+GPS_Brian Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Just got done planning out a trip to Blackwater Falls towards the end of July and Pipestem in mid-August. The family (wife/kids 8, 5, 2) will be hopefully doing plenty of geocaching during each trip ... if anyone has any recommendations for some child-friendly locations I'd love to read about them. I usually hike with the 2 yr old on my back, so we can manage trails fine, just not serious climbs or very long and steep hikes. Thanks! Brian Quote Link to comment
Cloak_N_Dagger Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 I was just cache hunting at Pipestem last weekend! Most of the caches are fairly short walks. The final Stage of the Pipestem Crypto Cache will be the hardest one for you, but should be OK even with a 2 year old on your back. It's less than 1.5 miles round trip on the final stage. (Stage 1 & 2 are very short walks)Stage 3 of the Cryptocache is downhill going, and all uphill coming back. This is a great multi cache and y'all should really give it a try. There is a scenic overlook along the way to the cache that has some awesome views, but keep the kids close to you at the overlook. It's a long way down! It's about 500' straight down to the river from where I'm sitting in this pic. Plan to spend the whole day at Pipestem, it's a beautiful park! Best of luck to all of y'all -------------- Changing some folks mind, is like trying to herd cats. Quote Link to comment
+GPS_Brian Posted June 17, 2003 Author Share Posted June 17, 2003 Thank you! Will give them each a shot ... though cliffs and kids make me really nervous ... maybe I can take some rope and tie them to a tree. I've been to Pipestem countless times, probably yearly since birth as my grandmother lives in nearby Hinton ... but in all this time I don't think I have ever hiked a single trail there! So, this year I'm taking some extra time, staying five nights at the lodge, and plan to really explore the area (and find some caches!). Brian Quote Link to comment
+WVDan Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 The Lindy point cache at Blackwater falls is a good child friendly cache. If you want to venture 30 to 40 minutes south towards Elkins, I have a cache on Bickles knob that is excelent for kids. It's the Bickle's Knob year round easter egg hunt. There are also a couple in Elkins that are nice and easy. One of mine is the Wilson's Fort cache. There is also Where the river Bends, by wizardmaster. Lord Fairfax cache is just a short trip from black water falls as well. If you get lost while geocaching, don't worry. Someone else will get lost while geocaching and find you. Quote Link to comment
Cloak_N_Dagger Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Brian, 99% of that trail will be fine for the kids. That's the only spot with a cliff. It's actually a little to the side of where your gps will probably be taking you. You'll cross a grassy field just before you get to the cliff. After you enter back into the woods, the cliff is just a stones throw away. So relax on the walk and pull the kids in close after you cross the field. -------------- Changing some folks mind, is like trying to herd cats. Quote Link to comment
+IWILLFIND Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Hello, Ive got 2 caches in Pipestem. By the Bluestone would be great for the kids... If you try the crypto and get to stage 3 you can continue on the path on down to the river and cross it to get to By the Bluestone or you can ride the tram down...We usuallty take 5 thru 10 year olds down and let them wade in the river near the cache site....Also Lake View is mine and it shouldnt be to bad with the little ones... Quote Link to comment
+mikedx Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 Brian, At the risk of being called too cautious by Cloak, I would recommend against taking the kids to the final cache at the Crypto in Pipestem. The drop off makes me very nervous, and the final cache is located near the side of the mountain. There are a bunch others that are much better for the kids, so try those, and if by some chance you do have extra time, then decide. Make sure you take the tram for the Lake View. Mike Quote Link to comment
+Man In The Wild Posted July 4, 2003 Share Posted July 4, 2003 We tried to be first to find the Crypto cache, but kept running into trouble with that 3rd part. We got about half way there in the dark with Eli. Bad idea. Then we returned after a while and tried again. This time we were at the cliff, the kids were getting wild, and the sun was about to set. With Queenfish within a few feet of where we believe the cache is, we quit and climbed back up to the car. This is a fairly steep trail and I believe it's 600' from the top to the cache, then another 500' to the bottom where the By The Bluestone cache is hidden. What's the trail like from part 3 to the bottom? I might want to take that when we get back to finally finish off this cache! (If I can take the tram one way back up.) We would have gone back to finish this cache, but the 600' climb, the long drive south, and the $2.50 or $3.75 (I don't remember if we hit all three) in tolls each way keep scaring us off... soon! I'd say it depends on your kids. If they stay back when told to, go for it. If they tend to run loose, you might not want to have them there. Ours tend to be wild, but until we spent too long hunting for this cache, they were fine in that area. Quote Link to comment
+GPS_Brian Posted August 19, 2003 Author Share Posted August 19, 2003 We just got back from our trip to Pipestem. We had a blast. As I had said previously, in the 30 some odd years I've been going to Pipestem I had never been on any of the trails. Thank you to all of the cache placers for getting us out there to see these other areas of the park ... it is absolutely beautiful! The trails are in really bad shape right now from all of the rain ... a lot of mud further worsened by churning from the horses. So we only did the PipestemTombCache and QuickCache with the whole family (wife, 8 yr old son, 5 yr old daughter, 2 yr old son). I did By the Bluestone alone and the rest with my 8 year old son ... who was fine for all of them (though I did pick him up at one point to carry him across some particularly bad mud and then I promptly slipped and we both ended up in it ). We actualy hiked to Heritage Point on our first day just for the heck of it; before we had solved the Crypto Cache. On the morning of our last day we completed the first two parts, got the coordinates for the final but had run out of time to go back down for it! Now that one is going to be hanging over our heads for another year. Ugh! Anyway, thanks again to all of the Pipestem cache placers! We really enjoyed each of them. Brian -=-=-=-=-=- GPS_Brian =-=-=-=-=-= Quote Link to comment
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