It all started when Cpt. Scott msgs me last night:
(edited from logs for length & content)
[9:26:24 PM] Cpt Scott: any plans tonight? feeling active?
[9:26:35 PM] Friar Greg: what do you have in mind?
[9:26:55 PM] Cpt Scott: geocaching
[9:27:20 PM] Friar Greg: which ones or part of town?
[9:27:30 PM] Cpt Scott: no matter. I would think maybe east end...
[9:29:02 PM] Friar Greg: there's trails end (waterfront), stanly park is a multi...
[9:30:16 PM] Cpt Scott: not done one of those yet
[9:31:01 PM] Friar Greg: and there are 3 in the woods east of haig, a little off the beaten track. bayview heights has a multi as well. I still haven't found woof woof or alemite park yet, thats all there is on the east side. north side has a large handful.
[9:32:21 PM] Cpt Scott: ok, I'm good for it. or north. makes little difference
[9:33:34 PM] Friar Greg: we haven't found the timmys one or mcleod yet
[9:34:02 PM] Cpt Scott: I'm game if you'd like to lead the way
[9:35:00 PM] Friar Greg: gimme 15-20 minutes and I'll meet you at timmy's?
[9:36:06 PM] Cpt Scott: how about 25 min? makes it 10pm
[9:36:13 PM] Friar Greg: perfect. see you there
[9:36:27 PM] Cpt Scott: k
as you can see, in the matter of 10 minutes & 3 seconds, we had decided on a course of action that would lead us to soon be hurtling our way down lit, empty highways normally bursting with heavy traffic or across thunderous river rapids over an incomplete & unstable bridge in the dark or ricocheting off hidden gravel spills in the middle of the blackest bike trail you could ever imagine. But what really got our blood pumping, was the final discovery of the infamous "Buffalo" mystery.
#29 - GC1ZZKE QUINTE CACHE BLITZ # 5 - East Riverside Park
Kenlaur sometimes makes a difficult job of finding his caches. I know I've had most of my failures due to his placements. However, this was not one of them. Now that we know how to search better, his tricky little caches are fun, easy finds. Even in the dark.
#XX - GC13H1E Kamp Cann - "IF" - Ton
This was an unfortunate bust. The location was perfect for a big cache, hidden away in what should have been a reasonably placed cache. Unfortunately it has been stolen. The bushes are a little difficult and the trash was just intense. We found the cubby and the rocks, but no cache was there. What weighed on my mind was not so much the loss of a large cache, or the amount of litter everywhere, but with the stigma attached to locations such as this. I was sure that if there had been anyone watching, they wouldn't think for a second, that we could possibly believe that two grown men crawling out of the bushes near a car pool parking lot in the dark looked like anything other than late-night treasure hunters. Sorry Scott, but I just don't think of you that way. :p I'm only surprised that we didn't stumble upon anyone reliving their dreams of hiking Brokeback Mt.
#30 - GC1ZXJA QUINTE CACHE BLITZ # 2 - Ships Ahoy
Initially, the Captain and I realized that the only ways over the river to this cache involved a 400 series highway, a long detour through Corbyville or heading all the way back to our starting point. However, the city saw fit to install a new bridge right at this spot on the river. It wasn't completed yet, there was still lots of reinforcing re-bar waiting to be filled with concrete, piles of steel bars waiting to be cut, fitted and welded into place and I would assume much of the lumps and shadows were hiding tools and power cords. What we couldn't understand was why the street lights on the West bank were all on while the street was completely cordoned off.
The trails were completely messed up with piles of light gravel just dropped in the middle of the path, waiting for the Bobcat's to come along and smooth the way. Our bike lights were completely useless in pointing these out until we had already been completely knocked off our seats.
Meanwhile, there were a few young girls in the Pirate Park at nearly midnight gabbing and gossiping all the while and never thinking of the fact that their parents are probably worried sick about them and that predators routinely scan these areas for kids no one will miss until it's too late.
Oh yeah, and the cache was very nicely hidden. You don't find spots like this very often.
#31 - GCPPJR McLeod Micro Cache
I had originally believed that this cache was on the East bank, but I was wrong. I also very nearly rode my bike right off the rocks into the water. Captain must have thought I was nuts. I just wasn't looking where I was going. We signed this one and "stuck" it back where it belonged.
#XX - GC12TQY Stand On Guard For Thee
I was pretty much ready to pack it in but Cpt Scott wanted to hit another. I found a multi cache within range and so we doubled back, all the way through the park and over the gravel piles back to were we had crossed. I hadn't been in this part of the park before, so the Captain took point, leading us through the many, intertwined trails to where the first step should have been. But it wasn't there. In fact, we believe that the public wash-room that stood there (maybe up until a day or two ago) was the site for the first micro, but it had been demolished. I even risked a jaunt through some poison sumac to make sure.
#32 - GC1K9FX Rocky Red Wings!
This one surprised me a bit. I forgot all about the fact that my Geocache account is hooked up to my twitter account. So as the Captain and I were hitting stray micros on our return trip, I received a strange sms "Rocky Red Wings! lol". My brother-in-law apparently thought that was a funny phrase when it was broadcast to all my followers.
#33 - GC1YC1T The Midas Touch at a Prime Time
And now for the final adventure. We landed at this spot just after midnight. I had already tried finding it once with SuzyQ but to no avail. This time we had lots of flash lights so the two of us split up, tossing ideas to each other over the radios and rummaging through brush, around garbage bins, inside tires... you name it. We searched for almost 2 hours. I don't think we would have stayed that long if it were not for the 3/5 difficulty rating. We even looked back at every log posted, trying to find a clue. The only clue posted of course was "Think Buffalo". You have no idea how that TESTED OUR PATIENCE!!!!
We circled both buildings, climbed poles and finally, FINALLY, just as we were going to call it quits... Captain Scott shows me what he found. Our cursing and swearing was enough to curl a stainless steel bar. A cleaner example was "I'd like to line them up, first that ****** that said it only took 10 minutes, then next would be all the ******* ******* loggers who said it was easy and then didn't sign the ******* log. Then the *** ****** ***** who put it here in the first place, and I'd just ******* smack them all!!!!"
We stopped in at the Timmy's for a couple of ice caps, cooled down and laughed at our simultaneous brain freezes. Talked a bit about FanExpo, cool costumes and fond memories. Then we made our separate ways to our homes. I was nearly attacked by a skunk which ran across the road right in front of me. As I sped up and circled wide he continued to threaten me with a raised tail. "Like I'm coming anywhere near you!!!" I said as I barrelled down the hill... then I heard a bunch of "pphhttss, pssshhhh, psshhhhh" and I had a mild heart attack. I thought I had just ridden into a family of skunks while looking at the first one, but it was actually the automatic sprinkler system starting up in front of the new Maranatha. I nearly died laughing.
Again, another awesome night adventure with my pal Captain Scott as we systematically lined up the caches and knocked 'em down. I hope you continue to enjoy the stories, and remember to always CACHE IN - TRASH OUT!!!
Friar Greg.
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