http://mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/index/ en popop55@gmail.com Copyright 2011 2011-12-31T18:44:29+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/geocaching_in_the_waning_hours_of_2011/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/geocaching_in_the_waning_hours_of_2011/#When:17:44:29Z We are spending New Years Eve in Wilsonville/Portland visiting Kim and Andrew. This is the latest we’ve ever had our trailer out. For a Christmas gift they treated Patricia and I to a visit to Portland’s annual ZooLights display and dinner afterwards. Such thoughtful kids! After dinner and visiting with the kiddo’s we came back to the trailer to settle in for the night. However, I had one more thing to do before the day ended….find three more geocaches to end 2011 on a nice even grand total of 4500! Hopped in the car and with less than 30 minutes left in the year I found all three….and was happy!  Found Logs A Place Of Learning Sweet! Love a nicely done regular for a milestone! 4500 just 20 minutes before the new year! Thanks Fun Center Fun! Less than an hour before the new year! Thanks COLES STASH Out looking for just a couple more caches before years end. Thanks 2011 2011-12-31T17:44:29+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/computer_crisis_benefits_geocacher/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/computer_crisis_benefits_geocacher/#When:16:56:16Z That’s my headline today. Patricia’s iMac had a hard drive go out on her and was having a friend replace it which led to driving out to Lakeside. Managed to snag a couple of geocaches while I was running around: Found Logs Woodland Christmas, EC-5 Somehow forgot to log this. Found 12/26. Fun one thanks This entry was edited by popop on Saturday, 31 December 2011 at 19:06:16 UTC. R.I.P. in Lakeside Had to make a trip to Lakeside today so decided to stop for this new/old one. Thanks. 2011 2011-12-26T16:56:16+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/coquille_river_paddle/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/coquille_river_paddle/#When:15:44:31Z A hardy group of geocaching friends braved the chilling morning hours to paddle over 10 miles of the lower Coquille River from Rocky Point to Riverton boat ramps. Darren Drops threw the challenge out on Facebook and six others answered the call. Of course, the outing would not begin until breakfast was involved so the group met at Kozy Kitchen to start the day. After shuttling a vehicle to Riverton boat ramp, we struck out from Rocky Point encountering a little chop but a nice incoming tide. We underestimated how long this excursion would take and experienced the changing tide during the final leg of the journey and were working pretty hard against an outgoing tide as we approached the Riverton boat ramp. We indeed were pretty tired but it was a fun outing! 2011 2011-12-24T15:44:31+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/back_in_the_saddle_-_part_deux/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/back_in_the_saddle_-_part_deux/#When:03:48:39Z Mid-August I posted about finally getting out to the North Spit horse trails to hunt for the Saddle Tramp geocache series and coming away with only half of them. Today I went after the rest and found all but one. Put in about seven miles hiking - felt good. Our unusually dry fall, and now winter, has prevented the low spots from filling up with water as they would in a normal year - that and no mosquitos made for a rather pleasant hike. Geocaches Found: Saddle Tramp #3 Saddle Tramp #7 The Lost Saddle Tramp Saddle Tramp #8 Saddle Tramp #6 Cone and Get It! Saddle Tramp #11 Pokeypine cone Hard as ConeCrete 2011 2011-12-24T03:48:39+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/cape_kiwanda/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/cape_kiwanda/#When:17:39:43Z We’ve never had the trailer out this late in the year before but despite the cold, we spent four days in the vicinity of Pacific City and Lincoln City. The primary goal was photographing seascapes at Cape Kiwanda. In fact, we made two trips each day from our base camp at Devil’s Lake SP in Lincoln City - sunrise and sunset. First afternoon there, we visited a few minutes with photographer Darren White just as he and a buddy of his were just finishing their day at Cape Kiwanda. Then it was off to capture the sunset! View of Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock  Caches Found at Cape Kiwandahigh or low Hiking and photographing the area - first of two caches found here this afternoon. Cache had water in it and log sheets were wet but signable….for now. Thanks. Kiwanda High Took two trips up there to find it. Cache is NOT 10 feet from relic as description indicates….more like 5. Thanks.   