SF Bay Area geocachers

[+Team Dralasites]

I guess I got all jealous about the central valley and sacramento geocaching threads...so here's one for where we live. I wonder if there's enough of us to keep this thread alive...

[+CatToy]

Hey, Team D!

 

A lot of us in the Central Valley work in the Bay Area - and all hunt and place there. Just think of us as the surburban Bay Area cache group!

 

Kevin Quinn

CatToy

[+georgeandmary]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Team Dralasites:

I guess I got all jealous about the central valley and sacramento geocaching threads...so here's one for where we live. I wonder if there's enough of us to keep this thread alive...

---

 

I'm not from the bay, but I have a cache there, I'm also going to be in the area since I'm almost all out of caches here in the central valley.

 

george

 

Remember: Half the people you meet are below average.

[+Mr. Vic]

Howdy Team D!

There are a lot of Bay Area Geocachers, however we must be a quiet bunch. I live in the San Ramon Valley and do most of my caching there. I also am hitting the central valley caches with my dad when I visit him.

(I'm still trying to come up with a cool avatar)

 

Will cache for food

[+Team Dralasites]

I posted this on a different topic, but it seems appropriate here as well. Kudos to the cache placers in the central valley...they seem to me to be a lot harder to find than the ones in the bay area.

 

Don't get me wrong...I love the bay area caches and the often stunning vistas that I discover when on these cache hunts (more photo opportunities!), but the more adventurous hunts have been from the central valley. I remember one that had us crossing a stream and clambering up small dropoffs, just to find a dead end (we try to only use established trails, and don't like to bushwhack unless it's clear from the description that this is really necessary).

 

Another cache had us climb up this REALLY scary hill...here's the cache:

 

Liggett Lookout

 

Didn't look so hard when we were at the base of the hill. 2/3 of the way up, after kicking a rock loose and watching it tumble down, throwing off bits of itself in the process, things looked quite a bit different. Needless to say, we aborted the find...but we'll definitely be back for that one in the near future. Just gotta get over my fear of heights.

 

Anyway, it's camping season...and we'll be heading down to Big Sur more often than not in these coming months. Maybe I'll bump into some central valley cachers

[+Team Dralasites]

I posted this on a different topic, but it seems appropriate here as well. Kudos to the cache placers in the central valley...they seem to me to be a lot harder to find than the ones in the bay area.

 

Don't get me wrong...I love the bay area caches and the often stunning vistas that I discover when on these cache hunts (more photo opportunities!), but the more adventurous hunts have been from the central valley. I remember one that had us crossing a stream and clambering up small dropoffs, just to find a dead end (we try to only use established trails, and don't like to bushwhack unless it's clear from the description that this is really necessary).

 

Another cache had us climb up this REALLY scary hill...here's the cache:

 

Liggett Lookout

 

Didn't look so hard when we were at the base of the hill. 2/3 of the way up, after kicking a rock loose and watching it tumble down, throwing off bits of itself in the process, things looked quite a bit different. Needless to say, we aborted the find...but we'll definitely be back for that one in the near future. Just gotta get over my fear of heights.

 

Anyway, it's camping season...and we'll be heading down to Big Sur more often than not in these coming months. Maybe I'll bump into some central valley cachers

[+Team Dralasites]

Yep, a quiet bunch indeed. Where's MartyFouts and bthomas, the infamous geohogs that always beats us to first find or a coveted travel bug? The early bird gets the first find, I suppose.

 

The weather's fantastic...we really ought to picnic sometime.

[+Team Dralasites]

Yep, a quiet bunch indeed. Where's MartyFouts and bthomas, the infamous geohogs that always beats us to first find or a coveted travel bug? The early bird gets the first find, I suppose.

 

The weather's fantastic...we really ought to picnic sometime.

[+newoldstock]

Twinkle and I do the majority of our caching in and around Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Considering Silicon Valley's rep for pasty and frail inhabitants, we've got a surprising number of caches down this way - and they're actually outside!

