buckyd's Geoblog

Apr 27, 2008

Pipe Dream

By: Team SARS Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Small

I tried everything within terrain-rated and hint-focusing locations 3 times, and was unable to reveal the cache. This is from a person that opens most of the spaghetti sauce jars in our household! Then WalruZ got all manly and found a "tool" to help make things move -- it took quite a bit of effort to get unstuck. We rehid the cache well, but not so well that weak hands can't get to it. thanks!

Levee Run 1 mile loop

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

It is always a pleasure to visit the Sunnyvale baylands for a cache or two. Today was warm and, surprisingly, little bay breeze to keep things interesting. Geo Baby walked most of the way there, but then succumbed to the lure of the stroller and a free ride on the way back. Thanks for the cache(s)!

Levee Run - North Pond

By: csolsen Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Micro

Since we were caching with Geo Baby today, we did the two new baylands caches as out-and-backs with the stroller. We probably could have used a few bottles of water, but the fountain at the trailhead area is surprisingly good and it wasn't approaching the scorching level, really. On the way to this cache, we were happy to meet some cachers in the wild looking for a stage of the teamwork multi and then crossed paths with them on our way back. We had great fun out as a family this morning -- thanks for the destination!

Baylands Teamwork

By: bytemobile Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

We met chasam and co. here looking for stage 1, and were searching where they zeroed out, which was roughly the area I found stage 1 in in 2006. I see now, reading through the November logs and checking with the coords in WalruZ's gps that he hand-entered from chasam's printout, that we were using the old coords to search. That explains it... I should have been more thorough when checking the info on my Treo -- sorry chasam!

Apr 26, 2008

AYCABTU: One Is the Loneliest Number

By: Zero Wing Dowbiggin Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

Not possible to search this afternoon. Took a 3 second look around the obvious hide object before I was asked if I lost something by the guy sitting like 5 feet away... Geo Baby liked the swings nearby, so it wasn't a total loss.

Babel Versus ESL

By: dclendenin Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Nicely done, I was looking for a hide that was a lot more pedestrian than what WalruZ managed to find. Fun puzzle, I understood a few of those sentences without any aid, but then had to turn to the handy-dandy intarwebs to get the others sorted out. TFTC.

The Stepford Homes

By: Xklondike Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I figured that we'd all get out of the car to find this one, since Geo Baby makes lurking around yards look a little less conspicuous and if Baby Keb was up they might enjoy meeting each other, but WalruZ really just wanted to grab and go. We ended up compromising and all getting out to grab and go. Thanks for the cache.

End of the Road

By: Rocket Girl Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

It was classic. WalruZ Just Knew Where It Was as I was counting down distance to the location, and even scoffed at me that I was still calling feet when it was So Obviously Where It Was. Just for that, he got to jump first so I could have a little entertainment. Tee hee hee.

Yosemite Squares

By: Rocket Girl Difficulty: 3.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

I really liked this hide. I started with the usual location types, and then knew where it had to be, but where was it?!? Just as WalruZ gave up on me and came to tag out, I spotted it and a tool with which to retrieve. Thanks.

One For The Numbers

By: Rocket Girl Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I was pointing about 45 feet away from where I actually found the cache, so the hint was a good thing. I guess I should pay better attention to the description, even when out on a numbers run, because there was no place to hide a film can "in the usual manner" where I was trying to search...

Tin Lizzie

By: Xklondike Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Yeah, my brother had hair like that for a while. Then my mom found a potted plant on the roof and made him cut it. Thanks for bringing us with you as you slide down that slippery wax slope...

Milpitas or San Jose?

By: EricsBrat Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Milpitas.

Yosemite Passage

By: TeamSpider3 Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

Ah, there it is. I can't really understand how I missed finding this one my last visit. I was searching a different object some feet away on that day, silly GPSr. I started fiddling with that object again, but only out of habit before looking at the other obvious place. Thanks.

Apr 22, 2008

The Postcard Cache

By: Fresh_Meat Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

I found this cache on my couch last night. It hadn't been there earlier in the afternoon. How strange...

