bytemobile's Geoblog

Jan 19, 2008

Hidden Pass

By: ChipnDonna Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

As I was pushing my bike up the hill, I met a ranger who was talking to all the bike riders (and bike pushers) today. There was a bad bike - horse incident earlier this week and the ranger was reminding cyclists to yield. I found the cache without needing the hint. The ride back down the hill was great. The road is smooth, and I had to watch my speed.

Wounded Sentinel

By: ChipnDonna Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Small

This was my first time biking around the preserve, so I probably missed the most direct route to the cache, but I got around to it eventually. Thanks!

Mr. Ranger's view from work

By: Mr. Ranger Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

Nice furniture up here! I had a seat while I signed the log and enjoyed the view. I spoke with Ms. Ranger a little later in the day. There was a bike - horse incident earlier in the week, and she was talking with cyclists to remind them to yield to horses and pedestrians.

GeoWomyn's Backstage Pass

By: Capt Tong's Jungle Mock Rangers Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

I hiked up the hill after finishing my bike ride this morning. I had a look at the masks and such in the cache, but I didn't don one because there were other hikers on the trail and I didn't want to have a chat with the police this morning. Thanks!

Jackson Memorial

By: SouthBayCrew Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

I didn't see any ticks up here today. A bug dropped on my arm from the bush, but he was definitely not a tick. The cache was packed with goodies, but I no longer have a dog, so I TNLN. Thanks!

Secret Trailhead: Arastradero

By: British Invasion Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I parked at the main Arastradero lot for a bike ride through the preserve this morning. I had a pretty good look for the cache, but couldn't spot it.

A Horse and a Hill

By: L-grl Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I was on my bike this morning. You can fly pretty well with a bike and a hill. Flying along on my bike this morning, my hands were freezing. I had to ball up my fingers in my gloves. Thanks!

Walktober To This One

By: ChipnDonna Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

I was having a hard time maintaining a good temperature on my bike ride this morning. I had to ball up my fingers in my gloves, then finally had to shed the gloves, windbreaker, and cap since I was hot. I zeroed out right next to the cache, but didn't spot it right off. I finally read the hints, looked a little closer, and spotted it.

Pony Express

By: L-grl (with GeoWomyn_SF_CA) Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

I rolled into the lot just after 8 am, and it was a bit chilly this morning. I found the cache fairly quickly after the other hikers and bikers cleared out. My favorite western novel is "Riders of the Purple Sage", by Zane Grey.

Jan 13, 2008

Totally Buggin' (TBs)

By: CoolCache Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

I used the parking lot for the park for a cell phone lot while I waited for Mrs. Bytemobile to call from the airport. I didn't take or leave any travel bugs. The entry just before me in the log book was from Crystal & Sal who happened upon the cache this morning.

Jan 12, 2008

Bottom of the Bay

By: jellis50 Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I found the cache the second place I looked. I read the hint after I struck out on the first place, but it didn't help.

Turning Tides

By: MotorBug Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

Lots of folks were out on the trail by the time I got down to this one. A big slow moving group with kids and strollers was just leaving the cache site as I rolled up, so this was a quick stop.

Pickleweed

By: MotorBug Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

It looks like the high tides come quite close to the container. I had a look at a map of the caches I haven't found and decided I was due for a bike ride along the bay. My query of the 500 closest non-puzzles now goes out only about 15 miles (not far from here) whereas it used to extend more than 20 miles.

Jackrabbit Crossing

By: Wildbun Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Small

This was near the starting point for my bike ride this morning. Found it after a short search. Thanks!

2475 Faber

By: vaccine Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I parked at Bixby, and was just on my way back after a loop along the Bay. Nobody around, so I was able to search and made a quick find. Thanks!

Dislocater, Jr.

By: MotorBug Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I double and triple checked the coordinates so I wouldn't have to come back here. It all worked out well with a quick find. Thanks!

One Red Paperclip

By: alpharomero.com Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

The small container is pretty full, so I think the up trading will be somewhat limited. I just signed the log, turned around, and headed home for lunch. Thanks!

Golf Ball Farm

By: alpharomero.com Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Micro

I planned a couple bike rides near the bay this morning, and this area was the last stop. I had been out here before, so I knew where to park. I didn't spot the cache right off, so I read the hint, then spotted it right off. Thanks!

Somewhere in the Baylands

By: MotorBug Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I'm almost to the point where I'll skip a cache that starts with Somewhere... This proved to be not that tough because of the limited number of hiding places. The stylus for my Palm PDA came in handy.

Shel Silverstein's story..

By: vaccine Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Yes, I know that story. I was a bit puzzled at first, but then finally connected with the hint. There was a stream of runners headed down the street so I had to let a few pass before making the grab. Thanks!

