mjp303's Geoblog

Oct 18, 2009

Across The Mojave River

By: mojavedesertangel Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Finally, there's some water! Except for what I hauled in, haven't seen much for a few days. TFTC. mjp303

Basin Overlook

By: Joetrain1 Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

Afton Canyon was pretty, in a desolate sort of a way. Thanks for bringing us here. mjp303

View of Rasor Ranch

By: Raptor06 Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

Unique cache camoflage! Seems likely to attract attention, but evidently not too much. TFTC. mjp303

Spooky Canyon View

By: Mr.G & Family Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

I loved the rocks and the look of the mountains in this stretch of our Mojave trip. It looks like erosion might occur at a rapid clip around here when it's wet. TFTC. mjp303

40 Acres

By: DaFunkyFrogs Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Found it just before a hazy sunset. What in the world is that antenna farm across the street for? TFTC. mjp303

Afton Afterthought

By: CaKid Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

There's the freeway in the distance. This off-road adventure is coming to an end. Great views of Afton Canyon where we came down. Thanks. mjp303

Cinder Cones National Natural Landmark

By: TerryDad2, Adopted by Accordiongal Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Not chosen

I enjoyed visiting this earthcache with CKayaks (who sent answers to the cache page questions), Motorbug, bthomas, et al. The lava flows and cinder cones are silent witness to a more violent time. We didn't get a chance to climb up any of the Mojave cinder cones, but I did climb one at Lassen Volcanic NP several years ago, which was composed of pea-sized pieces of lava. It was one of the most difficult hikes I've been on: quite steep, and like climbing in loose gravel. For every 3 steps up, you slid back 1. Thanks for teaching me about the Mojave Desert! mjp303

BING

By: TheDeviousMaxPower Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 3.5 Container: Regular

My boss has an unusual name too, but he chooses to go by 'John', which makes things easier for all of us underlings. What a great trip, I haven't thought about work for 3 days now! TFTC. mjp303

Mojave Road National Preserve Boundary 2

By: johnislost Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 4.0 Container: Regular

Woot! We made it! Thanks for marking our exit from the park. mjp303

Mamaloo's Mammoth Run - Kramer Junction

By: mamaloo Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

The light was red, so what the heck I thought, why not stop? TFTC. mjp303

Not So Spooky Canyon

By: Suagrfoot and Gophertrax Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

Great little hike up to this cache. I was really wondering where the canyon would lead. There were several forks in the trail, but fortunately geosense prevailed and no backtracking was necessary. Thanks for a fun cache and adventure! mjp303

Return to Afton Canyon

By: Autoteach and Red Lady Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

Great views all along the route here. I would have liked to see a bit more water, but it was not to be. TFTC. mjp303

Afton Canyon

By: Autoteach and Red Lady Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

I can see we're starting to get back to civilization. Something we haven't seen much of for about 130 miles. Plenty of people enjoying the outdoors on a pleasant Sunday. TFTC. mjp303

Afton Road Cache

By: Binks Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

End of the trail. Now, back to the Bay Area before tomorrow morning. Sigh. TFTC. mjp303

County Line

By: CalifScots Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

Quick stop since I needed food and a cache or two in this area for the DeLorme Challenge. Darkness has come, and I've got to get home to the Bay Area tonight! TFTC. mjp303

Soda Lake

By: Adopted by Accordiongal, developed by TerryDa Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Not chosen

Thanks for a very educational earthcache in a desolate but beautiful place. As part of the GBA group, I enjoyed the trip across the Mojave Preserve and the opportunity to see this wonderful desert up close. Answers sent in by bthomas a long time ago. Sorry for the late log. mjp303

Oct 17, 2009

Tuff at Hole-in-the-Wall

By: Developed by TerryDad2, Adopted by Accordiong Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Not chosen

Great Earthcache! I learned a lot, and really enjoyed this area. Answers sent by CKayaks. Thanks! mjp303

Lava Tube of the Mojave Cinder Cones

By: Developed by TerryDad2, adopted by Accordiong Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 4.0 Container: Not chosen

Very cool discovery. I loved the interesting lava formations in the ceiling. We arrived at just the right moment in the afternoon that a narrow beam of sunlight was shining through way down and the far end of the tube. It reminded me of something out of Indiana Jones! Answers sent by CKayaks. TFTEC! mjp303

Hole-In-The-Wall Virtual Cache

By: LV10SBUM & Filby Dude Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Virtual

