A Cache I’ll Always Remember

It was May and a nice day, I decided to go for a cache a few miles from home. I entered the coordinates in my Garmin Nuvi 1350T, pack some Diet Dr. Pepper and a few snacks in a cooler and hop into my pickup. I was familiar with where the cache was located and soon arrive and park under a shade tree.

I didn’t know if this geocaching idea was going to be a full time hobby yet and only had the Nuvi for navigating offroad. I scanned through the favorites list and selected the coordinates to show me the way.

There was a campsite, a tent, and a mini van not far away but no one sitting at the picnic table in front of the tent. There were 3 guys next to the river getting ready to go on a canoe trip. The Nuvi showed that I had to go 500 feet, so I walked past them and head along the bank going downstream. I have to stop every once in a while to check the “Where Am I” feature on my Nuvi. I was so new to using the Nuvi to navigate that I would write down the coordinates on a piece of paper and compare them to the WAI (Where Am I) coordinates when I refreshed it constantly. I would get the readings, compare them to the note, and see if I am getting closer, continue on a ways, and repeat. Over and over again.

I had made it a couple hundred feet downstream and when I checked WAI it showed I had come far enough this direction. Now I had to turn and head for the other half of the coordinates. Small problem, there is a knee deep river between me and the 250 feet I need to travel. It’s time to regroup. I backtrack the way I had come and waved at the 3 guys canoeing past me. I am thinking about returning to my truck and firing up my laptop to get a better understanding of where I need to go. I happen to spot a footbridge upstream of where the tenters are staying. Duhhhh, why didn’t I see that before? The trail takes me in front of the tent but I get by without an encounter, maybe the are the ones in the canoe. I cross the footbridge and try the WAI again. Wow, I really had to backtrack because I’m twice as far away as I was when I was supposed to turn and walk on water.

I get a new reading and head for a spot across the river from where I was earlier. The going gets tough, no foot trails, no deer trails, just bushwhacking like I am on a safari. I finally get back to the spot where I need to turn. No trails of any kind here either. The only way to get to where I need to head is through Brier Rabbit’s thorn bushes. I gently weave my way through thick brush and thorn bushes. I check the WAI again. I’m getting closer. Is it starting to rain? I feel something running down my arms. Nope, it’s not water. I sure have some bright red blood! I hope I can keep most of it inside me before I get done.

I wander around, this way, back that way, and through any openings the thorn bushes give me. Hey, look at that. It’s the cache. Finally! I get the sheet signed and hide it back where it was. Now I have the dreaded trip back. Do I want to go back that way again, and still have enough blood to remain conscious for the drive home? My arms and legs have 4 votes, my brain only 1. I will try to find another way, OK arms and legs? I see an opening and start off that way. It’s getting easier now. There is less brush and no thorn bushes. I come out of the brush onto a very nice hiking trail. Boy, I feel like an idiot now.

I know the direction I came from, now I have to find the footbridge. The hiking trail meanders around a bit but I stay on it and avoid shedding any more blood. I eventually come back to the footbridge and then to my truck. I used some ice water in my cooler to get the dried blood off of my arms. I guess I won’t pass out from loss of blood after all. I must have some blood left in me, because now I find 3 or 4 ticks on me. Sorry ticks, I already donated.

I later found out, reading the forums in a web site, that I can set a feature that shows where I am as I move. I have upgraded to a Garmin 60CSx since this find. I now only use the Nuvi to get me to the parking areas. Now that I know about the feature that shows where I am when I’m moving I will use the Nuvi as a back up if I need to.

By g_o_caching Don Kramer

My geocache.com handle is g_o_caching. I am a member of Nebraskache as go.caching3651 and I attend the monthly meetings at Tommys. I started geocaching in March 2010. I have some very lame caches in and around my hometown. I normally go caching solo but I am open to teaming up if I can when you are in the area.