MtnMike

This was posted at a cache 7 miles up a dirt road on top of South Fork Mountain, above a superfund site, Iron Mountain Mine. The road will be closed to motorized vehicles. It may be the last post by a cacher not traveling by mountain bike. I thought this story would make you smile. MtnMike 5inCalif4Geo found Iron Mountain Mined Log Date: 5/18/2008 Had to do our last cache in the series B4 the road closed. Glad we did as we ended up rescuing a lost dog. Saw it sitting near the side of the road on the drive up and later on our way back (would've gone a different route home but low on gas). We started to drive by again, but the passengers convinced driver to back up and help the friendly looking dog with a collar. Too skittish to come to us, but looked somewhat wobbly = weak and thirsty from the record breaking 100 plus heat. We put out what we could for it to eat and reported it lost down below at the visitor center. Once home one us immediately googled "Lost Dog Whiskeytown area" and craigslist came up. Called the owner who said dog was missing for over a week and fortunately lived nearby. "Joe" drove up and called us within the hour to say his now skinny dog was back home to fatten up. Isn't geocaching marvelous! Who knows when this dog might've been rescued if we hadn't decided to geocache? Visit this log entry at the below address: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...e3-0a7fc3b560e8

I generally don't visit the fast burger joints but one day, I found a pedometer from McD's and turned it into a travel Bug, Go Go Gadget!, that has logged over 11,000 miles and is now in the Netherlands! It started in California and I enjoyed getting my daughter to model for me. http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=66035

When is NRA not NRA. The same NRA with the waterfall has previously had one virtual registered. It just had a small cache published, "X" GCQ23Z. Perhaps it is the proximity to the road but this is the first non-virtual in the NRA. If there are exceptions, it would be nice to understand the reason.

Many areas have historical societies and they have listings of the registered historical places in your area. Go get one of the books listing these, make sure it is OK to cache there and place a cache. Northern California has great historical references available and if I am looking for a place to consider for a cache, I read one of the many books I have picked up from the historical society. MtnMike (formerly TheOracle)

I have placed four caches with combination locks on them. You have to go to three other caches to get the numbers which then open the cache. There is another number in three of the locked boxes that open the final locked cache, "Le Mountain Tour de Redding." In all, the series of bike trails requires 12 caches to open the 13th and final tour. No problem with locks because they are fairly remote. One, hidden under a log had the lock popped when a forest fire turned everything to dust. Pretty crazy. Good souvenier, crispy cache.

Out in the hills of Northern California I always carry a bandana in my pack. I get new ones at WalMart and sign them FTF "cache name" and date placed. That way it will be with the cacher as they travel. Other items have been wooden train whistles, wooden domino sets, all signed with the name of the cache. I always sign them: Carpe Diem, Carpe Geocachiem. . .MtnMike

I have left them many times. Found Planet of the Ape bandages on sale once. They worked great.

Bandana for FTFs with cache name and date written on it. Simple, easy, it works for me. I have a lot of different colors and styles for whatever mood strikes me. Where do you get the wooden coins?

Wahoo! 500 and counting. I feel honored that History Lives was chosen as your 500th. Keep on caching. It's all about the journey.

You will be developing your own style as things go on. Having placed a few, I started as a rank neubie and didn't worry about FTF. I surely have never been FTF, STF or TTF. When I have done simple single caches, I now am placing bandana's from WalMart signed FTF-"cachename" and a saying like "It's all about the journey" and sign it and date the cache was placed. Sometimes STF has been wood train whistles, postcards. . .all labeled appropriately. I did a 10 cache puzzle cache, "History Lives-Stick 'em up or Tell it to the Judge" It had a history theme and books from the history society were FTF and STF. A 13 cache series, "Le Mountain Tour de Redding" had as its FTF a map of the area with locations of all 13 cache locations marked on the map. The history books got good feedback and I really liked making the map.

The cache I like taking friends to is The "Man Can." Great location, size is awsome and it does matter. . .making the cache special. Theme is great as well. Cut my teeth on Snow White. Loved discovering the spot for Le Mountain Tour de Redding. MtnMike

First = Mountainbiking and writing/drawing trails on paper with mileage notes Second = GPS course, bought Legend, learned of something called Geocaching Third = Have GPS mounted to handlebar of my bike and I never get lost. Now = Geocaching has become something I do by car, with family and it's fun! MtnMike