[Az-Geocaching] Our Adventurous Weekend!

Tue, 15 Jan 2002 10:17:52 -0700

Welcome Scott, and thanks for sharing your adventures!
((Not only is Larry "Wyle E" the first to many caches, now he is the first
to meet some new cachers!! Geez!!  (hee hee hee)
~~trisha "Lightning"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Nicol" <arizcowboy@hotmail.com>
To: <az-geocaching@listserv.snaptek.com>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:32 PM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Our Adventurous Weekend!

> Howdy fellow Geocachers!
>
> Wanted to share our first big day of Geocaching with yall!
>
> Intro:
>
> I found out about geocaches just a couple of weeks ago on the Garmin.com
web
> site. I had just recently purchased my 3rd GPS unit... a Garmin Etrex
> Legend. Nice little GPS that is great for hiking and stuff like
Geocaching.
> Well, saw the link to geocaching.com and was pretty muched hook just by
> checking out the web site.
>
> Well, me and my friend Brent went out after our first geocache a couple of
> weeks ago... it was the Junk Drawer Junkie cache out near Tortilla Flats
> area. We were a very close 2nd to the cache. As I walked up the ridge
there
> was the Wyle E team searching for that cache. Met them. Very nice folks.
> Glad to have had the opportunity to meet them! What a cool 'yellow jeep'
> that is! :) Signed the log book and closed the book on our first geocache.
> Brent was a little worn out and kinda kicked back over the ridge and didnt
> get to see this first cache. But, he would this past weekend! During the
> course of that week I alone went for a few urban caches near my home in
Mesa
> and got 2 one day and one the next. Makeout Mnt, Cable Girls Toy Box and
> Cheaprock.
>
> On to our first big adventurous day of geocaching.......
>
> This past Satuday me and Brent headed out early to go after the Mt Ord
> cache... ORDinary Cache. It has been posted since Dec. 24th and no one has
> gone after it. So, thought we would try and be the first and get our first
> 1st log in. I had watched the cache since early that week when I first saw
> it on the web site and just hoped no one would get it before we had the
> chance to get out Saturday morning. We headed out  right about sunrise
from
> Mesa and hit the road for Mt. Ord. I have never been on top of Mt Ord (Or
4
> peaks either) and always wanted to. We have driven by it many, many times
> and never went up there. Geocaching gave us an excuse to do it!
>
> The road up was a nice drive. Rather steep, but, not too steep and not to
> bumpy either. A nice forest route all in all. We went from high desert to
> pine trees and about 30 minutes of driving or so. Up on top at the parking
> lot... we hiked out into the pine covered woods in search of our first
first
> find. I got within about 30 feet according to my GPS and Brent started
> searching while I walked and tried to '0' in on the exact spot. Brent
jumped
> up and yelled "LOOK, I FOUND IT!" He was pretty stoked to have found his
> first cache box! There it was. My GPS got me to within a couple feet of it
> when I walked over there! Well, opened the log and we were first!!!!!!!!
> YEHAW! No yellow jeep waiting in the parking lot when we arrived this time
> either! :) LOL Signed the log book and took the christmas bulldog doll and
> left the Sable the Tiger doll I got from the Cable Girls Toy Box cache.
The
> tiger is now on top of Mt. Ord if anyone wants to give him a new home! The
> bulldog must have been pretty lonely up there all these weeks! We then had
> an awsome hike of about 1 miles to the summit of Mt. Ord where all the
> towers and ranger lookout are located. What a spectacular view! We could
see
> the entire Tonto Basin and valley area below to the east and Roosevelt
lake.
> We could see the small community of Sunflower below to the SW and beyond
we
> saw the Fountain on at Fountain Hills. Very clear day. The entire metro
PHX
> area was visible. Looked out across the Mazatzal Divide and eyed 4 peaks
and
> thought about the cache up there- Lone Pine. How cool it would be to
> conquere the two high peaks along the Mazatzal range (actually, I beleive
