CTYankee9
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Posts posted by CTYankee9
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We'll be making an attempt on the trestle, GC219B, on Friday Dec 7th.
Likely to show up:
Map4Navigation
Duncan!
Sled Head
Flagman
Chuy!
Maybe:
SuperDave!
We're planning an 0730 departure from Lakeside area. No worries if you can't make it that early, we'll cache along the way till we're able to meet up at Mortero Palms parking area at N32 43.200 W116 08.800 , say 0930'ish, and return not too much past nightfall.
Lesson learned from the prior expedition: leave Ginger! at home. How's Piglit by the way? Ginger! sends her best wishes.
Count me in as "May Shows" for Friday! Now that it pushed me back once, I have to get up there and turn it into a smiley
Piglit is doin fine now, she just decided on having a cholla arm for lunch on the way up! Actually she got a couple of small cholla pieces stuck on her feet and decided to pull them out herself with her mouth before I could get to her. It was pretty nasty trail-side, but by the time we got back down to the truck, most were gone and then by the time we got home, she had worked all but a few of the quills out herself. There was just a couple to get out with the tweezers.
The way up wasn't that bad, we took the wash just a bit northish of the Palm wash and there wasn't any or very little rock hopping involved, it was just on the way down taking the most direct route to the car through the Palm wash that we hit all the GIANT boulders. Other than the cholla littering the area, there wasn't anything in the terrain that would have stopped Piglit or any other K9 as far as we got the way we went up. But still, the K9s may be best left behind on this one. There was quite a bit of lifting, sliding, cajoling, totally blowing-out of pant's seat and just plain stubborness on the way down!
Shortly after eating lunch!
Piglit back to normal for Piglit!
Been fighting with the computer over the past few days, trying to upgrade, and still haven't got it right. So, I am slow to post the find logs and notes for those two days.
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Some fleshing out of my planned Friday/Saturday trip to Anza Borrego South:
I'm probably in for the early Saturday morning Trestle Caches hike. Do you have any details yet as to the planned route?
I don't see why not a 7AM start on Saturday morning for these three caches also, we should be up and camp broken by then. It would seem that the best route up there would be from Mortero Palms Trail-head to Palm Oasis to Goat Canyon to the Trestle area.
image taken from Stowell's site
I am assuming if we follow this topo we should be alright. Then if we are still feeling good the side trip up Jacumba Scramble, that way three HC #2 can be knocked out in one day! I can always leave GI #11 Carrizo Gorge for another day.
Or whatever time you feel like you can make out to the trailhead, we will be there camping, so no biggie to us on time.
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Some fleshing out of my planned Friday/Saturday trip to Anza Borrego South:
Leave the Spring Valley area about 5AM Friday morning and arrive at the trail-head for the start of the Dome Lands hike NLT 7AM. Take about 7 hours to do this hike, giving plenty of time for photo ops and AO. Hopefully be back to the trail-head by 2PM. Run over to the Mud Cave area via Canyon Sin Nombre trail and knock-out the Tomb Raider Cache and be done by shortly after nightfall.
Head over to my Indian Forks Terminus Right Cache and bivouac for the evening chow.
Revile at dawn, break camp, morning chow and proceed to the Longest Trestle Cache, possibly stopping for some Jacumba Rock Scramble on the way. Have all missions complete in time to return to home base by 5PM as I have to go back to the real world that evening!
Eric of Eric & Hill will possibly be riding shotgun in my vehicle and Piglit9 will have the 6. Should anyone want to join us anywhere along the way I will try to remember to have one of those FRS radios turned on and set to channel 5.0, also I will have my cell phone along, but not sure of reception in the canyons.
Ohh and no Hjortron Sylt packed as of yet, just MREs for me. Although those vegetable crackers and some cheese spread doesn't sound too far off from it.
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Considering TPTB's stated stance on multi-logging (discussed in another topic). I think it would be best for everyone if we removed public find counts. If it's suppose to be about personal reference, then there shouldn't be a problem with keeping them purely for personal use only, not public consumption.
Thoughts?
