included a requirement in the Venturing Program (the program for 14 - 21 old youth) under the Land Navigation core requirement for the Ranger Award. They must learn to use a GPS and demonstrate they can find a fixed coordinate at night using a GPS. You can bet that we always take them Geocaching to fulfill this requirement and have gotten several new players to our sport. I would love to see BSA include some requirements under the Orienteering Merit Badge that would include using a GPS. When teaching my Scouts both map and compass and GPS skills together, they have been able to understand how important it is to know both skills.

How about having them help in placing their own cache? They can help pick the location, maybe a favorite park or hike. Let them choose the swag items to be placed in the cache. Caches in our area that were set primarily by the kids (with parental support of course) have been very popular.

Congratulations Devhead on your first placed cache. I was fortunate enough to be the FTF today on this well thought out multi. I really enjoyed the hike especially the first waypoint spot. I look forward to searching for your next cache.

My sons and I do a lot of hiking and backpacking and have been using the bladders for years. We have tried several of other brands and we all prefer the Camelbacks. I use a Mule for short hikes and carry a Hawg when going farther into the backcountry. It has more room to carry gear and also has the 100 litre bladder. We only carry water in ours and use a Nalgene container for our energy drinks to make clean up easier. Also, make sure to empty it and dry it out when you are finished for the day. You can also purchase kits and cleaner specifically made for cleaning water bladders and the hoses. We find we drink much more with the bladders as they are so convenient to use.

I just sent out my order for 25. I can't wait to get them!

This is a subject that I love to discuss. I am an Eagle Scout as is my oldest son. My younger son is a Life Scout and soon to be Eagle. We are alll Brotherhood members of the Order of the Arrow with my oldest son to receive his Vigil Honor at the next banquet. I am currently the Scoutmaster of Troop 51 in San Diego. Our troop is very active with over 60 boys. We camp at least once a month with many High Adventure activities such as rock climbing, canoeing, backpacking and white water rafting. The secret to enjoying your Scouting experience is to check out several troops in your area. They are all different and have their own personality. In our troop we encourage youth leadership. The boys plan their activities and outings and then implement the plan. Sometimes it doesn't work as planned, but that is how they learn. Other units are more adult run which usually means a more structured and organized plan but I don't think this teaches our youth how to be self relient. Their is also a fairly new program in Scouting called Venture. This can be a coed group of youths from 14-21. Many of these Crews are more High Adventure oriented than Troops and are supposed to be totally youth run. I am currently the Advisor for my son's Crew. For one of their advancements, they are required to use a GPS to find a location at night. Guess what we choose for them to find - a cache. We now have some new players and we always check out the local caches when we are in the backcountry. I would encourage anyone that is interested in Scouting to give it a try. I have never regretted a minute that I have spent in the program and I love to see the things my boys have learned as Scouts. We are always wondering who has more fun - them or me.

quote:I was talking to a CDF Firefighter last night in the Otay Fire area. He was telling me that one of the most dangerous situations in an after fire period is people walking across burned out areas that were previously heavy brush. Sometimes they will find themselves ankle or knee deep in ash, and there could still be smoldering roots, or brush underneath. Even a few weeks after a fire. Temps of up to 1000 degrees F. This could melt the boots right to your feet. The folks at Mission Trails have closed the park until Nov. 17th, probably for this very reason. I tried to hike the area today to check on my cache and some others in the area and was turned away by a ranger at the gate. I am anxious to get back there but will have to wait for them to reopen.

For those interested in visiting Mission Trails Regional Park, the area west of Mission Gorge has been closed until Nov. 17th. Cowles Mountain is still open. I tried to go check on my cache and was turned away by a ranger at the gate. The visitor center did come through and it looks like several of the caches in the area may have made it too. I will hike the burned area once they open it up and check on as many of the caches as possible since I have already visited them.

Two of my son's college friends homes are among those that have burned. Thousands of acres of our prime hiking areas have burned today with many more areas threatened tonight and into tomorrow. These areas were mostly inaccessible to ground units. Hopefully we will get some of our air tankers back that were sent to fight the fires in San Bernadino. This morning we only had two tankers and one helicopter available to fight the four major fires we have burning in San Diego.

We have had many caches in San Diego over run by fire today. My sister and my inlaws have had to evacuater their homes with the fire coming within a block of my sister's house. We have had hundreds of homes destroyed already today. The winds have died down tonight but are expected to come up again in the morning and cause the fires to speed up again. One of the most devastating fires in the area today was caused by a lost hunter lighting a signal fire to attract attention and be rescued.

There will be many area caches that will need to be redone before this is over. I watched the fire on TV come down the canyon in Mission Trails Park and take out my new cache there. My sister was evacuated from Scripps Ranch this morning. It looks like the fire missed her house by a block. My in-laws have been evacuated from San Carlos and are now parked in my driveway in their RV. If this gets much closer to El Cajon, I will be putting the camper on my truck and preparing to leave. Our thoughts are with all those effected by this terrible tragedy.

I agree with ChiefPig on his thoughts on using a Camelback hydration system. You can buy them in several sizes to suit the type and length of trips you take. The Mule is an excellent choice if you plan on taking any extended day hikes in hot weather. It has plenty of room for extra gear, food, and the rest of the 10 essentials as well as all those cache items we need to carry. It has a bladder that holds 100 ozs. which gets me through most day hikes. The best part of using a bladder system is that it is easy to drink without taking off your pack which means you are more likely to drink and stay hydrated. We have used many different styles of bladders and prefer the Camelback for their reliability and their great bite valves with shut off's that don't leak.

We have clear blue skies today with a high of 77 and a low of 56. I was out geocaching today in shorts and a t-shirt.

I picked up #10 which is Onion Creek Hide and Seek and #11 which is The Gods Are Watching from MOTR today. I already have #7. These are great cards and I am looking forward to completing the set.