Apr 19, 2008

Marcella

By: Benjamin F. Workerofwood Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

Happened to be in the area with the family, and thought we'd mosey on by for an archive find. Just one, though. Nothin' to see here, move along...

Earth Day Morning 2008 CITO at Panther Beach

By: 50sumtin Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Not chosen

We had a really good time doing the CITO as a family. I accompanied Geo Baby while we looked for "paper" and "water bottles". While she was looking for those items, I also removed many many pieces of broken glass from the sand, as well as some expended bottle rockets and a sock. Our bag wasn't that big or full, but we did our part. I don't think Geo Baby was quite old enough to understand the environmental implications of the event, but she especially enjoyed the challenge of hiking down to and back up from the beach. She was quite proud of herself. Thanks for the Earth Day celebration!

Earth Day Morning Get Together in Santa Cruz

By: 50sumtin Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Not chosen

We decided to make a weekend away of it, and stayed over the night before quite near to the event location so that we could get everyone up and to the place on time. Well, we still managed to be a few minutes late, but everyone was in good spirits for the rest of the morning! I changed my order to one of the specials at the last minute, and was not disappointed. Thanks for the event.

La Barranca Park

By: 50sumtin Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

We started this cache in the morning with the first stage, but then were distracted by playgrounds, birdies, duckies, carp, painters, modern sculpture playgrounds, bike ramps, surfers, old boats, AIDSwalk participants, fraternity brothers, doggies, and {whew} finally caught up to the 4th stage in the early afternoon and did the rest backwards. Lots of fun, thanks!

Along West Cliff

By: 50sumtin Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

We moseyed on down to look at the ocean with Geo Baby after the breakfast event, since we had a little time before the CITO. There was a spectator in a pickup nearby, so we brought out Geo Baby to provide the necessary geocover for doing strange things around the cache site. After we were all done, replaced all stealthily-like, and a few photos were taken, the spectator left, wouldncha knowit... Thanks for the cache.

Ponder This

By: Pearbro Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

Lots of people going back and forth, and even in the nearby buildings. Cache was a pretty quick and quiet find, though. Thanks!

A little bird told me ...

By: 50sumtin Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

We thought we'd cap off the caching day with this cache after visiting the nearby shake palace. (Well, in the interest of full disclosure: I chose lanes poorly and we ended up grabbing a cache while getting onto the freeway the long way). Nothing like a good shake after a day of windy and sunny Santa Cruz caching! I tried to skulk around as much as possible to draw attention to myself, drawing the occupants of the house out to check on my suspicious behavior, and it worked! I got a hint from the owner and flew outta there! Thanks for the cache.

By the Light of the Moon

By: Sgt Stitches Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I never get tired of hanging out at places like this. It was a little windy in the morning just after the pre-CITO breakfast, but not nearly as windy as it got at Panther Beach! It probably took the number of the potential spectators down a notch, so that's a plus. Thanks.

S.C. Birdwalk Cache

By: grumpybear and jtkcacher Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Virtual

We enjoyed a great walk from the playground off the California St. entrance to the Lagoon. Geo Baby particularly enjoyed walking around the boardwalk and seeing the carp come up to the surface with their big mouths open. Duckies are always a toddler favorite, and today was no exception (well, the carp were sort of stealing center stage there, though). Just after finding the cache area, we happened upon a nice lady doing some watercolor painting, and she was very nice to let Geo Baby experiment with the brush and paints on her sketchbook. It was a great family walk -- the kind these semi-blustery but sunny Santa Cruz days were made for! TFTV.

Apr 18, 2008

Office Locations

By: virtualdavid Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

Technically, researchers work in labspaces and typically carve out their own "bench" area, and to hear university administrations talk about it, we're lucky to have any individual space whatsoever. I suppose it is hard for most office-dwellers to remember that many professions don't rely on "office locations"... However, my current assigned workspace in SF does have a nice view into the windows of the condominiums across the street. When our lab was at the Parnassus campus, I shared an office-like space within the lab (though the density of people in there was much more than I was comfortable with) that had a view of the top tips of the Golden Gate bridge. That was probably the best seat I've had in my worklife, although I was at one of the back-to-the-window tables. Being in SF and all, there's plenty of "access" to stuff, but regardless of good access I always seem to get sick of eating at the same 5 convenient locations anyway. Thanks for the cache.