 

We ought to start talking about summer festivities (so speaketh the man who has yet to attend a picnic). Where's Iron Chef?

 

[This message was edited by barefoot&twinkle on May 30, 2002 at 02:35 PM.]

[+newoldstock]

Twinkle and I do the majority of our caching in and around Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Considering Silicon Valley's rep for pasty and frail inhabitants, we've got a surprising number of caches down this way - and they're actually outside!

 

We ought to start talking about summer festivities (so speaketh the man who has yet to attend a picnic). Where's Iron Chef?

 

[This message was edited by barefoot&twinkle on May 30, 2002 at 02:35 PM.]

[+Iron Chef]

quote:

---

Where's Iron Chef?

---

 

Huh? Me be sleepy. hehehe. j/k. Plan on a picnic happening in Santa Cruz on the beach sometime late June or early July. :~) The 2nd annual CCGC Summer Event.

 

______________________

Iron Chef

[+Iron Chef]

quote:

---

Where's Iron Chef?

---

 

Huh? Me be sleepy. hehehe. j/k. Plan on a picnic happening in Santa Cruz on the beach sometime late June or early July. :~) The 2nd annual CCGC Summer Event.

 

______________________

Iron Chef

[+Team Dralasites]

By the way, we may have messed up with one of your spoons. Are they supposed to stay in the cache it was originally placed? We actually traded it out and then back into another cache. We thought about it for a while after that, and started to feel weird about it.

[+Iron Chef]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Team Dralasites:

By the way, we may have messed up with one of your spoons. Are they supposed to stay in the cache it was originally placed? We actually traded it out and then back into another cache. We thought about it for a while after that, and started to feel weird about it.

---

 

hehehe. :~) You can do whatever you want with the spoons as you find them. It's just a silly signature item that I like to leave, so don't worry about it if you want to take one. Some of them have turned into impromtu travel bugs and begun to travel the country.

 

______________________

Iron Chef

[+Iron Chef]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Team Dralasites:

By the way, we may have messed up with one of your spoons. Are they supposed to stay in the cache it was originally placed? We actually traded it out and then back into another cache. We thought about it for a while after that, and started to feel weird about it.

---

 

hehehe. :~) You can do whatever you want with the spoons as you find them. It's just a silly signature item that I like to leave, so don't worry about it if you want to take one. Some of them have turned into impromtu travel bugs and begun to travel the country.

 

______________________

Iron Chef

[johnnyb5]

I live in the south bay and just started Geocaching. I love it, its so much fun, my hunting partner is my dog Tank, he has fun hunting too. Getting ready to hide my first cache this weekend. Has anyone found a cache that has items for our four legged hunting partners? Ill probably include a few in mine.

The Picnic sounds fun, would like to meet some fellow hunters

C'ya

Johnnyb

[+georgeandmary]

So, I'll be heading back to the bay area to hit some caches and it's hard to choose which area to hit. If there is a "don't miss" cache in the bay, what would it be?

 

george

 

Remember: Half the people you meet are below average.

[+Team Dralasites]

San Francisco Bay Ghost Town

 

This is easily our favorite cache in the bay area. Final cache container is huge, and it contains a travel bug that's been there for a couple of weeks now (it's about time someone moved it along I think).

 

We did this one at night. Pretty scary! Watch for the avian custodian when you get to Drawbridge.

[+Mr. Vic]

George,

Stumped? http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=5872 in Las Trampas Regional Park near San Ramon is a must see. There are also about 6-7 other caches in the park, so you can have a field day. -Mark.

 

Will cache for food

[+newoldstock]

I think that's the only cache I'm watching right now -- definitely a memorable one. Technically you're suppose to be accompanied by a guide, but I won't say anything if Team Dralasites doesn't.

 

*barefoot*

[+newoldstock]

I think that's the only cache I'm watching right now -- definitely a memorable one. Technically you're suppose to be accompanied by a guide, but I won't say anything if Team Dralasites doesn't.

