UVCA September Event "Bust Your Melons"

You couldn't hide me in a Pine Tree in that shirt!

Our first ever, UVCA (Utah Valley Cachers Anonymous) event, "Bust Your Melons" was indeed a blast!

Melons provided by UVCA

     When we got to GZ, there was another couple there that had a melon. That's how we knew we were in the right place. However, there were no other cachers around. So we were both beginning to wonder where exactly the cache was. Was it up in a tree? So we were standing around talking with this couple, and here comes a lady in a cool green caching shirt carrying a piece of watermelon. I thought, "Yipee, the calvary has come to save us lost people" She told us that the group had huddled a little ways away because there was also another event going on at the park for a local business. Later, we learned the "calvary" in the caching shirt was Princess Daisies.

SupertTbone, GreenWorldfeather, Princess Daisies, & RootieSart

     We stood around alot, trying to get to know everyone a little. Coming into an established group is always hard. I know that as well as the next person. But it didn't seem that we were outsiders here. Everyone tried very hard to make us all feel welcomed and part of the gang. 

Cachers doing what cachers do best, socialize

     Daniel and were nervous about this being our first event, but all was well after the first few minutes of hanging out. Many different people came up to us, introduced themselves and chatted for a while.

     Journey was playing at the park most of the time, but she still had a blast. I'm pretty sure she will grow up knowing most everyone's names eventually, at least their caching names :p

     All in all, we got the first event under our belt so the second one shouldn't seem that intimidating for us. We were caching for a whole year before we really ever met any of the fellow cachers. I think this will be good for us. Meeting new people... Enjoying new friends... And getting the skinny on the tricks of the trade!

Thanks so much to UVCA for hosting our first ever event, "Bust Your Melons"!

All in attendance!
Journey is such a geonut!

Nebo Loop Canyon Trip

So, we decided to take a different canyon trip today. It has been a very long time since Daniel and I went up a canyon to see the leaves and just enjoy a drive. I think the last time as up AF Canyon when I was pregnant with Journey. So it made today even more special since we had Our Journey with us.

Journey calling the "horseies" to her

Petting "Marsa

Animal lover...

When we started up the loop, there were some horses to our right and Journey wanted to stop to look at them. We got out of the car and she started over to the fence. About the same time, the horses, well one mare and one muel, decided to come see her too. She is our little horse whisperer! She decided to name the brown mare, Marsa. I have no idea why, but that's just Journey. Full of imagination....

We had a hard time keeping any signals on our Moments, so we grabbed what few caches we could. They were still pretty fun. The first one we got was by Jac0b called "Land of Many Uses". Nice hide btw... After that, we were able to get a signal as we kept going up the canyon. But only long enough for us to grab "Maple Dell Micro" by the Cervine Girls. Whiel we were there, Journey again made some friends with a few animals. Two dogs, one Dane and one Sharpe'. They liked her just as much as she like them. We chatted with their owners for a bit after signing the log, and then headed on up a bit more. 

We lost signal for a while so we decided to stop at a cool little waterfall and take a few pictures. You know me and my camera, anything can make a great photo... 

Our waterfall up Nebo Loop

Daniel, admiring the view, and I admiring the shot

So when we were able to pull ourselves away from the rest, up the loop we go with still, no signal. Then all of a sudden, BAM! Signal again. We were able to make the pull off for the Utah County Overlook and grab another cool cache.
Dan went a hunting for this one since Journey was passed out in the back by this time. I waited in the car and admired the view. When he got back to the car, had had Journey her very own orange rubber bracelet. She was thrilled when she woke up.
We decided that since signal was so bad on our Moments, we would just head back down the canyon and enjoy the drive. It was also about 5:30 pm by this time and the sun was going down. When we got back down the loop, we both needed to stretch our legs and grab a drink. Ofcourse, the obsesed cacher that I am, pull out my phone and am relieved to see we have bars. i turn on the cachin' app and search for nearby caches. Low and behold, there is a Peanuts Parents cache within a few houndred feet of us. We get back in the Cache-mobile, and head for it. Buy Peanut Butter, Eat, Then place the cache gave us a bit of a hunt. I guess the previous finders didn't want it to be found by muggels! Anywho, finally found it, signed the log, and homeward bound we were.
What a fun filled,cache finding, sight seeing trip this was. You never know how many memories you actually make, until you sit back, and remember... Oh yeah, one day.... Always try to make a memory that will stay with you forever.