Cement Pond

By: MotorBug Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

Since I had the bike on the vehicle, I decided to stop for a second ride along the bay this morning. The cache took me a few minutes to find since I wasn't expecting anything clever out here. The coordinates were right on, as usual along the bay, so that limited the search area. I heard some shooting as I was searching, and on the way back to my car, I followed a hunter with his gun across the handle bars of his bike, and a dead goose hanging out of the pack on his back.

Tides

By: MotorBug Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

The tide was quite low when I headed by here this morning. The coordinates were right on for me. I didn't read the description or hint -- just bent over and there it was. Thanks!

Why did the Cacher Cross the River?

By: alpharomero.com Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Small

I hope this cache is found regularly because otherwise the container will rust to the point where it will be difficult to open. I had no difficulty, but the rust is well established. Thanks!

Spider Hole

By: virtualdavid Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

"C or N" gave me fits, and I think I found it on the third visit. This one proved to be a bit more visible to me. Thanks!

Bike Trail Wannabe

By: alpharomero.com Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Micro

This was my turn-around point to head back, then down the other side. Thanks!

L-grl's Horde

By: Capt Tong & the Jungle Mock Rangers Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I had the bike on my vehicle, so I decided to stop here and pick up the caches that had accumulated here since my last visit. The cache is quite full, including travel bugs, but I was in a hurry-up mood and decided to leave them. Thanks!

Tales of a Sea Cow

By: bullit Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Micro

A look at my map of un-found caches told me that I was due for a bike ride along the bay. This was a nice morning for it. You didn't have to worry about sunburn. Thanks!

Jan 11, 2008

Somewhere Hiding, Again

By: catomcat Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Micro

There were three deer watching me as I walked up. They didn't move much until I did something suspicious -- digging through a pile of rocks.

Chamise House View

By: GoGoJo Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

I've been on the Chamise trail at least a couple times before. The trail is quite exposed, but the sun was no worry this morning. The trail was wet, but it is well drained, and there was not much mud. I left Bytemobile turtle #403. Thanks!

jeffrey's Office

By: tico jeffrey Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

The cache must have had a little maintenance done recently since there was a clean, dry empty log inside. There was also a travel bug in the cache which I don't see on the inventory for the cache. Thanks!

The Sam Box

By: geomagguy Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

The first cache that was hidden close by was neat and I'm sorry to see that it's been archived for a while. I showed up today to hunt three caches in the park, and managed to get them all. Thanks!

Somewhere within a Cache

By: catomcat Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Not chosen

Very nicely executed. I almost didn't get started, though, because the cache was so well concealed by the last hider.

Chamise Clearing

By: GoGoJo Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 3.0 Container: Regular

This was the turn-around point for my hike this morning. The views were limited by the overcast, but the hiking was nice. I left Bytemobile turtle #404. Thanks!

Ant Farm

By: javawriter Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

No ants around today. I've been bowling here a couple times. I didn't know about the skateboard park.

Rancho San Antonio - Mora Drive Entrance

By: WalruZ Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I spotted this as I went by on my way to a hike up the Chamise trail. There were a couple women behind me, and I didn't want to wait for them to pass, so I picked it up on my way out. Thanks!

Iterations

By: E.caballus Difficulty: 3.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

I was home sick a couple days this week, and discovered some E.caballus puzzles. They are about my speed -- easy enough to figure out if you spend a little time at it. No problems spotting the cache. Thanks!

Birdhouses and Barbedwire

By: OneAngryPuppy Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Regular

I followed the fire break on my way back from a hike up the Chamise trail. The contour to the cache was fairly reasonable, but my boots picked up a lot of moisture from the wet ground. No problems spotting the cache. Thanks!

Horses in Ortega

By: E.caballus Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Regular

I headed over first thing this morning. The first bell rang as I spotted the cache and the kids on the sidewalk broke into a run. Thanks for the nice puzzle.

Somewhere Near the RS09 Trailhead.

By: catomcat Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

My GPSr zeroed out surprisingly close to the cache for an area like this. I thought the hint was fair, and the find was satisfying after a short search and a couple breaks to let hikers pass.

Great Recreation

By: OneAngryPuppy Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

I found a good contour over here from Birdhouses and Barbedwire. I guess the first cache here must have been archived. The views were not bad this morning, but somewhat limited by the overcast. Thanks!

Jan 10, 2008

Meet & Greet Groundspeak & Garmin in the Bay Area

By: Signal the Frog Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Not chosen

My Garmin 60cs has about 3000 caches on it, so I want to kick the tires on the Colorado.

Jan 9, 2008

Sgt. Preston

By: spyder woman Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Not chosen

Sgt. Preston looks much different than the last time I saw him. I think I have been on a portion of this trail before, but it looked much different today. Everything was still quite wet, except the cache contents which were quite dry. I took Aerodactyl sigitem #142 and left Bytemobile turtle #402.

