It had rained on and off all week so we knew the going would be tough but we really needed to get out and as this was only a small series then it would be just the ticket to start again.
We parked as suggested on the outskirts of Mapplewell (which I'd never heard of, sorry) and set off down the road before turning into a field. The first cache was almost immediately upon us but we had to hang around trying to look innocent whilst a loitering metal-detectorist was hanging around looking guilty. He probably had the exact same thought process but in reverse. Once clear Hannah quickly found the cache, we signed it and moved on.
This is when we hit the first problem.
Patrick, Hannah and I were all using our own GPS devices. My GPS had the 'pocket query' (a file containing all the cache information) loaded onto it that I had created on Friday afternoon. Patrick had created his on the Thursday but he, unlike me, also includes disabled caches. Hannah had created hers that same Saturday morning and merged it into her existing file of 'local to home' caches.
It turns out that the second cache had been disabled a couple of weeks before and then replaced and reactivated in a slightly different location only the day before. So in a comedy of errors set of combinations and complications this meant that:
- Patrick had the disabled cache on his GPS, but at the old coordinates.
- I didn't have the disabled cache at all.
- Hannah had, it turns out, the cache on her original 'local to home' file and the GPS was using that, rather than the new download, and as this was 3 weeks old it wasn't disabled but was still at the old coordinates.
Fortunately three of us have iPhones and Donna was soon out with hers (while we were head scratching) reading what was going on and providing us all with up-to-date coordinates.
Patrick then found the cache and we crossed the bridge, over the swirling and swollen river, to walk half a mile along the bank towards cache number three.
Second problem. (I bet you can see it coming can't you?)
At 100 feet from the cache we realised it was the other side of the uncrossable river. By now it was raining quite hard and I could feel the kids hearts sink and to be honest I felt for them - there's nothing worse than being dragged out to do something than then finding out it was pointless and you have to go back and do it again.
I think the adult's spirits were high, certainly mine were, so it was no problem to walk back and pick up the correct path on the other side of the river.
Number three was found by Donna near an impromptu pond and we then slipped and slid our way towards number four. Another simple find for Patrick and then we walked up the river, err, path (as Patrick stated quite accurately in his log) towards number five.
Problem number three was a copy of problem two and again Donna dug up the new coordinates for a cache I didn't even know existed. After that it was a quick find and then onto the last of the main series.
Walking in intermittant rain we soon arrived and got hold of the last coordinate for the bonus cache which was conveniently, as is really to be expected, back towards the starting point in this nice circular walk.
Problem number four.
We got to where we believed number seven to be and saw either a small pond, or a huge puddle depending on whether you like a half full or half empty glass. It was about 30 feet long but as it was mentioned in a previous log we thought we were in the right area. What did put us off though was all the nearby trees, at the other side of the path, were also all underwater. We read the hint, double-checked Patrick's writing (of the feeder clues) and the coordinates we'd each entered onto our GPS devices. We were sure we were in the right area but couldn't fathom why the only likely place for the cache, given the hint, was a foot underwater.
I prodded the area for a while with my walking pole and then went off to circle the zone. Hannah started to feel around in the water whilst I had walked through it to the other side to see if there were any likely spots behind. There wasn't and it was awkward, and previously occupied by kids dens I think, so looked unlikely.
I went back and took over from Hannah standing in the water and feeling around under this specific tree. Luckily I found it. The stone protecting it had come off as it had floated upwards (the cache, not the stone!) but luckily it had got stuck fast as it rose into the bent over tree. Some leverage in the icy water and I pulled it out and found it completely dry inside. Thankfully the seal had held together.
It's hard to see from this angle that it was deeper on the other side.
We signed the log, Patrick took a travel bug, and we then had a discussion on what to do with the cache. I wanted to replace it where found but went with the majority decision to relocate it and post new coordinates and a picture on our logs. This way subsequent users can still find it and of course the cache owner can relocate it when the waters recede.
What a day but I have to say that despite me having used the word 'problem' for each of our issues during this walk, it was a really nice walk. Yes we were wet and exceptionally muddy, yes we'd made a couple of mistakes and had a technological breakdown but we had finally got some fresh air and we'd had quite a good adventure too. It was also great to get out with Patrick and Donna again after what seems like weeks.
[Total for the day was 2.9 miles and 7 caches.]
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