Geocaching awaits, and you can always add to your Journey by visiting Geocaching.com

Real Cache #200

So Daniel was at work at Cabela's and got the notification that a new cache had been published. He didn't realize that this find would mark our 200th cache milestone, but he was eager to grab a FTF. So off he went after work to snag it. GC2F5AG Fractured Rock has a ratting of 3.5/2.5 and has some cool views.

Dan was indeed FTF, and when he logged it, he said, "FTF! Wow! Beautiful view, thanks for the hike. Wish there were more caches like this one. Found it on the way home from work, Jamie's gonna kill me tho...." I didn't realize the 200 mark had been hit with this one either, until I was looking at our stats page. Oh well, he deserves a "job well done" since he IS the reason we began Geocaching in the first place. Awesome job hunnie!!! Now we all have to go back there some day to snap a picture, lol...

So 200 down and many many more to go. We hope to hit 300 by the 10/10/10 Event here in Utah. So much fun, and so little time...

Geocaching awaits, and you can always add to your Journey by visiting Geocaching.com

Seinfeld Power Trail

Daniel at the beginning of our trip...

So we began the "Trail" around 11:30 and found our first find around 11:45 am. Good News, Bad News (Seinfeld Cache #1) Our last cache, The Barber (Seinfeld Cache #75) was found around 8:45 pm.

In between those, we found a few others along the way. In the begining, the only caches we couldn't find were Male Unbonding (Seinfeld Cache #4) and The Ex-Girlfriend (Seinfeld Cache #6). But as time got away from us and the sun started to set, it was harder and harder to spot some of the well hidden and camouflaged caches. We ended up with a total of 5 DNFs through #75, but we sure plan on going back and getting those when we return for the remaining 125 caches in the series.

The clouds in the sky keep on turning...
This was the sky above us as we started out on this trail

We have had a lot of fun through our caching career, but I think Daniel and I both had a blast on this Power Trail. We were leap-frogging our way through some, trying to catch up some time. Others, we had to search, and search. Sometimes, they were easy and one of us just jumped out of the car, and grabbed our stash, signed the cache, logged, and kept on moving. There was one time, Daniel was looking for a tuffy, I drove up to the next one, found and signed, then ran up the hill. .12 miles to the next one. Dan hadn't come yet with the car, so I took off again. I tell ya, when I found that cache, I was pretty dang excited. It has been a long time since I have had a sense of accomplishment. That's a feeling and memory that I will hold on forever.

So another milestone that we "thought" we had made was #200 at "The Barber" cache. however, due to a posting error, we had accidentaly posted twice for an event and caches found during that event. But that has all been figured out now. So the power trail ended with us having 197 distinct caches.

Not bad for a pair of cachers doing their first power trail. We have some teams logging like 400 caches in one day. I am sure that is possible, with like 8 cachers, but I highly doubt just the two of us could pull off something like that. Hmmmm, do I hear a challenge? Na... I think we would die trying to achieve that!

Smelling the flowers is worth all the time in the world

So we found a total of 77 caches today, which is a milestone all on it's on. Our previous record was only 12, so we blew that one out of the water ;) So the next one is hitting #200 which should be sooner than we think since we are trying to grab a cache everyday. Whish us luck on our next adventure and thanks for adding to our Journey!

Geocaching awaits, and you can always add to your Journey by visiting Geocaching.com

Seinfeld, Here we come!

Okies, so we are getting ready to leave out for the Power Trail done by Peanuts Parents, assisted by Jac0b, known as, The Seinfeld Series (200 caches). This is a series of caches placed along State Street in Payson, and along Mona Road, then back up to just South of Goshen. We were planning on leaving around 7 am, but just like a kid waiting for a field trip, it tok us forever to fall asleep because we (I) were so excited. Stopping off at Carl's Jr. to grab a nummy fresh, handmade biscuits and gravy, then chucking it down to Payson. Wish us luck ;)

Us sitting in the Drive-Thru at CJs waiting to get breakfast!

The Journey to 100...

     So we began the day with 95 caches under our belt. We had tried to get to 99 the night before, but with our recent "meeting ups' with the local PD (that's another story), we decided to call it quits at 10:00 pm. So the following day... beginning with 95 caches, and we head out after Daniel got home from work.

Daniel with the Muel @ Yo Banana Boy

     We leave about 4:30 pm and found #96 "Yo Banana Boy" by Jac0b at 4:48 pm. Daniel decided he wanted his picture with the mule. Now that I think about it... "What am I? Chopped liver?" Oh well, He had fun!     Then it was on to #97. We went down the road a little ways, only to realize the the next cache, "You Lift Me Up" by Jac0b, was the other direction just at the end of the road. Made a Uey, and grabbed that one, signed the log, and replaced the awesome container back where it, most probably but maybe not, fell from.