Wedding Shower #3

By: southbayday Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Not chosen

This was the toughest of the Wedding Shower series for me. Lots of activity here in the early afternoon. I think the difficulty is also a function of exactly how the last finder places this cache. Anyway, thanks for the series.

Wedding Shower #5

By: southbayday Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Not chosen

I went for this one after a quick stop at the post office. No problems spotting it.

Encore Bizarre

By: mfc, the storyteller Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

My kids went to Marshall Lane and Rolling Hills, so I know the area pretty well. I headed out today to find some of the nearby caches that have built up over the last year while I working on a remodeling project. Thanks!

Wedding Shower #2

By: southbayday Difficulty: 2.5 Terrain: 2.5 Container: Not chosen

I was intent on completing the Wedding Shower series today since they were all close by. No trouble with this one. Thanks!

Wedding Shower #4

By: southbayday Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

I was working on making a little dent in my nearest unfound cache list today. I left my PDA in the car, so I didn't have the hint, but spotted the cache with no trouble. Thanks!

WW (What Walkway?)

By: mfc, the storyteller Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

This walkway provides an interesting perspective on the campus that I hadn't seen before. Nobody around here in the early afternoon. Thanks!

EyeGuy

By: devonushka Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Regular

I took a day off work to recover from my cold. I decided that a little fresh air would do me good before I took my nap. Thanks!

The Dress

By: spyder woman Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I came in from the top, and recognized the area from a previous caching expedition. I spotted the likely hiding spot as I walked up, but for some reason failed to spot the cache until about the third pass at the area. Thanks for the puzzle. Easy ones seem to be the only ones I can solve anymore.

This old park feels like a long lost friend

By: wadazi and bentleythecat Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Small

I brought my sons here a number of times when they were growing up. For some reason, they called it the "secret door park". I think it had something to do with the play structures they had back then. Thanks!

HWOB

By: krabaple and Scorpion King Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I had a couple sons in sports, and this wouldn't have been too far away, but I either never knew about this place or they weren't in business back then. Thanks for the cache!

Wedding Shower #1

By: southbayday Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Regular

My weekly query of the nearest 500 non-puzzle caches has shrunk in radius from over 20 miles to about 15 miles over the past year. I decided to go find some of the closest ones today. I found a bunch, but I doubt if that radius will grow very much. Thanks!

Punny

By: spyder woman Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Small

I solved this shortly after it was published, then filed the printout on my desk. I ran across the puzzle again a couple days ago and worked on solving it again. I got six of the answers right off, but that is pretty sad since I had all the answers a year ago. Thanks!

Campo di Cachi

By: jgtaylor123 Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

We have a bocce ball set that we use sometimes when we are camping. The uneven ground that we play on makes for a game that must be totally different from what you would experience here. The log got soaked in the rain, but I was able to sign with my writing instrument just fine.

Steinbeck #6--Arroyo Del Ajo

By: Badwaterboy Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

The gardeners were out this morning, but they were behind me and couldn't see what I was up to. The cache container has proven to be not quite water tight, and the logs are all damp, but my writing instrument didn't have any trouble signing. Thanks!

The kids on the school bus are watching you

By: bentleythecat and wadazi Difficulty: 1.5 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

The cache container has held up very nicely in the rain. The screw top keeps the moisture out. Thanks!

Jan 6, 2008

Tantaulizing

By: E.caballus Difficulty: 1.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

No problem finding this one. I did have a little trouble pulling out the log, and a paper clip would have been handy, but it came out after a little coaxing with the tools I had. Thanks!

Somewhere on the Way to the Mall

By: catomcat Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Micro

Well, I can see how a catomcat cache could be hidden here, but I sure didn't see anything like what drew the attention of the GeoBrowns.

Please, Please

By: spyder woman Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

I was out picking up a couple solved puzzles this afternoon, and decided to do this one as well. It was pretty quick, since I had done its predecessor. Thanks!

Sedgwick stump

By: vaddynwashere Difficulty: 3.0 Terrain: 1.0 Container: Micro

I found the cache quickly as I walked up, but probably spent ten minutes there wrestling with the log. It it completely full on both sides. I signed nearly on top of someone else's signature.

Geometry Revisited

By: E.caballus Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 1.5 Container: Small

I hadn't done any puzzles for a while, but it was too wet for a hike and I didn't want to do any more homeowner's chores. I looked at my closest unsolved puzzles, and this one was near the top and looked doable. I had to do a little online refresher course, but it all turned out well. The cache was a little empty, so I left Bytemobile turtle #401. Thanks!

Portal Tetradecagon

By: E.caballus Difficulty: 2.0 Terrain: 2.0 Container: Micro

I solved this and Geometry Revisited together, so I picked this one up next. It took me a little while to find the cache, but there wasn't anyone around today wondering what I was up to. Thanks!

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