Trekkin & Birdin Complete Degree in WI Unique Natural Fe

[zuma]

Congrats to Trekkin and Birdin for completing their degree in Wisconsin’s Unique Natural Features. I believe THB has also completed his coursework, but it has yet to be graded. T&B passed with a grade of 4.0. Way to go, guys!!!!!

Here is there log, which as always is a fun read:

Log Date: 12/20/2008
zuma! had dropped several hints about a “new challenge” he might have left out here after completing our “Cheesy Well Rounded Cacher” challenge nearby. We waited, wondered and hypothesized. What would it be? Finally, the day came, just a little over a week ago, when Trekkin’ logged on after work and hollered up…..”Ralph’s challenge published! It’s a DeLorme challenge!”

We had already done caches in many of the areas listed, all of them among our favorite kinds of caches. What a great challenge! Anything that gets us to discover gems like St. Peter’s Dome or Parfrey’s Glen is, as Martha would say, “a good thing.”

We studied the coursework to determine how best to complete the requirements. That led to a trip to the St. Croix Falls area, where we’d spent our 28th anniversary camped at a B & B and caching just a few months ago. We enjoyed the solitude of discovering “Haak’s Ridge” and “Potholes,” in Interstate Park on this crisp winter day, along with many others. This whole area has some really lovely hikes to hidden gems. The caches found are just icing on an already delicious cake.

Next day, we headed south, for Nelson Dewey Park to get Dewey Heights Prairie and others on an unseasonably warm day ahead of a storm. We’ve been in this area, but never to this park, and true to the cache name, we spotted eagles over the river from this wonderful overlook.

Birdin’ had her day off filled with a trip to the eastern part of the state to get our last two required caches, Haskell Noyes, and the unbelievably beautiful Kohler Andrae Dunes.

While logging those finds, an email came in from Team Honeybunnies. “Are you going for Ralph’s cache this weekend? Cause I’m free!” That was the nudge we needed. This morning, joined by Seth, we headed into the forest amid copious snowfall. New snow, quiet woods and a great caching companion, what could be better? The walk among the trees with the snow piled on the branches, no sound save the birds, was a treat indeed.

Now, we’ve had an awful lot of snow since you were out here, Ralph. Lots. Like at least up to my knees. We found the most obvious beacon and began to work it over, moving large amounts of snow, with our hands and the secret winter caching tool.

Lots of snow. Did I say *lots* of snow? We discovered things matching the hint that weren’t obvious under all that snow until we moved it. Boy, there sure are a lot of these back here!

Expanding out, we each took areas to search and spent time pondering all the various possibilities. We each took turns with the shovel. We began to despair, at which point we heard Trekkin’ say, “Hoot!”

It was right where we’d all started looking, the first place and the last place we’d looked! No matter. We’d found it! We sat and enjoyed the thrill of a new log sheet—well, Seth said something about the recycled nature of it, but that’s his story to tell!–and then just sat and appreciated the quiet for a moment.

If you enjoy challenges, if you enjoy seeing the wonderful and varied scenery of the Badger State, we’d highly recommend taking up this challenge. The final location is of course a favorite of ours, perhaps not as spectacular as the places this challenge will take you, but a lovely and little known spot for you to discover after completing your coursework.

Thanks Ralph for creating this very “unique” challenge, and thanks even for putting it in our backyard! We look forward to visiting the remaining spots on the list, hopefully placing caches at one or two of the others, and looking forward to visiting those others will create. You can, of course, understand Trekkin’s excitement at logging this as a shared FTF with Team Honeybunnies. I do think that my mad rush cross state the other day so he’d be able to get the FTF is my Christmas gift for the man who has everything! [;)]

SL Left Traveling Geocoin, Took MWGB coin, TFTC

[Team Black-Cat]

Congrats on your new degree! Very cool challenge. And FTF to boot! Way to go!
TBC

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