2011 2011-12-20T17:39:43+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/week_caching_summary/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/week_caching_summary/#When:17:27:56Z This, my second week of retirement, was spent hunting caches that I’ve let build up for some time. I found over fifty throughout the week. Some roadside, some in the dunes…..all good to get off the radar! Morning view of Hall Lake   2011 2011-12-16T17:27:56+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/camp_creek_falls/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/camp_creek_falls/#When:17:08:28Z Another photo excursion….this time to Camp Creek Falls, east of Reedsport near Loon Lake. Arriving at the falls, we saw a large family gathering around a roaring campfire and vehicles loaded with Christmas trees! Turns out it was the family of a fellow co-worker of Patricia’s! Small world! While she was photographing the falls, I checked on a geocache I previously found there - still snug in it’s hiding place! As we left, I stopped to find a newly placed cache nearby then headed home. 2011 2011-12-11T17:08:28+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/group_caching_to_arago_peak/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/group_caching_to_arago_peak/#When:04:44:00Z Caching with others is always fun. That’s why rather than hike to Arago Peak all by myself to finally hunt down the cache placed to celebrate my retirement, I put out the invite to the local caching community. Of course there was the breakfast suggestion as enticement! After getting our fill at Yeong’s, the group gathered at the trail head…. Eight of us trekked the Cape Arago Pack Trail clear to the Peak, some cachers needing every ENT, some nary a one…... After the hike, Steve-n-Nancy visited with us and we all decided to end the day with what else?.....another meal! Had dinner in Charleston. Fun day…thanks to all who joined in!   2011 2011-12-11T04:44:00+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/first_week_of_retirement/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/first_week_of_retirement/#When:04:25:32Z Summary of caching this week: Found Logs “DAH” Riverangler THAT gets a favorite! Reelly well done! Thanks. I like Ivy hides better than Huckleberry hides Second visit - spotted amazingly fast this time. Thanks. Where the Pavement Hits the Dirt Just the first three today. Like the camo. Thanks. Corbit Cache Quick find. Thanks. Urban Camoflauge Clever camo! Thanks. The Hangin’ Tree Nearly gave up then read the description more closely. Thanks. Drifting Down The Rail Indeed…a nice cache…thanks. SW1 The Force will be with you Quick find - thanks. Toady’s Treasure! Quick find - thanks. A Little Looney Quick find…thankfully. Tortured Feet Yep, even when winter comes and the sand is wet this trail is pretty soft and lumpy, I agree. Tortured? no….irritated? yes. Just out for these two newest caches plus recording part of the Wild Mare Trail for the NW Trails project. Cache is in fine condition. One Horse Engine Getting out for a short hike this afternoon. Got this one and Tortured Feet. Also walked and recorded the east end of the Wild Mare Trail to the trail fork then down both forks a short distance - will record the remainder another time and submit them to the NWTrails project. Cache in fine shape. 1.6 mile total hike today. Bummer you didn’t get swamp creatures but glad you put out a couple more for the rest of us! 2011 2011-12-10T04:25:32+00:00 http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/sw_washington_photo_shoot_tour/ http://www.mikenpat.com/index.php/geocaching/sw_washington_photo_shoot_tour/#When:02:01:10Z Patricia and I are in Portland this weekend primarily for a meetup with some PNW photographers and their annual Christmas photo print exchange but will get in some visiting with daughter Kim and her husband Andrew in addition to a full day excursion with photographer Darren White as he shows us around “his stomping grounds” across the river in the forests NE of Washougal and Battle Ground, WA. Our photo shoot day started VERY early! Picked up Tracy Fawns at her motel then headed for sunrise shooting at Cape Horn east of Washougal.  From there, Darren White led us into Dougan Falls on the Washougal River, Lucia & Moulton Falls on the East Fork Lewis River and finished the day shooting at a very cool old grist mill east of Woodland, WA. Long day for sure, but very fun! It gave us a taste of the sites and now we want to go back when we can spend more time at a slower pace exploring the scenery. I was able to find a few caches as well: WaSucally: Dougan Falls Fishnic Park Salmon Run Big Foot Muggle 2011 2011-12-05T02:01:10+00:00