MGA13 Path Tag - Woot!

We had quite a successful weekend, so far. Steve and I received our path tags for completing the 2013 Michigan Geocaching Adventure! Woot! We already made plans with WikidKriket and SnakeyLicks to start earlier and plan more picnics next year!

We also went out and hid the first six caches that we're contributing to the Happy New Year 2014 series! Awesome weekend!

I Love My Boots!

Have you seen them? They are the Women's Bean Boots from L.L.Bean (8" - black/black)!

I bought them last year for geocaching and, on the first day, went on an 8-hour geocaching run. I've been in major downpours, long cache runs and mud oozing up to my knees!

My feet are cozy, comfy and dry in them! They stay dry inside, clean easily, looks good and have a lifetime satisfaction guarantee. It was the best gift to myself!

It's been a year, my friend. Looking forward to another Michigan winter with you!

MGA13 - Lake St. Clair

Our second stop was Lake St. Clair.

Here, we were distracted by the most wonderous of sites! Did I mention that a tornado watch had been posted? The winds were whipping and the kite boarders were taking advantage of the winds and waves!

I’ve never seen this before. The colorful kites, the flips in mid-air, the speed. We spent a little time before our next adventure to appreciate this awesome phenomenon.

After getting our fill (and realizing that darkness was rolling in as speedily as those fast-moving clouds), we set off. What a fabulous board walk!

Even with everything dormant, it was quite beautful. We enjoyed zig-zagging through the marsh.

Again, TaGeez made the find (you could see it from the path as all the camo had blown off).

Dropped a personal pathtag, signed the log as Team FRL, took a pic of the code and headed back to the car. We did stop one last time to watch the colorful kites dance!

MGA13 - Wolcott Mill Metropark

What a glorious day yesterday! Team Free Range Lobsters (scrapcat, TaGeez, WikidKriket, SnakeyLicks and Fiona-the-wonder-geo-pup) were off on an adventure. We had two last caches to complete the 2013 MGA series and we knew we would be successful – because it’s raining! It has rained on all our outings this year and as we set out we had a tornado watch!

Our first stop was Wolcott Mill. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't know there was a farm - I've only been to the Mill. We struggled a little because the constant rain turned the trail into pure, slippery mud.

That didn’t seem to phase Fiona so we followed her lead and headed to the cache.

TaGeez was the first person in and had the advantage (the rest of us were distracted by the braying of a donkey!) Dropped in a personal path tag, signed the log as Team FRL, took a pic of the code and then headed back to the car.

We took a slight detour before the parking lot and Fiona saw her first bull. Very funny with her little yips and the bull bellowing back!

Now off to our final cache in the MGA 2013 series…

Happy 11-12-13!

My new Geocoin from the 11-12-13 event!

Podcaches!

Woohoo! I listen to several geocaching podcasts, and I was mentioned one two!

Podcacher http://www.podcacher.com/2013/11/show-443-0-cache-me-if-you-can/ read off my letter about caching with mementos and "caching without assumptions". There's a picture of "scrap cat" on their site.

And then the GeoGearheads show mentioned my blog and listener feedback http://cacheamaniacs.com/ggh-095-randomize-xvii .

That's awfully cool!

Pirate Wheel Spinner Coin and Spaced Out Event

Another FABULOUS gift from my sister, WikidKriket!  It comes with a matching path tag.  Isn’t it beautiful?

She gave it to me at last nights Cached in Space Event GC4PYPE in Troy.  It was a full house and everyone had a good time! 

 

For some reason, everyone decided they needed to stick their tongues out or make funny faces in my pictures!

I'm a Space Cadet!

Attended the Livonia Space Traveling Meet GC4PQB3 last night with several dozen of my friends.  We were celebrating Geocacher/Astronaut AstroRM blasting off into space!  (I wrote about it here). AstroRM is only the second Geocacher into space (the first hid a geocache on the International Space Station and AstroRM will get the first official First-to-Find!  There are over 4600 geocachers watching this!) 

AstroRM is also carrying a special geocaching trackable with him, and, when he returns, he will give it to his former elementary school in Connecticut. In the meantime, he’s using both his time as an astronaut and his connections with geocaching to teach the local kids about geography.