 

*barefoot*

[boren]

quote:

---

This is easily our favorite cache in the bay area. Final cache container is huge, and it contains a travel bug that's been there for a couple of weeks now (it's about time someone moved it along I think).

---

 

I was there last weekend and I didn't see any travel bug. Didn't look really hard, but there's a log from someone who found the cache by accident saying they took a key chain. Maybe they took the travel bug?

[+Team Dralasites]

Ah well. Another travel bug goes missing. I dunno...how do you miss the tag, anyway? But nevermind...this topic's been talked about on other threads.

 

I hope this doesn't happen to our bugs. One of them's supposedly still in the cache, and hasn't moved for about 3 weeks.

 

Also, clue #2 for the ghost town seems to be missing. Maybe we'll go out there and replace it some time.

[+Pepper]

Looks like I was the last one to find the #2 cache and it was a little tricky. I just happen to look down while thinking and there it was. Not plain as day, but there it was none the less. I put it back exactly where I found it and thought to myself wow that blends in well and it's small. I can't imagine someone not geocaching would just stumble across it and keep it. Who know's kind of curious if it's still in place myself.

 

Peppr

[+Pepper]

Looks like I was the last one to find the #2 cache and it was a little tricky. I just happen to look down while thinking and there it was. Not plain as day, but there it was none the less. I put it back exactly where I found it and thought to myself wow that blends in well and it's small. I can't imagine someone not geocaching would just stumble across it and keep it. Who know's kind of curious if it's still in place myself.

 

Pepper

[CourtneyP]

Aloha all... I'm a newbie to geocaching as well as the South Bay (hey barefoot).

 

::waves::

 

I moved here from Hawaii a little over a month ago, and I'm trying to get to know the area. Geocaching is a great way to see what's around. I found my first cache this evening.

 

I was born and raised in the East Bay, so I'm itching to get out there and scope the caches out that way... mostly Briones Park, it seems like.

 

SFB Ghost Town was already on my list before reading this thread... will try to do that this weekend!

[+Pepper]

Hello Courtney, Pepper here of Team SuperGenius I myself am a newbie in caching and only 10 months in the area. I see you said South Bay, that must mean I am East Bay living in Pleasanton? Born and raised in TX it has been an experience for me to get use to it out here. Hills every where! Welcome back home girl.

Team SuperGenius

Pepper

 

Horizontals where it's at!

[+Mr. Vic]

quote:

---

...that must mean I am East Bay living in Pleasanton?

---

 

Hi Pepper. Yep, Pleasanton is considered part of the "East Bay." It's also part of the "Tri-Valley" aka "Amador Valley." Welcome to California!

-Mark.

 

Will cache for food

[+fizzymagic]

quote:

---

Yep, Pleasanton is considered part of the "East Bay." It's also part of the "Tri-Valley" aka "Amador Valley." Welcome to California!

---

 

Of course you are right about being part of the East Bay, but doesn't it seem as if in the last few years the Tri-Valley has been getting its own character more and more? One of the reasons I like it is that it doesn't feel nearly as urban as the Oakland/San Leandro/Fremont corridor.

 

P.S. Where did you come up with the "Mr Vic" handle? When I first saw it, I imagined a small Vietnamese guy...

[+Mr. Vic]

P.S. Where did you come up with the "Mr Vic" handle? When I first saw it, I imagined a small Vietnamese guy...

 

Now that I'm done laughing...no, I'm a rather large white guy... Mr.Vic is short for Mr. Vicars. I do alot of work with Cub & Boy Scouts and many of the boys call me that for short.

 

I agree with you on the Tri-Valley thing. It defininately has its own culture. I grew up here and have watched it go from the outskirts of the Bay Area to a very desirable place to live. I've travelled all over the country and it doesn't get much better than this.

 

-Mark.

 

Will cache for food

[+Pepper]

So I guess by reading your posts young men we got lucky and picked a good place to live. We did all of our planning via the net. I must say it is Eye Candy for me having lived in Texas all of my 41 yrs. Just wondering how do you folks afford the houses around here.

