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We all have war stories to tell in life and caching is no different. I think it would be great to hear some so here is my question to everyone: What has been the dumbest thing to happen to you while caching?
For myself it would be while doing the Bairds Creek Grand Tour with Taxman 1. We were trying to figure out how to get across the frozen creek. Katrina, Jacob and Taxman went one way, I went on what looked like a nice “natural” bridge. Well, it was acutally a thin ice buildup and I plunged into the ice cold creek.
When we finally met up at the cache, everybody else broke into laughter when I took my boots off and dumped out a gallon of ice water.
Katrina will have to post her own as there are too many for me to narrow down.
Don
I guess for me it was when I went for the final of “Show me the Money–play the Geocaching Lottery”.
I really didn’t know the area too well, and drove down a road until I reached a bike trail that showed I was .35 mi from the cache. I proceeded to hike down the trail until it curved obviously away, leaving me .25 mi away, and it didn’t look too bad from that point so I decided to bushwack.
It wound up being a trek through a soggy, marshy area with a few little creeks that I had to hop, not to mention a few thick thorny patches. As I neared ground zero, I saw what looked like a small shed. As I got closer, I could see what looked like a paved drive right next to it, and as I arrived, I realized that it was a parking lot that had a drive leading right out to the same road I had parked on.
In other words, had I driven just .25 mi further down the road from the bike trail, I could’ve driven and parked within 20 ft of the cache.
Fittingly, I saw a flock of wild turkeys running across the drive as I arrived, because I sure felt like one at that point in time.I too have stepped onto ice that looked thick enough at the time, only to have it break when I was 3/4 across. I plunged into the water up to the bottom of my hips. I think it was February, but I remember being surprised at how warm the water actually felt.
Had to tromped into a local Kohl’s with wet pants, socks and shoes and buy all new stuff. Then proceeded to change into the new clothes in the car.
Edit to add: this was actually Caimeg’s Cache. I was not using the trails, as the cache page stated several times. When I came back much later to find this cache, I used the trails and found the cache without further problem.
Bec
[This message has been edited by greyhounder (edited 12-03-2005).]
Oh, and the time that I was trying to get to some cache or other at Devil’s Lake (no clue which one anymore, I never even got close).
I had been fighting some sort of bug for the previous few days. I had a temperature of around 100 right before I left for Devil’s Lake (please note that I am a person who typically has a subnormal temp of about 96.5 degrees). The previous night while at the campground I tripped TWICE over the cooking grate attached to the campfire ring. In the process I tore open my leg (On Sunday when I finally went to the ER I had a hairline crack — not a true break, and a bone bruise. I was also told by the ER staff that I should have had stiches but two days later was too late). But I wanted to try at least one of those hard Devil’s Lake caches — at least make the attempt to find it.
I don’t think I got very far up the bluff. I started seeing bright splashes of white light in my vision and the periphery was getting very dark. I needed to stop for a while. I sort of flopped on a rock. Every time I tried to get up, I came REALLY close to passing out. So I just stayed there — for a really long time. After a million people passed me by, some asking if I was okay, I was able to get up and slowly go back down the bluff.
As I was laying on the bluff, there was this vulture circling me — seriously! I saw him look down at me a few times to see if I was dead yet.
No DNF or nothing for that cache. I figure if you get no where near, it’s pretty much like not going at all.
Lesson learned — I’m sure not.
Bec
Oh yeah, and my very first cache every (Wild Turkey Roost, or something like that). I decided to hunt my first cache the day after an evening ice storm. I slipped on ice twice on the trail to the cache. The cache itself was down a bit of a slope, an icy one now. I knew I would fall, so I tried to do it with grace. I extended one leg towards the cache, with some now unknown bright plan in mind. The leg slid out and down the slope. The rest of the body followed in a split fashion (OW!)
I had my dog, Peanut, with me. She was much more graceful and sledded down the hill on her fanny, demonstrating the approach I should have taken.
I have more…..I will stop now.
Bec
All right….I just have to add mine into the mix. It all started when we went on a caching run with Taxman1.
It was getting near dusk and we had to get this last cache that was on the way home. We figured it couldn’t be too bad – it was an Ecoranger cememtery cache. While my hubby and son stayed in the van, Taxman and I made a dash for the cache. After signing our names and putting the cache back, I took off running back to the van.
The side passenger door was left open so I decided to make a running leap into the van. Push off foot was firmly planted, my form through the air looked good, but unfortunately, I forgot to duck! I ended up at full speed head first into the top of the door frame and then crumpled into a heap on the curb. I hit the van so hard that I actually rocked it back and forth!
Found out that I suffered a nasty concussion from the incident. Here I thought geocaching was supposed to be good for me!
What I wouldn’t give to have had this on video tape. It had to be funny!!!
And this time, at band camp…
Sorry, Bec, I just had to add that after reading your logs; it was the first thing that came to mind.
Could someone re-name this thread as “greyhounder’s confessional”
Keep the great stories coming!
