Sunday 17/07/2011 - waking up at 8:15 I lazed in bed and checked my emails. Noticing a new cache had been published nearby I loaded up the page to read the details; it was a puzzle cache created by my good friend Patrick. It claimed it wasn't too difficult and included a checker page so I thought I'd have a look.
Scratching my head and looking through bleary eyes I studied it for a couple of minutes before inspiration struck; I checked the coords I'd come up with. Nope. Wrong.
Another idea. Check. Wrong.
Paging back and forth between Internet pages on the iPhone, and not having a pen and paper to hand, I was relying on memory as I solved from one page and re-entered the coordinates on the checker page. I noticed I'd mistyped (or mis-remembered) a number so re-tried - success!
Why not I thought? Sunday morning, may as well make an effort and leave the kids playing on their computers for an hour. Up, dressed, teeth, hair, pint of water, boots, GPS, pen, goodbye and out.
Patrick has set this up as not only a puzzle but also a feeder cache; the solved coordinates take you to a mini-cache in which you find the coordinates for the actual cache hopefully somewhere nearby.
I parked as recommended and was looking for the feeder cache by 9:05.
By 9:25 I was utterly frustrated!
The clue indicated the cache was in the middle of an ivy tree. I knew exactly what type and colour container I was looking for (a green waterproof match holder, sort of like a plastic test tube but fatter) and I knew it would be tricky but I couldn't believe I couldn't find it. No exaggeration - my hands and fingertips were cut, stabbed and spotted with blood. My lower right arm was pretty much the same and I'd also stabbed the top of my head. Damned hobby!
I knew there was a small chance of being the first-to-find and had it not been for this then I would have rung Patrick for another clue but as it was I didn't want to 'cheat' for the possible FTF.
I was just at the point of giving up when bingo! got the little bugger - I'd been in the right place all along but it was just eluding me.
I entered the new coordinates into the GPS, dropped my jacket in the car and set off walking to the main cache about half a mile away. A lovely Sunday morning stroll through a field or two and into some woods where the cache was quickly located and I had the joy of seeing an empty log book - I'd got the FTF and also the bonus of a free travelbug that Patrick had kindly left there as a prize.
A gentle stroll back to the car, a text and a chat with Patrick to thank him for the puzzle and the prize, and then back home for 10:15 - still an early day!
[1.4 miles and just the one cache with the bonus of FTF]
Addendum: Patrick never wanted the feeder to be so tough so has actually been back and covered it in white tape to make it easier to find!
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