 

Pepper

 

Horizontals where it's at!

[+newoldstock]

Aloha to you, CourtneyP! Welcome back. My girlfriend's (Twinkle) parents live on Oahu -- they were just here a few weeks ago visiting us so we took them out caching over in Santa Cruz and now they're hooked. They've already found a couple of caches on their island and are planning a few of their own.

 

And a 'howdy' over to the transplanted East Bay wrangler.

 

*barefoot*

[+newoldstock]

Aloha to you, CourtneyP! Welcome back. My girlfriend's (Twinkle) parents live on Oahu -- they were just here a few weeks ago visiting us so we took them out caching over in Santa Cruz and now they're hooked. They've already found a couple of caches on their island and are planning a few of their own.

 

And a 'howdy' over to the transplanted East Bay wrangler.

 

*barefoot*

[+Mr. Vic]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SuperGenius: Just wondering how do you folks afford the houses around here.

---

 

Haven't figured that one out yet. We rent. But better to be poor here than rich somewhere else.

 

Will cache for food

[+georgeandmary]

Man it's hot!! I just finished off the caches in Shadow Cliffs. I had to go back and redeem myself after missing Bog, Log, Pollywog and picked up Bushwacked while I was there. I don't think it's any cooler over there than it is in the valley.

 

 

george

 

Remember: Half the people you meet are below average.

[CourtneyP]

Thanks for the warm welcomes, everyone.

 

Pepper, Pleasanton is my halfway mark to my parents' home in Lafayette. So I think you can call yourself a South Bay person if you want. Pleasanton has grown a LOT since I was a kid.

 

barefoot, I'm bummed that I didn't get into geocaching until recently. I really wish I could've participated in the sport on Oahu... so many hidden treasures there!

 

Found my second cache today. Keeping it simple and easy for now. I'm gonna drag my fiancé out this weekend on a few... if it's not too hot!

 

Nice to meet everyone, there's lots to share!

[CourtneyP]

Thanks for the warm welcomes, everyone.

 

Pepper, Pleasanton is my halfway mark to my parents' home in Lafayette. So I think you can call yourself a South Bay person if you want. Pleasanton has grown a LOT since I was a kid.

 

barefoot, I'm bummed that I didn't get into geocaching until recently. I really wish I could've participated in the sport on Oahu... so many hidden treasures there!

 

Found my second cache today. Keeping it simple and easy for now. I'm gonna drag my fiancé out this weekend on a few... if it's not too hot!

 

Nice to meet everyone, there's lots to share!

[+Mr. Vic]

If you get out to Briones while visiting your parents, don't miss the "Stumped Again!" cache. It's one of my favorites and very unique.

 

-Mark.

 

Will cache for food

[+fizzymagic]

quote:

---

If you get out to Briones while visiting your parents, don't miss the "Stumped Again!" cache. It's one of my favorites and very unique.

---

 

Is it fun to do this time of year? We have basically decided to wait for better weather to do more in Las Trampas, for example. And is it better than the original Stumped?

[+Team Dralasites]

quote:

---

Originally posted by barefoot&twinkle:

 

They've already found a couple of caches on their island and are planning a few of their own.

 

*barefoot*

---

 

Let us know if they come across any "must-visit" caches in Hawaii... we're planning a trip to Hawaii in September and we'll probably do some geocaching while we're out there (of course ).

 

Colleen of Team Dralasites

[+Team Dralasites]

quote:

---

Originally posted by barefoot&twinkle:

 

They've already found a couple of caches on their island and are planning a few of their own.

 

*barefoot*

---

 

Let us know if they come across any "must-visit" caches in Hawaii... we're planning a trip to Hawaii in September and we'll probably do some geocaching while we're out there (of course ).

 

Colleen of Team Dralasites

[glynnfam]

For those of you who have done this one - is it BIKEABLE? I doubt the little Glynns would make the round trip hike, and it appears flat so I thought we'd try it on bikes, or burley & tagalong if necessary. Possible? Or are there fences and rr bridges that aren't bike friendly?