This was a really fun area to explore. I enjoyed the strange rock formations and clambering around on them! I'm the one in DT21 FW's group shot with the red shirt on.Thanks for bringing us to this beautiful spot. mjp303

Mojave Crossroads

By: TEAM Nohoch Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Virtual

Kelso is a cool spot! Literally. After being on the trail for a day and a half, I enjoyed lunch at the counter in the station. TFTC! mjp303

Oct 16, 2009

Walk the Line

By: geost4fun Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

Nearly ready to leave Nevada behind as we head west through the desert. TFTC. mjp303

No-Where Tin Can Alley

By: johnislost Difficulty: 4.0 Terrain: 4.0 Container: Micro

Raises hand...ummm, yeah, we used the hint. Thanks, I guess. [;)] mjp303

Here ?s Your Sign ? ?STUPID?!

By: johnislost Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 4.0 Container: Small

Coin drop

Here ?s Your Sign ? ?STUPID?!

By: johnislost Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 4.0 Container: Small

It was about this spot that we crossed paths with the folks who were coasting downhill since they were nearly out of gas. CKayaks helped out with a gallon or two. How's that for poor planning? (...dare we say 'stupid'?!?) TFTC. mjp303

MOJAVE ROAD LOOKOUT

By: MarchsRaiders Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

That was a fun scramble! Great views from the top. TFTC. mjp303

What? No Time Change?

By: johnislost Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

Hey, I did some of your Sherman Pass Road caches just the day before. Mojave Road here we come. TFTC. mjp303

Don't Steal the MONKEY!

By: SoCal4x4Geocachers Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 3.5 Container: Regular

No Monkey? Time for a maintainance run! TFTC. mjp303

WHERE ?S THE BEEF!

By: johnislost Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 3.5 Container: Small

If you're a cow, it seems pretty tough to get a square meal in these parts. Probably where all the lean beef in the stores comes from? TFTC. mjp303

MOJAVE ROAD 1ST ROCK CAIRN

By: johnislost Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 4.0 Container: Regular

Yeah, we got pretty familiar with those rock piles along the way. Hundreds of them I figure. Great views from the cache site. Thanks. mjp303

Mojave Road National Preserve Boundary 1

By: johnislost Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 4.0 Container: Small

We toook the detour to Fort Piute, and were glad we did. Almost time to head up the hill. Coin drop. TFTC. mjp303

Wash Overlook

By: Dylan's Pirates Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

Great weather for our trip on the Mojave road. Sunny and warm, but not too hot. TFTC. mjp303

The High-Ground

By: Dylan's Pirates Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

Just picking them off as we roll down the road. TFTC. mjp303

Mojave Road cairn cache

By: Dylan's Pirates Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

An ice-cold soda from the cooler tasted mighty good right about now. TFTC. mjp303

Step across the line...We double-dog dare ya'

By: Dylan's Pirates Difficulty: 3.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

Several people touched the cache container before I examined it more persistently. Even a blind squirrel gets a nut now and again! mjp303

Mojave Road Cache

By: Dylan's Pirates Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

Caching and off-roading, two of my favorite activities! Thanks for getting me on the trail. mjp303

Oops 1873 - Oops 1974

By: Dr. Webe & The Ski Bum Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Virtual

This is a very interesting marker. Thanks for pointing it out! I wonder if the surveying crew was a little careless in their work thinking, 'What's the big deal? No one will live or own property out here in the middle of nowhere anyhow!' Whoops! TFTVC. mjp303

Big Mug

By: imapackrat and adopted by dr webe Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

Some of our group hiked over from the highway, but I tried to get closer on the pole line road. It didn't work! TFTC. mjp303

Oct 15, 2009

Not As Hot As Ridgecrest

By: Booty Crue Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

Perfect weather today! Goldilocks would have liked it. TFTC. mjp303

"It's The Real Thing #5" KM

By: Tuscany Bandit Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

Coming down from Bald Mountain, a cache in Kennedy Meadow seemed like a good idea. Thanks! mjp303

Lumbering Around Johnsondale

By: Mountain Lovers Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

Exploring fire lookouts on our way to the Mojave, this cache was a quick stop between Mule Peak and Bald Mountain summits. Thanks for bringing us to a beautiful area! mjp303

Sherman ?s Pass Trailhead

By: johnislost Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

Quick find, the cache camouflage was a bit too shiny! Everything else is a bit scratched and weathered. Due to time constraints we had to stay on the pavement today, but hopefully we'll be back another time for some offl-road adventuring! TFTC. mjp303