Menlo Circus

By: ChrissySkyking + Blaze (adopted by andrewclan Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

I had to check the hide site twice before I managed to come up with the find. Kinda busy for a late Friday morning around the 'hood here. Not much going on in the fields, though. There's still space along the sides of the log for several more cachers to sign. Thanks!

Apr 12, 2008

holy marry

By: fu3zy Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Small

Came by with Geo Baby today after running an errand not-quite-nearby. We used to have a cache in this park, but it didn't last very long. This one should last a bit longer than that one, hopefully. Lots of small groups of people using the park in a variety of ways late this afternoon. Aside from the foul-mouthed little boy on the playground, it was a pleasant visit. Swapped TBs and took an egg because the cache wasn't closing all the way. Thanks.

Apr 11, 2008

California Gold TB Hotel

By: GeoWomyn_SF_CA Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

I've been meaning to visit this cache since it was posted, particularly since it is quite close to my commute route. Unfortunately enough, I don't work those luxurious kind of hours to get to the box... Nice job on the cache. Dropped some travelers.

g.S.F.R?T. Moving Cache

By: 26 Fe via SirGerald, adopted by BuckyD Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

removing "needs maintenance" attribute and eagerly awaiting abngreg's placement of the cache...

Apr 6, 2008

Pepper Tree Alley

By: cjspontiac Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Odd area. I didn't realize how close I was to people's yards until Geo Baby led us on the full tour of the alley. Thanks!

salty land by cargill

By: clubjackie Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Sunday morning appears to be a popular time to be at this spot. I guess Cargill supports the RC helicopter hobbyist in a big way... When we initially came by, we couldn't search because two guys were in their car near GZ, watching the group parked just through the gate play with their toys. Another car was there, looking for a place to run their dog, apparently, but they left soon after we did. We visited a playground for an hour or so to let Geo Baby work off some toddler angst, and returned to find a reasonably clear search area ('copters were still in full force, though). Thanks.

hickory post

By: clubjackie Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

After a little breakfast, the family rode around to see what caches we could find. Since we've done most in the area, this was where we headed. Strange little parking lot they've got here...

Apr 5, 2008

What a view too

By: Maverix Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Small

WalruZ, Geo Baby and I were looking to get out and about, but wouldn't you know it we had puttered around most of the morning, and really were pushing things quite close to naptime (sounds like a familiar log doesn't it, didn't we do that last month?). So, our closest cache-hike to home was our destination, so as not to burn anymore good hiking time by driving around to, say, Sunol. First, we checked out the new parking area near Whipple where some teens were working on a fire trail to Mission. Nice totem pole. Then we noticed that the new Dry Creek Garden was open (the old Meyer Ranch: 1 Saturday a month and Thursdays) and explored all over in there. After that, we hit the trails. Geo Baby hiked a surprising amount, particularly given that we did this hike during her naptime, and we had a great time sitting at the cache site with some Odwalla "candy bars" and watching her learn her footing on the terrain while talking about stuff (eating trees, cows go moo, and other fairly nonsensical ideations). No toys, so we had to fake Geo Baby out with some stuff we had brought to trade with. I dropped a travelling spring geocoin in the cache, since the green grass was beautiful up there. After that, a small lesson in thistle was learned, and we taught Geo Baby a little about bushwacking downhill to the car, finally hitting a trail near the Tamarack entrance -- what an adventure! Thanks.

Apr 2, 2008

Friday Night Meet & Greet

By: RCGDS & NUTS Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Not chosen

WalruZ, Geo Baby, and I should be able to make it, assuming that traffic from the Bay Area to Sac doesn't take all afternoon and evening to get through. We're good for 2 hamburgers and 2 hotdogs shared among the three of us, thanks!

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