> Mazatzal Peak is the highest?). After staring in amazement at the view we
> made the 1 mile or so hike back down the mountain to the parking lot and
> headed off the mountain. We hiked about 2.5 miles during the stay up
there.
> We headed down around 11:00am or so.
>
> Along the way back south on Hwy. 87, we seeked out the Dead Car Cache.
Drove
> within 1 kilometer of it and hiked on in. Quick, Easy find and a fun
little
> hike. Put on another 1.2 miles of hiking here. Left the christmas bulldog
> and took the little green matchbox truck. Now we headed to 4 peaks road
and
> seeked out the first cache there, 4 peaks road #1. There is another one
> close to the highway, figured we get that on the way out. Never did
though.
> We did get the 4 Pk #1 cache though. We took the little world globe ball
and
> left the truck! I figured the world globe ball would be a 'symbol' of
sorts
> to put in the Lone Pine cache.... at the top of the world! We were only a
> mere 20 minutes behind Offtrail, who had logged in at the 4 Peaks #1 just
> prior to our arrival there and was seeking out a new cache stash that day.
> Turned out he placed a cache (or the start of one or something) near were
> the Dead Car Cache is or somewhere in that general area. Bummer! Could
have
> went after that one! Now around 1:30pm, we headed for Lone Pine. First
time
> on that road. We were using my 2x4 1974 GMC pickup. It could pretty much
> handle 4 peaks road, no problem. One problem though.. this engine can run
> hot if it isnt moving! I dont have a radiator shroud and the fan is a tad
> bit too far from the radiator (hey, its not easy stickin' a Olds 455 in a
> pickup truck!). But, it never is a problem. usually runs very very cool.
> Well, about 5 miles or so from the top.. the roadway gets VERY VERY ROUGH.
> All rocks. Kinda like driving in a small riverbottom of rock and climbing
on
> a very steep incline. The truck handled it no problem but due to the slow
> driving... the engine started heating up. No problem. We stopped and
waited
> for it to cool (does so very quickly). But, another problem... a started
> wire cought fire!!!! Quickly took care of that and re-manufactured the
wire
> and taped it up and the engine cooled and we were on our way to the top of
4
> peaks! The rest of the way was great. No temp problems and we reached the
> top at about 4:30pm. We hiked to the cache and quickly found it. Left the
> world globe ball and took the owl doll (I must really like animal cache
> finds!) We have always hike the Browns Peak trail... but daylight was
going
> away quickly and we started down. Went down the backside as it is MUCH
less
> bumpy and much quicker. Took only about 30 minutes to get off the mountain
> and down to Hwy 188 and Punkin Center area. We headed back around to Hwy.
87
> and headed home.
>
> It was now dark. We hit up the ParkandCache Cache on the way home in north
> Mesa. I went to that one last week during the week and found way to many
> people to not be seen. Too close to the road as well. So, figured it would
> be best seeked out at night! We went in and quickly found it. Actually,
> walked past it the first time! Pretty good job of hiding a cache! Left the
> owl doll and took the pig doll! The pig is now in my posession and
awaiting
> a new home!
>
> What an adventurous day! 5 caches found! Our personal record! We now have
9
> caches found to start our new hobby! We are both hooked! I have a few
other
> friends that enjoy the outdoors that want to come out with us... Team
> Ropingthewind.
>
> Look forward to showing them this fun new sport. It is a great way to see
> Arizona and to go places I probably otherwise would never go.
>
> Thanks for letting me share our first big day of geocaching!
>
> Scott N.
> Team Ropingthewind
>
> Here is my home page on the web.. has nothing to do with geocaches.. but
> this is my other hobby (I also do it for a living!) and another great way
to
> explore Arizona!) I might have to add a geocache page to it in the near
> future!
>
> Scotts Adventure Flying Web Page
> http://www.geocities.com/safwp
>
>
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