The latest addition to our caching group: PaRaDiZ and RayQix brought Kaiden Hunter with them!

And Mibb’s Offical Photo:

There’s another event tonight.  For attending a “Space” event, we each get a virtual souvenir for our profiles. And there are events ALL OVER THE WORLD celebrating this milestone!

I think this shows that, no matter where you are, it’s a small world!

Power Lady GC34E

Twice in one day!  But this was a story I wanted to share and do so while it’s still fresh. On Monday, TaGeez and I visited Power Lady GC34E – Michigan’s Fifth Oldest Cache hidden February 24, 2001.

According to the cache page description:

It is located in a long abondoned summer camp that used to be used by the kids from Saint Anthonies orphanage in Toledo. The only info I have for when it was closed was in the 60's, this comes from the local barber who used to go down to the nearby beach when the girls were brought down, seems they used to visit by gender :), only to be chased away by the Nuns who typically ran the camp. All of the buildings have since been destroyed/washed away from high waters. But some remnants still remain.

Unlike my original log, a blog post allows me to share the story via pictures.

This was the last "must do" on our list. We had read the prior logs so we parked legally and stayed on the public paths.

Ominous Entry - but nothing that says No Trespassing

Heading down the public path

Our first view of the lake

At this point in the day the winds were whipping, which made the waves crash against the barriers! Awesome! We stopped on the sandy beach for pictures and then headed to the cache.

TaGeez on the beach

Scrapcat, too

Cruise Bug Trackable being released into the cache

Climbing over cement blocks and under tree limbs, with the spirit of adventure carrying us, we rounded the peninsula towards the GC.

Making our way around the penninsula

Remnants but no camp sign

At this point I pulled out my iPhone, but, unlike some previous finders, it had a strong signal and zeroed us right to the spot.  Cache in good shape. Dropped a TB and a personal path tag.

TaGeez made the find!

  

It's official!  We're on the log!

It had gotten darker as we were stomping along this shore.  However, we still took the time to enjoy the beautiful water, crashing waves, crunching shell path and crackling leaves as we left.

Stopped to enjoy the crashing waves

Brick debris mixed in the leaves

Rounding the peninsula back to the beach

One last look at the sky over the water - great waves!

Last look at the beach before heading back to the car

Fifth oldest cache in Michigan - WOOT! Most excellent way to end our day of adventure! 

Michigan - Ohio Shoreline Adventure

What a glorious adventure! TaGeez and I have conflicting days off. And, with Winter fast approaching, we decided we needed to schedule this Monday off and take a last road trip for 2013. After much discussion, we decided to head South from the Metro-Detroit area and grab some goodies in Southern Michigan and Northeast Ohio. Perfect choice!

My handsome fellah in Port Clinton

The weather cooperated beautifully (warm enough for light coats with a light breeze), and we were able to take dozens of stunning photos along the shared shoreline. The skies over the water were so blue and the Fall change of colors in Ohio was breathtaking. So many red and yellow leaves!

Highlights on this trip were the Lake Erie Webcam, driving over Sandusky Bay, knocking another cache off our Jasmer grid, exploring the pier at Port Clinton, the Big Bird Virtual, and grabbing Michigan's 5th oldest cache (Power Lady).

Lake Erie Webcam GCPDM5

BFG Cache GCHNTW (Our Jasmer Cache)

Exploring Port Clinton GC2NXA8

Another from Port Clinton

Clinton Bay

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (Big Bird Virtual GC7CE9)

Another from the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

TaGeez at Power Lady GC34E – 5^th oldest Michigan cache

We also enjoyed several P&G placed by Ohio cachers (thank you!), exploring some older cemeteries (and almost getting sucked into one), groping two pieces of artillery, seeing a big red horse, seeing my first nuclear power plant up close, and appreciating Michigan's "low point".

View from St. Joseph Cemetery GC3FV26

Roadside Attraction Outside Perkins Cemetery GCPA5N

Buried in the Cemetery GC4M0CA – see scary log!

The Red Horse GCNTJ2

How Low Can You Go in Michigan? GC13XGF

It really was a grand way to spend a Monday playing “hookie” from work!