 

Lovin' life in the East Bay!

[+Team Dralasites]

I don't remember...it's an extremely flat path, though. We were going to go again with some buddies of ours, and try it on bike this time. There's a RR bridge, but you may be able to bike along the walkway that runs parallel to it. As I recall, after the bridge, it's all pretty much gravel near the RR, or bushes farther out, with no real walking path. But what I would do is bike as far in as possible, and walk the rest of the way in (there's probably places to chain the bikes up). If you do that, the walking part is really short.

[+Mr. Vic]

quote:

---

Originally posted by fizzymagic:

Is it fun to do this time of year? We have basically decided to wait for better weather to do more in Las Trampas, for example. And is it better than the original Stumped?

---

 

I think it's fun to do this time of year, as long as the temperature is under 85 degrees. I also wear spring gaiters to keep the stickers out of my socks. (REI $22)

 

The original was harder for me (took me two trys) but this one is funnier and just as clever. It's less than two miles from the parking lot and all but the last quarter mile is flat.

 

-Mark.

 

Will cache for food

[+fizzymagic]

quote:

---

The original was harder for me (took me two trys) but this one is funnier and just as clever. It's less than two miles from the parking lot and all but the last quarter mile is flat.

---

 

Well, it looks like it's gaiter time for me, then! I saw your post about the gaiters, and that looks like a great item to have, especially around here. Helps prevent sticker shock (nyuk, nyuk).

[+Mr. Vic]

quote:

---

Originally posted by fizzymagic:

Well, it looks like it's gaiter time for me...

---

 

Yea...I bought mine last summer after ripping up my legs on star thistles in Morgan Territory. Best investment in this sport I've made (after my GPSr).

-Mark.

 

Will cache for food

[CourtneyP]

I did happen to get out the East Bay today, but not out to Briones. I took a couple of guys (that had never heard of geocaching, mind you) to the Girly Cache because of its proximity to my parents' house. Since we didn't stick to proper trails (there was a diverted trail while construction was being done), we got fenced off and had a little more of an adventure than expected.

 

Many stickers, thorns, barbed wired fences, and lots of humorous b*tching later, we got through it. It's definitely time for gaiters. I've had enough bad luck with the sticky plant life already.

[CourtneyP]

I did happen to get out the East Bay today, but not out to Briones. I took a couple of guys (that had never heard of geocaching, mind you) to the Girly Cache because of its proximity to my parents' house. Since we didn't stick to proper trails (there was a diverted trail while construction was being done), we got fenced off and had a little more of an adventure than expected.

 

Many stickers, thorns, barbed wired fences, and lots of humorous b*tching later, we got through it. It's definitely time for gaiters. I've had enough bad luck with the sticky plant life already.

[+Team Dralasites]

Would anyone be interested in meeting for dinner sometime? Somewhere between San Mateo and Santa Clara was what we had in mind. (We can meet in other parts of the bay area next time.)

 

The next question would be, does anybody know of a good place to meet? Our first suggestion would be Harry's Hofbrau in Redwood City--there's lots of meat but it won't break the bank.

 

And finally, WHEN would you like to meet? Weekday or weekend?

 

The reason we're asking is, we just received 20 blocks of GeoQuilt II which need to be signed by different people, and we thought a geoquilt signing party would be a good excuse for a gathering.

[+Team Dralasites]

Would anyone be interested in meeting for dinner sometime? Somewhere between San Mateo and Santa Clara was what we had in mind. (We can meet in other parts of the bay area next time.)

 

The next question would be, does anybody know of a good place to meet? Our first suggestion would be Harry's Hofbrau in Redwood City--there's lots of meat but it won't break the bank.

 

And finally, WHEN would you like to meet? Weekday or weekend?

 

The reason we're asking is, we just received 20 blocks of GeoQuilt II which need to be signed by different people, and we thought a geoquilt signing party would be a good excuse for a gathering.