[Sparse Grey Hackle]

Kudos
WTG Brian.
😀 😀 😀
SGH & BB

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@kc9gbo wrote:

Looking at Sparse Grey Hackle’s pic earlier again tonight and only four miles on the trip tick! What year and kind of Polaris is it? Console looks like the one on mine.

It is a 1999 Polaris 500.

Let it snow. let it snow ❗ 😆 😆 😆 😆

SGH & BB

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@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:

SGH, what time of year did you do Gumdrop Island? That’s one we hope to do on hard water.

We used the same approach that the TE’s had used. From the West off of Day Lake Road. Check out our log link previously posted.

➡ We did not consider Cathedral Point from the East as we had been told by locals of the current that runs in the narrows there.

Our sojourns to the island were in Jan. and Feb in 2008. Then the ice is typically is some 26 plus inches thick.

➡ As an aside, that island was used in the filming years ago of the Hamm’s beer commercial. From the Lands of Sky Blue Waters

Try humming that as you are half-steeping in the woods. ❗
Happy shoeing.
SGH & BB

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

Lonely Cache Game find.

The Blondie Bloodhound at Gumdrop Island. GC112DY

Sometimes snowshoes are your primary and only mode of transportation in the Nort Woods for winter caching.

We use Redfeathers without poles as they seem to be more of hinderance than anything. Especially moving through heavily wooded areas and up and down the steep banks of the lakes.

➡ ‘Shoes are great and sure beats having to be half-stepping up to your ying yang in deep snow. Dress in layers and have plenty of fluids with you as you will get a work out.

But what fun!

SGH & BB

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=118c5b6c-29fe-4694-9556-d666c22b7280&IID=6ac35047-d4c4-4338-9496-c43fe7da59ab

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

#23 Flannel lined jeans from Fleet Farm.
💡
They are just perfect for winter caching! 😆

SGH & BB

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@Sparse Grey Hackle wrote:

Oh yeah, a recent purchase to add:

21. A set of Weatherguard floor mats for the geo-mobile.

(That will be nice for our winter caching activities and all the mud that we walk in.)

#22 The DVR. 💡 💡

Sweet. This is the ticket to have. ❗

➡ Never thought I’d like it so much.

A couple of times we have recorded the Badger Football games (now Bucky basketball) and spent the day looking for BakRdz, CodeJunkie and
JimandLinda caches.

Then come home to watch the game, eat a pizza and do some logging.

How nice is that!

SGH & BB

PS. Those floormats right now are much appreciated.

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

Manitowish Water GC1DRDK
That looks oddly familiar…

Yes, not too far from the Pea Patch and down the way a bit from LaPorte’s grocery store in beautiful Manitowish Waters. The trails are open with more snow on the way. 😆

And, hopefully the lake trails too will soon be opened with some ice-making going one UpNort.

We are counting the days down ❗

“Soon to be snomocaching” 😆 😆

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@grandpa_r wrote:

It’s really not that unusual to see Robins in winter. The following link has some interesting information.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/FAQSWintering.html#1

You could also check the data from Audubon Christmas Bird Counts, Project Feeder Watch, or ebird.org – thanks

Excellent information there grandpa_r thanks much for the Ornithology tidbit. Good to know and always something new to learn. 😀

I’ll will keep watch to see what happens when what little open water there is freezes up. Then will the robins still winter over?

Thanks again for the report.

SGH & BB

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@JimandLinda wrote:

Saw a robin today, while finding the 7 new caches in Menasha.

Jim thanks for that report.

Any down by Fondy ?

Robins that is.

Also, I am still hopiing to get some more sighting reports from other areas so I can update the map. 💡

Thanks again

SGH & BB

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@zoesbrother wrote:

Yeah I was a little confused when I saw a whole bunch of them in a tree here at Stout.

ZB thanks for the update from your part of the state.
I’d be interested in other reports from the UpNort area too.

Best to you on your finals!

SGH & BB

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@kc9gbo wrote:

I’ve thought about the ram system, and wasn’t sure how well it works. Nice to hear from other folks on how they use it.

The RAM in action.

SGH & BB

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GC1GGZM Bear’s Pot of Gold
It was “Winter Friendly”
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=bf79adc8-169f-44f4-8d21-522199831cd5

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

Manitowish Water GC1DRDK

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@kc9gbo wrote:

How did you figure out which caches are close to the trail that you will be on?

Over the years this process has evolved. As we ride pretty much the same area (Minocqua/Woodruff trails systems) I now have a downloaded the GPRs “cookies” in to my MapSource program on my laptop of all the trails we ride. While there have been some minor changes year-to-year the routes are basically the same. Then I can do a PQ of potentia caches and then merge the two data bases and determine where the caches are.
For us this is the most reliable and accurate mapping system.

Pre-planning is important when dealing with winter conditions. Sometimes we just ride to see how close we can get to the cache and then plan our approach for next time. For us we have two months of snomocaching and again a ‘good day’ would be finding 2 or 3.

For the most part caches need to be on the trail or right off the trail by about 400 feet or so. Otherwise, as you know you are doing more than half-stepping in the snow. Yikes. You’d be swimming in snow.

There are other ways to find if a cache is a snomocache like sending an e-mail to the owner prior to actually looking for it to get some infomation. Or, you can look at the satellite map via GC.com or use a combination of snowmobile club maps, MapSource and/or the DeLorme to determine if it is or on a snowmobile route. (One thing to keep in mind is to STAY on the mark trails and not to goof it up for others who ride.)

For some hides we will ride then park and put on the snowshoes to hike to GZ or out to an island such as Gumdrop Island (GC112DY), etc.

We are lucky UpNort because the area Chamber of Commerce’s understand the relationship of geocaching as it relates to the bike trails and snowmobile trails. The C of C’s are now putting out caches. The “Great Northwoods Treasure Hunt” and some geo-events are examples of this.

And, there are more local cachers like refelo, sweech, et al who are putting out caches for snomocaching or for winter cachers. Now, for us besides being in the woods in winter and out-of-doors, snomocaching is why we snowmobile. For YT and the BB caching is a four season activity.

Hope this helps.

SGH & BB

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

@Buy_The_Tie wrote:

99 Polaris XLT w/Fuji 600 Triple, completely stock.
I’ve always purchased the gas “Up Nort”, trying to avoid the reformulated stuff down here. Is there alcohol in it anyway? These days, probably.

Yikes! I feel your pain. Kwik Trip has their premium gas labeled now for “Safe for Recreational Use” (boats, sleds, ATV’s, etc).
So that gas is A-OK and alcohol free.

As I said, changed out the Buna-Nitril seals for the Viton seals on the carbs.. After that never had a carb or cold start problem. That made a huge difference. (We have two 1999 Polaris XLT’s.) Buna-N’s are prone to leakage.

Don’t know what’s up with the snomo dealer. You may want to go out onto the Polaris Tech Forum or better yet talk to a tech at a different dealer or the serivce manager. Something is not adding up.

BTW.

When snomocaching and your are out in the sub-zero temps….a must have is a heated face shield on your helmet. Otherwise it will be very difficult seeing your GPSr much less a White Tail flying in front of you.

Happy snomocaching.

SGH & BB

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