*EDIT* This would have the same result of eliminating the abuse aspect, because I think those that are abusing multiple finds are doing it so that others will see higher find counts. If others can't see your find counts, then there's no reason for people to abuse it.
As far as people having multiple logs on something, yes that is not the way I enjoy myself for I see no reason to do it. But, if that is the way they like playing the game for whatever their reason may be, then fine they can log any number of times that they choose. It is not hurting me in my seeking of enjoyment when I go out and find a cache and then come back and log the cache. If this is something the log owner or those in the effected geocaching region have a reason not to like, then it is up to the owner to maintain his cache/event, or make it clear that it is not generally accepted to clutter up the page with multiple logs.
I really don't see how it can be called abusing the system. The database is a grouping of information in a central location for people to use as they see fit. The keepers of that information really don't seem to care what you do with that information as long as you follow a few simple rules/guidelines and keep it fun and at it's lowest common denominator of being suitable for most anyone. As long as it is kept civil and they make a buck {nothing wrong with that, it is a business} they I am pretty sure they will keep mum about it. Geocaching isn't meant to a be a compitition at it's core, but there is nothing wrong with throwing some in now and again for fun {FTFs, Delorme Challenge, Jeep TB photo contest, any other use of the database to provide a "prize" or goal}. As far as impressing people with higher find counts, dunno... you are the impressee, so if it doesn't matter to you what my find count is then it shouldn't matter/impress you when I display them or walk-up to you at the next event and boast of it.
But in the end there will never be a consensus on what is right, the game is meant for a wide and varied population of geocachers and they will continue to see fit to play it they way they enjoy.
These circles will never fully overlap.
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I concede that removing the find counts is not the best solution. What do you think about putting duplicates next to the find count? (583/25)... For those that play "Their" way, they can add them together if they want. For those that play "My" way, you can ignore the multiple finds number.???
From my standpoint on this, this would seem to be the easiest most workable solution. I am not sure what it would take to add the multiple finds on a single cache number to our current find count, but I am sure it wouldn't be too difficult.
Again to me and the way I enjoy the game, the numbers come in handy at times, so I do have a use for them. But, of course anytime I am comparing or researching another player or just curious, it is not solely based on that number. Depending on what I am trying to figure out; the picture gallery, a maintained profile page, past logs, other web-sites, or any other informational inputs are useful. The information is currently publicly available and at times useful, so it is good information to have every now and again.
As far as the thoughts on hiding your own find count from other people's view and my perspective on it. Dunno... seems that the people that are most vocal about numbers not mattering are also the most in favor of hiding the find counts. Truly if the numbers do not mean anything to you, then the finds being viewable really shouldn't matter; it would just be a non-number that happened to be next to your account name. Should others base any decision or form an opinion based solely on your find count, I would hope not. There are so many other aspects of the game {some mentioned above} that go into having fun that it wouldn't really be a factually based decision or opinion.
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ABDSP allows backcountry camping anywhere in the park with no fee. You can also camp at the primitive campgrounds with no fee. Some of the improved campgrounds with hookups have fees and may require reservations. For open camping, you're required to have a metal container for your fire and to bring your own firewood. List of campgrounds here.
Thanks for the info M2, I have been using their website for info ever since you gave me that detailed .pdf map. Good to know that it is free to camp overnight in those back areas, will make it a little easier in the future.
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Considering TPTB's stated stance on multi-logging (discussed in another topic). I think it would be best for everyone if we removed public find counts. If it's suppose to be about personal reference, then there shouldn't be a problem with keeping them purely for personal use only, not public consumption.
Thoughts?
*EDIT* This would have the same result of eliminating the abuse aspect, because I think those that are abusing multiple finds are doing it so that others will see higher find counts. If others can't see your find counts, then there's no reason for people to abuse it.
