adondo

A bit extreme maybe. (At least when compared to kayaks and the like) Her name's Old 'n' Slo. I also have a 7.5' Livingston used with oars or an electric trolling motor for shallow waters. I haven't found or hidden any hydrocaches... yet. I have a hide in mind, and just might do it within the next couple of months. She has a heater in the cabin, so winter's not a problem. The Columbia river is also too big and wide to freeze over. The only real problem with winter is the water stays about 55 degrees. If the air drops below freezing, it generates lots of fog! I had to get back to a dock one time by using only the GPS. Couldn't see 10 feet in the pea soup! (Like any good Geocacher, she comes equipped with a GPS chartplotter )

Ha! That would’ve been a good idea! It does give me another idea though… how about an old, bald truck tire with a TB attached inside? You could fling one out and the average Geomuggles would just think it was ordinary litter. It would drive (pun intended) a Geocacher crazy as they circled the old tire while looking at their GPS screen until they figured out that the tire they’ve repeatedly thrown aside while looking for the cache, IS the cache! Adondo

Well, it's not really a genuine travel bug, but it's logged 1,606.2 miles so far. Here's the story: We went to my mother's step dad's funeral in Edmonds WA (North of Seattle) on October the 10th. As we were getting ready to leave for home, my aunt mentioned she wanted an antique desk. It was going to cost her $500 to have movers send it to Spokane for her. We drove over in my Ford F-350, and I though it would be totally ridiculous to spend that kind of dough to get a desk moved across the state, so we loaded it up. We fully intended to take it to Spokane the next weekend, but you know how it goes. It's covered up under the truck's Truxedo bed cover, so it's safe enough, but it's been to no less than ten geocaches! The thing weights a ton, so I can't see taking it off only to reload it when we actually do take it to Spokane, so who knows how many more geocaches it'll get to visit? We just visited "Bring a Towell" this last weekend, and that trip alone was 261.6 miles, and the desk was still back there! Granted, now I need to blow the dust off it before we take it to Spokane… we went 50 miles off road getting to/from the falls. Adondo [This message was edited by adondo on November 04, 2003 at 12:32 AM.] [This message was edited by adondo on November 04, 2003 at 12:46 AM.] [This message was edited by adondo on November 04, 2003 at 08:14 PM.]

My friend Mike and I were looking for the Juniper Canyon cache this last weekend. While walking through the brush, a “dead” smell starting getting really bad. And, we’re talking a gag-maggot smell here! Found the source: a dead cow. It’s nothing more than a bag of bones (literally) in its skin. There are big holes in it where you can see its skeleton. GAG!! Another time, and it was pitch dark this time, I was walking out in the thick woods. Suddenly, my flashlight just didn’t seem to be sending out any light despite being lit up in the front of it. I’d look into it, see that it’s bright enough, then aim it forward. It was as if I was shining it into a black hole. I’m standing there somewhat confused when the “black hole” starting moving… I was only 2 feet away from a pure black cow, and the jet-black fur was absorbing just about every proton of light. I back-peddled about 25 feet before realizing it was just that – a cow! As far as weaponry, I just carry a big walking stick. It’s indispensable when walking on steep side hills, or testing water depth. It’s great for flipping rattlesnakes out of my path too. I’ve been known to pack a Colt Commander .45 ACP at times, but usually not when geocaching. I’m never worried about animals, and have spent ½ my life in the woods. It’s the two-legged variety of animals that causes me concern these days though. There’s more and more clandestine marijuana patches growing in the woods, and the “gardeners” can be violent people. Thankfully, the illegal patches are usually far off the beaten path. I’ve seen bear enough times, and if you stand your ground they’ll move on… if they see you at all, most bears are pretty myopic. I’ve slinked back into the woods while never being seen by the bear. I wouldn’t test that theory by getting between a mother bear and her cub, but for a foraging bear, they’re generally too lazy. If he stands up, it’s not aggression, it’s his lack of eyesight, and he’s trying to see what you are. Beware though if it’s guarding it’s food cache, back away while facing him with eye contact even if he rushes you. He will think you are trying to horn in on his cache and run you off. But, never, NEVER just turn around and run, as this will make you out as prey in his primitive mind, and you’ll end up added to his food cache. Bears may look lumbering, but they can run twice as fast as a man. Rattlesnakes: Snakes have no ears or hearing, so walk HEAVY. They can feel you through the ground, and move away before you ever get there. The only times I’ve even came up on rattlers is either when walking light in tennis shoes, or crawling around a rock unexpectedly. (as far as the snake is concerned) If he’s rattling, that’s a warning… if you back away, he’ll calm down. Note that a rattler’s rattles sounds much more like a high-pressure air hose leak than any baby rattles, and the louder it gets, the more nervous the snake. HE will move away and hide when HE thinks it’s safe; and will NOT pursue you! They are usually docile creatures, but when rattling, they are in a defensive mode and scared to death, so move SLOWLY. Read the above statements about guns… his fangs are his 9mm Glock; so don’t rattle him. Sorry… pun intended. J Adondo