View of 5 Fingers

By: jyd Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

We found your cache under the watchful eye of the neighbor. I suspect she's used to it by now. TFTC. mjp303

North Meadow Pass Road Trailhead

By: johnislost Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

Another teaser, but alas, no time to linger. TFTC. mjp303

Cady Moose cache

By: Rshetley Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

This was an after dark find since I was running late on my way to Laughlin for a Mojave Road run. Pretty quick to locate, but I wished I could see the area. TFTC. mjp303

Guano House

By: TheDeviousMaxPower Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I made the find after dark, and then got hassled a bit by Ludlow's self-appointed neighborhood watch commander. Sheesh, they'll sell those spotlight thingies to anybody won't they? Thanks! mjp303

Mamaloo's Mammoth Run - Pearsonville

By: mamaloo Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

After coming down from Sherman Pass, I grabbed some long lost cell phone signal and called home to let them know I was doing great! TFTC. mjp303

Deer Creek #15 (River View)

By: Michener Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

Thanks for pointing out this pleasant spot. I knew we were getting into the sticks when we had to open (and close!) a gate across the road. TFTC. mjp303

deer creek 12 -headed out

By: team 9-er Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Deer Creek road is a fun drive. Thanks for placing all of these caches for us to enjoy! mjp303

Deer Creek # 5 (Micro Treasure Chest #4)

By: Michener Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

bthomas got down and dirty for this little treasure. I was thinking about what the cows might have left for us. Thanks. mjp303

Buckeye

By: outlaw2 Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Small

All of the recent rain had washed the cache from it's perch because we found it on the ground by the side of the road. I tried to return it to a better hiding spot. TFTC. mjp303

Deer Creek #2 (Indian Mortars)

By: outlaw2 Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Small

A fun little scramble on the rocks. All of the bore holes were full of water from recent rain. That kept the dust down, which we appreciated. TFTC. mjp303

Nut House

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

Headed for higher elevations, this was our first stop headed out of town. Pretty foothill country in these parts. TFTC. mjp303

Bald Mountain Cache

By: Joe, Dory, & Hunnygirl Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

A great road getting to this lookout, and even better views from at the summit! Veritgo was a little strong for me looking down through that grated catwalk, but I appreciated the vantage point once I made that last short push to the top. Unfortunately it was a Thursday, and as the sign said, the rangers don't man their post that day. Luckily though they had left the shades up, so we could examine their humble abode. I enjoyed looking at the Dome Land and seeing all the peaks to the North. TFTC! mjp303

Sequoia Marlo

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

Heading for Mule Peak Lookout, this cache provided just the right route marker. Thanks! mjp303

Memorial Tribute to the forgotten X-15 Astronaut

By: The Mojave Sasquatch & Son Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Virtual

An interesting memorial. bthomas filled me in on a lot of the back story as we watched the sunset. Thanks for pointing out this spot. mjp303

Sherman Pass Cache

By: Joe, Dory, & Hunnygirl Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

A long, steep, and winding climb to the top! Whew, we made it! Well worth the effort though. TFTC. mjp303

Hot Spot

By: TT & B and TrophyWife Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

Workers just up the road made this find a bit more of a challenge than we might have expected. Fortunately there was just a bit of cover and we made a quick grab and go. TFTC. mjp303

Mule Peak Lookout

By: TT & B and TrophyWife Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 3.5 Container: Regular

This was one of the objectives of our trip across Sherman Pass towards points east, and my pick for page 38 of the SoCal DeLorme challenge. After several days of rain, the day broke clear and sunny. The short hike led to fantastic views in all directions. We were prepared to feed the ranger, but not unexpectedly, the tower was battened down tightly. With 5+ inches of rain, I suspect fire season is over for the year. We found the summit register and then the cache, a couple of benchmark reference marks, but unfortunately not the benchmark itself. I love visiting lookout caches. Thanks for placing this one for us to explore! mjp303

Speers Quiver at Moabi

By: Speers Family Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

It was getting really late, but I needed this cache for a DeLorme page. A previous finder had told me how to navigate to the cache, which made things quick and easy. Wish I could have seen the river...oh well, next time. TFTC. mjp303

Needles and Pins

By: bajaed Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

Last cache of a long day that started out in Porterville, winding up through the Southern Sierras and then across the desert. A bed at the Avi Casino is waiting! Thanks. mjp303

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