Thoughts-
I myself enjoy the find count aspect of the game, if for no other reason to give myself goals and insights into my new hobby/pastime/game/obsession/time filler. It is ingrained in human behavior to be competitive in nature, whether wholeheartedly in the FTF races or just in the back of the brain at some subconscious level as to what the Jones' are up to. My take on the multi-logging abuse; if it floats YOUR boat, go for it, if not then don't do it. It really doesn't hurt what I feel is my prime reason for doing this, the enjoyment of the moment and the memory of what transpired while searching for that piece of Tupperware/Altoids tin under a lamp-skirt/ or that way-cool container that someone took a lot of time and effort to produce and maintain. My numbers are kept up to date on itsnotaboutthenumbers for the most part and many of these types of numbers can be found/produced/maintained there {multi-logs}. {yes, please go look my counts up, I keep them up to date for a reason!} For I do look at your numbers for whatever my reasons are at that particular time since it is information that is available for whatever reason
.As far as eliminating any perceived abuse of logging a cache/event, there is no way around this; just hiding someone's numbers doesn't mean at the next event they wouldn't boast of their abilities at geocaching, much like a fisherman's fish story told around the campfire after the "fact". That too is part of the fun. Everything in life should be taken with a grain of salt and viewed in perspective, its a hobby/game/obsession. For the most part from my short experiences with this, the vast majority of cachers I have run into at caches or gone out caching with seem to be enjoying themselves at that particular time, and I enjoy meeting them out there. So regardless of how they log their finds later, the actual event of being out there finding enjoyment seems that the overall mission of Geocaching has been accomplished. Why fix something that isn't really broken?
So even if I am the only person who enjoys the numbers part of the game as just another part of it or furthering of it, the numbers should stay!!! {just my poke at levity}.
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Anyone have any plans or interest in an hike next Friday, after Thanksgiving to work off the triptofan and stuffing? Most anywhere, any length, any difficulty would be good with me.
---My first thought for something to do is The Domelands out off the S2 in the morning on Friday and then a drive through Canyon Sin Nombre and up to the Mudcaves area to do the DAK Girls "Tomb Raider" puzzle cache. Then I may camp the night out there and do some other caches out and around the S2 or over at the Superstition Mountains, closer to El Centro. {depending on how crowded it is}---
Sounds great! But, I have been wanting to do the Trestle caches for a while. I have already grabbed the mud caves and Tomb Raider, but I noticed that you haven't done Dos Hombres "The worlds longest curved trestle"
So how does it sound going out and doing this cache along with some of the other ones along the way. I was thinking about coming in from the east and grabbing these couple caches along the way.
Hows that sound?
I am trying to get ThePolarBear to come out with me as well, but I think it would be great to head out there on Friday.
E&H-
Yes, those were some of the caches I was thinking of doing Saturday morning after camping overnight. To flesh the plan out a little:
Do the Domelands and Tomb Raider as the main areas of interest on Friday, camp in Indian Forks Friday night, get up early on Saturday and do the Trestle cache and others on that side of the S2 that I haven't done. Also I need to go back to the Carrizo Gorge GI cache, I DNF'd that one and want to try again. I would be camping near my cache Indian Forks Terminus Right more than likely. If anyone knows the fees rules for ABSP, is there a fee for camping out there and/or is it even allowed? I will Email them and get up to date info this week.
I do need to be back somewhat early on Saturday to San Diego, as I work that night {say 4 PM'ish}
So, maybe if you are willing to go out on Saturday, instead of Friday for the Trestle Cache? Or if you are in for all of it, that would be great too, I would like to get out to the Trestle Cache also. My plans aren't definite yet, but I will be out there on both of those days doing something.
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Good luck with your Christmas (holiday?) stocking ... can we say "stocking" nowadays? Make sure to include Photoshop CS3 on your wish-list and then look for Lesson No. 16 on the San Diego Banter Thread. One thing I forgot to fix was the chromatic clash of the two water-bottle lids. Perhaps you can take care of that problem.
Giving up? ... that's just a Texican's term for laying low for a short while, waiting for a new opening.
O yeah, this is the Hiking-Pole Thread so I suppose I should say something about the thread-topic huh? Um, ... aluminum hiking-poles are for seesies.
Hi Miragee, why is that the really old guys love you so?