My confession has certainly got to be when I was scouting a location for a cache I was placing. I was walking along a deserted part of riverside near downtown Manitowoc and I found the perfect place to hide the cache. But then I stopped. In front of me was a fresh field of green three-leafed plants. So, not knowing then what I know now, I argued with myself wether or not it was Poison Ivy. Three leaves – Poison Ivy. White Berries? – Naaa, I don’t remember that. Heck I’ll just pull my socks up over my bare legs just in case (Yeah, that’ll help ). Well needless to say, After that nasty rash, I’ve become something of an expert on identifying Poison Ivy. Until next time I second guess myself, that is.
[edit]formating
Team GeoPink
– Jeff
Co-conspirator to make the world a better place…[This message has been edited by arcangl7 (edited 12-03-2005).]
quote:
Originally posted by Bushwhacking Queen:
And this time, at band camp…Sorry, Bec, I just had to add that after reading your logs; it was the first thing that came to mind.
Okay — you’ve uncovered my secret identity…..
Bec
very timely subject, at least for me …
Yesterday we did some caches in Sheoygan with some friends from our church that are starting to get into it, I think they’re going to call themselves “to-dash” (not sure of the spelling, but some american indian wording) … any way … we’re at the first waypoint of “The End of the Line”, we thought we were on solid ground, but actually we were on the very edge of the marsh, MR to-dash broke through a filled his boots with mucky/cold marsh water, then I said “sorry, funny I was standing in that spot 2 minutes ago and didn’t break through), as soon as I said that I broke through in the spot I was standing, cold and yukee. We finished the cache, did one more and head back to the car for the “backup socks”, wish I had “backup boots” … our first experience with “time release ice landminds”.
quote:
Originally posted by AstroD-Team:
What I wouldn’t give to have had this on video tape. It had to be funny!!!Funny you should mention that. My mother has videotape of me falling out of a tree while trying to replace a cache. She also caught all of the language I used during said episode. (cache=”Where the Sidewalk ends”)
Hmmmm….I remember Caimeg’s Cache. I actually took my pet snake there. How many people can claim they have cached with a snake (on purpose)?
Then there was the time at Bear Hunt in Waukesha last winter. I got up that morning with a killer sore throat, but I had some bear TBs to place and I wanted to put them there and this was the only day we were going to have for a while. Big mistake of course. By the time I was climbing that last hill through a good foot of fresh, heavy snow, I could barely stand. Wound up sick for a month.
And the time Bec and I became “Marsh Masters” in the pouring rain. Fun times!
Team LightningBugs
* * * * * * * * * *This story took place only 2 months after my family had fallen in love with geocaching. We were in Lil’ Otter’s neck of the woods doing a long hike in. WE found the cache, signed the log and started heading back. Professor decides to go back the same way we came in and takes the GPS with him. Please note we did not own cell phones nor carried walkie talkies with us. The kids and I decided to take a different trail back….one that didn’t have fallen logs across the trail for us to go over and under every 10 feet. Anyways, it’s getting dark. I really thought the main hiking trail we were on would loop around. I got the sense that we weren’t looping. So the kids and I back tracked. Kids are getting cranky at this point. I’m getting worried. We yell out for Professor (DAD), no response. We finally find a trail that looked familar. We’re doing good at this point and then the kids and I realized we missed a turn-off at some point. So, we back tracked again. Found our error and finally made it back to our vehicle where Professor was anxiously waiting for us. Professor was so excited about what he was going to share with us. On Professor’s hike back to the car, he ran into a park ranger. Professor, told the park ranger that his wife (with long blonde hair) was missing.
The park ranger smiled and said…” are you Lil’ otter’s husband?” Wade thought that that was so cool! He said, no, and that his wife had two children with him.
How’s that for a confession?
TamiMy most recent confession:
I just got home this morning from drove 608 mile round trip drive to Iowa, with Digital_Dan, to get an event for my final piece of the CoinQuest competition, just to win a coin that isn’t even Trackable!Was up for almost 24 hrs now have to be to work at noon.
Oh we also did 19 caches yesterday, but I’ll have to get back to you later on some of the anticts from THAT adventure and the previous outing. Dan says that everytime we go caching I’m out for blood……HIS!! LOL
[This message has been edited by Cache_boppin_BunnyFuFu (edited 12-07-2005).]
confession??
Eeks.. I have one (blush)..
When in my first year of geocaching.. most thought a single female out in the woods at night was very odd.. so when I tripped over a Park Ranger at about midnight… I told him I ran out of gas and had to use the park’s bathroom (grins)… he WAS so sweet that he actually got me gas and drove me to my van… after all that I decided to fess up and tell him the truth.. that I was in his park after hours but had a yearly pass..(blush) he just laughed but after that I never lied again about why I was out and about.. (night hunting was a very safe sport for me … most ‘no-gooders’ were either asleep or at bars and not on trails..) and every police officer I met up with at night always thought the same.. yet a bit surprised that I wasn’t one of the “drunks” out on the roads.. just someone enjoying the area without all the hustle and bustle of normal traffic.
— added: only a few places that I KNEW not to night hunt in alone… NORTHERN woods of Wisconsin.. and down in Florida.. all those cute glowing eyes were black widows (grins)
[This message has been edited by The Lil Otter (edited 12-19-2005).]
For me it would have to be finding a cache and walking all the way back to the start point a then finding the log book in my pocket. I did that twice now!!
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