Jamie found #98, Welcome to American Fork 4

(A terrible picture btw)

     We saw that there was a cache by jbj1, Dan's uncle, that was close by, and decided to grab that one for our 98th cache. We knew it was going to be in this pole, "Welcome to American Fork 4" by bjb1, but didn't see it at first. I don't think the owner placed it exactly where we found it, a mere 10 ft up the sign in the hole. Daniel had to actually climb the sign to grab it. Jumping just wasn't getting him high enough. Anyway, grabbed the cache, signed the log, and snapped the picture. #99, here we come!

We were so excited that I look like a dork,
and Daniel had to sneak a kiss,
just as I snapped the picture

     We kept on trucking down the road, or maybe you would call it "carring" seeing as how our cache-mobile is a 2007 Ford Fusion. Any who... #99, "Manilla!" by Jac0b, was waiting for us just around the bend. Another sign, but this one had some pretty flowers and an interesting tree behind it. The tree was more important than just a visual stimulator, it held the cache! We grabbed the inconspicuous container, signed the log, replaced the cache, and decided we wanted yet another picture of our caching Journey, #99.

     Journey had fallen asleep before we even found #96, but was beginning to stir, as the cache-mobile left the scene. Cache #100 was just calling our name by this time. We had already picked which one we wanted to find for the Milestone, and Journey being Journey, knew her cache was coming up next! What better cache for her to find for our 100th than a hide named, "Girly Girl" by slabrum.

     As we pulled up to the curb (caches that give you curb side service are perfect for 3 year olds), Journey yells, "The treasure box! I wanna find the treasure!" She unbuckles and I let her out of the car. Dan comes around the side of the car with the cache-bag in tow. I believed I had already spotted the cache's hiding spot, but wanted Daniel to help Journey open it up. 

     Sure enough, Daniel removes cover and says, "It's just the ____. It's not here." I told him to look a little closer. (I had seen a cache style similar to this at a hiding place I had found with my mom, cachnsam, last year in St. George called, "Dora's House" by Ron22357) He giggled a little as he removed the camouflage, and revealed the cache container.

Journey finding her "treasures" inside the cache

      Journey was excited and wanted to see what the treasure box held inside. And boy when she did... She was oohhing and awwwwwing every time she pulled out a new trinket.

Journey loved everything she saw inside

Her little arm hit the bottom, but she was still pulling stuff out.

     Journey finally decided on trading her favorite kaleidoscope for a package of "Girly" rings. She grabbed me a Hello Kitty book key ring and I put in a prince frog finger puppet. Daniel gave up his trade to Journey so she got a bracelet and traded it for a jump-rope.

Journey had so many trinkets to choose from, she was in "treasure heaven"

We replaced the cache as we found it, a must when geocaching, and got back in the cache-mobile. As we were driving away, Journey was putting all 5 plastic rings on one hand, and Daniel and I were high fiving and reveling in the fact that we had just found our 100th cache. And we still had a day to go before our 1st Geocaching Anniversary.

     All in all, we had a great Journey to 100. Our geocaching experience thus far has been rewarding due to the time we spend together as a family. Yes, Daniel and I take short micro hunting trips without Journey, but as she is getting older and more into the hunt itself, she has been coming with us more often. Even on those trips where all we find is a log and a itty bitty teenie weenie little cache, she gets excited about finding something that was hidden.
     Our next milestone, 100 caches in one day, will put us over our 200 cache mark, and is waiting for us just on the other side of this week (hopefully)! We plan on taking on Jac0b and PeanutsParents' "Power Trail" they recently placed around and south of Utah Lake. But until the weekend, Happy Caching...

Geocaching awaits, and you can always add to your Journey by visiting Geocaching.com

So we've made a Blog!

Well, we have been caching for almost a year now. (September 7, 2009 was our first find) and we are on our way to finding #100! So I decided (I... being the "Mommie") to make us a blog for geocaching.

We probably should have started this many caches ago, but we had no idea what a sport it would be. We have fallen in love with the hunt. And as our daughter, Journey, says, " I wanna find a treasure!" Morning, Noon, Night... We have cached all times of the day. Small ones, big ones, and many lamp post ones have fallen into our caching traps.

We have found that finding a cache brings an element of achievement to our Journey, but sharing it with others is what makes this caching experience more of a Journey for us. So for that reason, we would like to begin sharing that with all of you. Whether you have come here looking for geocaching information, have heard about us in the geocaching network of cachers, or simply curious, we invite you to experience geocaching right along with us as we add many more caches to our Journey!

Geocaching awaits, and you can always add to your Journey by visiting Geocaching.com