Unfortunately all my CHRISTMAS stockings are bunched, so hopefully old Kris Kringle won't be an undercover agent
for the unbunched sock police and leave nothing but an old Kodak Brownie!Harmon, you are talking way over my head on the photoshop type stuff for color correction, I have the above mentioned program and the latest Photoshop, but other than some minor corrections here and there, it is just wasted processor time with my abilities! Although I have followed a couple of your lesson plans, but it just isn't there for me.
Now then, my way of compensating for my inability to use these programs is to do my durndest to insure the raw photo is a s close to what I intended to capture. Hopefully the "natural" vision of a photographer{sic} helps in not having to do too much correcting after the image is captured. Unfortunately, its not something that can be taught but has to be learned within. I know a lot of the pictures I take are technically correct by the books I have read, but they just don't say "Look at Me", then others have nothing within them that are based on what makes a good photographic image, yet you look at it and go "wow"?
Back to staffs or poles...
Observations on:
Most helpful going downhill, gets in the way going up.
The heft of wood is nice in the back-country when alone, but you must be willing to use it.
The convenience of aluminium is nice for portability.
Wally-World poles are actually pretty good for the price, and you don't mind leaving them behind {by accident} as SWAG, been there done that.
Carrying a GPS in one hand, having a hiking staff in the other and attempting to keep your caching partner from running off after every little animal that moves is a schooling in multi-tasking.
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Anyone have any plans or interest in an hike next Friday, after Thanksgiving to work off the triptofan and stuffing? Most anywhere, any length, any difficulty would be good with me.
---My first thought for something to do is The Domelands out off the S2 in the morning on Friday and then a drive through Canyon Sin Nombre and up to the Mudcaves area to do the DAK Girls "Tomb Raider" puzzle cache. Then I may camp the night out there and do some other caches out and around the S2 or over at the Superstition Mountains, closer to El Centro. {depending on how crowded it is}---
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As Miragee goes so goes Geocachers. I give up.
Rule of thirds composition for head and face, some color enhancement via the Lab ab channels,
surface-blurred in the ab channels, sharpened in the Lab L channel, and Apply Image using the
RGB red channel.
My take on the photo composition:
1/3rds are there with markers
used body posture and subject to create flow into "point of interest"
I'll give the color enhancement to "the master of the retouch", other than in a real darkroom, that is not something I have quite gotten the hang of yet in the computer "darkroom". So I am forced to go with what I see in the viewfinder and hope for the best from the little camera that I am currently using for digital photos. Just too much weight to lug the old A-1 bodies and the lenses around in the field {ohhh, hopes of a new 10meg+ digital in the Xmas stocking this year
}! Just some cropping and dodging and burning is about all I have figured out so far on my paint program {JASC Paintshop Pro X}, while still getting decent results for the final picture.Great thing about any visual art it is in the eye of the beholder, everyone can look at the same picture/painting or whatever visual art and see something totally different than the person standing next to them.
Never give up Harmon, every old dog learns a new trick, there is still hope for the wood-challenged
hikers. -
They also give you support as you give support
to your fellow cachers while THEY search for the cache!"C'Mon people, Daylight 's Burnin, Lots more caches for you to find!
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Aha! there they are, the Aluminum-Pole Desperados. Correct me if I'm wrong, Miragee and the dawg are not aluminum-pole people. ... there y' go.
Ahh said to say, she is
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Speaking of Miragee and uses; rooting around rock-piles.
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Of course they can be employed for any numerous uses.
Resting, holding up bushes, measuring lengths of ground, pointing out interesting landscapes.
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Hi to all the great cachers in NM. We are flying out from NH on 12-1 to ABQ, and plan a geo tour to Cortez, Four Corners and back to ABQ. We are both golden agers. I need to find some resource for 1 or 2 hiking poles for my wife. Ski poles from goodwill or salvation army would be OK, or somewhere we can purchase wooden sticks. Any help will be appreciated.
Aluminum poles are noisy in my opinion, so a wooden staff with rubber tip seems to me more suitable for enjoying the peace and quite of trails. The other problem with aluminum hiking staffs is that user's often flail them around as in pointing at things. That can be pretty disconcerting when standing near them if they flail the staffs near your face. Yep, it happens.
Harmon Old (did I say Old?) buddy, I thought you had hiked with Jodi before. I would rather she be wielding the light aluminum poles around vice the heavy wooden staff (who says staff other than Gandolf?) She is very dangerous. Hikers2, go with the young guns input on this one!!
Why I oughta ...
Clankity-clank, scrape-scrape, clack-clack ... why did the birds stop singing? "Wielding" you say? ... my point exactly.
Sorry, lost my head 'cause I just spent a couple of weeks of my vacation with five other hikers that used them danged noisy, telescopin', compassin', snake-stabbin', chromatically shockin' (spoils photos,) aluminum-pole contraptions. Fun to watch them try to log a find ... container, lid, logsheet, ziplock, GPS, PDA, cell phone, water bottle, and fashionable hiking-pole all in hand.
Yeah, and what about lightening strikes! Y'all gonna die!
Aluminum for seesies. Eighty-six percent of aluminum hiking-pole users wear unbunched socks!
Now I feel all better.
Jodi, you're such a sweetheart ... love y' babe. No wait, that's what they said back in the olden days huh?
Sup now?
Harmon
p.s. John Muir used and Splashette uses a wooden hiking "stick," so there, who can argue with success like theirs?
My hiking stick is called a 'Whistle Stick'. There's not a whistle on it, so who knows where they got the name for it. It's not heavy at all and isn't as big as CTY Yankee's. (I'm finding it hard to find the correct words here)
Splashette
The word would be "staff" but I'm not going to say so what with being in enough trouble already with Jahoadi as it is.
With regard to "whistle stick," here's the scoop on that.
Depends on the type of wood, for example green Willow can be used to make whistles. Being light weight as you say suggests that it could easily be carved as a whistle and thus is the right sort of wood for a Whistle Stick. A whistle could be used to drown out some of the noise from aluminum hiking poles.
Try carving an aluminum pole.
I like to have the pair of aluminum poles, don't have the carvings but they are sure scratched up enough. without their assist in climbing the hills I'd never be able to keep up with the likes of Miragee, Dillweed, Jahodie. Notice I only try and keep up with the ladies. The picture of me and the poles are on my profile but darned if I know how to post it here. GFETE
Jack- I have one of you coming up!
Yes, some of those that you hike with find TWO metal "Poles" {notice the difference?} the way to go. One set of clackaty-clacks isn't enough, but stereo just brings all the nuances out!
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OK, Harmon, I'll bite:
For those days when the heft of a heavy wooden hiking "staff" is needed.
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Thanks to all who dropped an answer to Mr. H2 question about hiking sticks - actually they are for me - Mrs. H2
as I need stability - we're trying to fly "carry-on" which would mean confiscation by security , but I'm sure either a Wal-Mart visit or spying a wooden staff somewhere will do the trick Thanks again If you are into the wooden sticks, WalMart also has those available out here. Not sure of the price, but they were right next to the noisy, non-photogenic aluminumnum ones {the kind I normally use, if I even bring a stick}. I would expect the wooden ones to be in the same price range.
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I was under the impression that you could camp anywhere on BLM land for free? Of course as long as you are within the distance from a main road and in a fairly open, non-vegetated area? Am I mistaken in this, I was planning on just pulling off the side of the trail on the nights I was going to camp and just dry-camp out there.
That's what the website says you can do. We're still pondering that option.
Two of us in the my group are getting a bug that's going around at work. Looks like we're going to drop Pushawalla to keep everyone healthy.
I will call in the morning tomorrow to BLM, if I remember, and get the scoop from them. I don't mind paying for a camp, but just kinda prefer to rough-it. Also looks like I might join you guys on Sunday night in the Wiley area at the north end for the drive on Bradshaw Trail Monday morning, then I will camp Monday night somewhere near the south end and do the other caches I have planned on Tuesday. We should be getting there on Sunday night shortly after nightfall.
With the Pushawalla out and camping an issue, my group is meeting tomorrow to finalize our plans.
I called BLM this morning and they stated that as long as you are camping within a short distance of a designated trail there is no fee for staying overnight. This is for dry-camping in a non improved campsite, so if this Wiley Road place is an official campsite, that is probably why there are fees, or it is not BLM land. She stated that they manage the majority of the lands up that way, but not all of it.
So I will be up there Sunday night and camp somewhere off the trail.
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I was under the impression that you could camp anywhere on BLM land for free? Of course as long as you are within the distance from a main road and in a fairly open, non-vegetated area? Am I mistaken in this, I was planning on just pulling off the side of the trail on the nights I was going to camp and just dry-camp out there.
That's what the website says you can do. We're still pondering that option.
Two of us in the my group are getting a bug that's going around at work. Looks like we're going to drop Pushawalla to keep everyone healthy.
I will call in the morning tomorrow to BLM, if I remember, and get the scoop from them. I don't mind paying for a camp, but just kinda prefer to rough-it. Also looks like I might join you guys on Sunday night in the Wiley area at the north end for the drive on Bradshaw Trail Monday morning, then I will camp Monday night somewhere near the south end and do the other caches I have planned on Tuesday. We should be getting there on Sunday night shortly after nightfall.
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I'll be traveling Bradshaw Trail east to west on Sunday (or Monday?) starting from Wiley's Well Road. Maybe we'll get to meet for a geocachers rendezvous ...
Are you doing it as a day trip or stay overnight?
I'll be camping at Coon Hollow (N33 26.876, W 114 54.072), near the intersection of Wiley's Well Road and the Bradshaw Trail from Friday through Sunday morning. On Sunday morning, I'll be heading back to San Diego via the Bradshaw Trail. Some kind folks are going to show me how be a "rock hound" this weekend out in the Hauser Geode beds and nearby areas. I'm down to only 25 hobbies right now and really need a new hobby to fill my spare time ...
What is the rate to camp there? The lady at the BLM office told me today the rate at Wiley's went way up. She steared us to Corn Springs Campground. I have to call them back tomorrow so I'm going to verify the rates?
I heard that the fee for Coon Hollow and Wiley's Well campgrounds is $40/week or portion thereof. Not great but not too bad compared to the $26/day fee in most state campgrounds. From what I can tell, BLM doubled it this year. I think you can also primitive camp within 600' of the trails in that area. Still checking it out myself. That area appears to be popular with the snowbird RVs.
I was under the impression that you could camp anywhere on BLM land for free? Of course as long as you are within the distance from a main road and in a fairly open, non-vegetated area? Am I mistaken in this, I was planning on just pulling off the side of the trail on the nights I was going to camp and just dry-camp out there.
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I am in the process of trying to decide if I want to buy a PDA for geocaching. I am not sure that the PDAs that I am considering, Palm M515, is compatible with Windows Vista. I do not want to buy the PDA and then find out that I can not transfer from my PC to the PDA. Does anyone know if I will have a problem? Thanks
The Palm m500 series of PDAs do not work with Vista. I own a 505 and a 515 and your only way to transfer files is to the SD Card via a seperate card reader. The problem is the desktop installer included with the Palm software is not yet able to communicate with Windows Vista, although they {Palm} keep saying there is a fix on the way. They have provided a fix for the newer PDAs {Tungsten and others} in order to use Quick Install with Vista.
I have another computer that runs WindowsXP and that is the one I use for my CacheMate files.
The above link to thier website is your best reading though.
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hey yankee can you msg me on aim? my aim is twiztedmusky30 i wanna ask you some questions and is this your email ctyankee9@cox.net???
Yes it is, you can just Email me through my profile page on GC.com.
J&J...
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No, No, No, don't sent it to him. Send it to us, Trust me
Hey, I'm an East-Coaster too! Who would you rather trust, Hmmmmmmm?
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}! Just some cropping and dodging and burning is about all I have figured out so far on my paint program {JASC Paintshop Pro X}, while still getting decent results for the final picture.
as I need stability - we're trying to fly "carry-on" which would mean confiscation by security 
San Diego Cache Events
in West and Southwest
Posted · Edited by CTYankee9
I'll be there.
Oh Yeah, I have room for two in my truck with gear if anyone is interested in car-pooling or would rather not take their car the last four miles over the desert track to the trail-head.