First Blog Post: TheOutdoorPrincess.com

The first blog post on TheOutdoorPrincess.com is done! It is also being published on FindYourGeocache.com

Wipe Out!

I decided to try my hand at placing micro caches. I saw one like this:

Little baggie with a log inside
STRONG magnet
Duct tape

Stick to something metal



So, I decided to place on on a guard rail near my home. Here's your clue: I had to reach through THESE


To place the cache.

I called it Wipe Out! since heavy rains can literally wipe out the bridge!

Date Night Geocaching

Alvin has been WAY into geocaching lately and he's hit a ton of the geocaches here in Prescott. Tonight, for our date night, he took me to some of his favorites.


Alvin really likes micro caches. This was MY favorite for the evening.

Do you see the cache in this photo? I found it to be REALLY hard to spot at first! In fact, I needed a clue.

5 Is Prime

Alvin & I placed a geocache in my neighborhood this evening. I had it all ready for him so it was a surprise outing. I told him to put his shoes on, grabbed the paper bag and off we went.

I called it '5 is Prime'

Williams, AZ Geocaching

Ahh! Geocaching. Since our trackable coins were FINALLY in and we were all together, the four of us (and the dog!) headed out to "get some coins in play" as Dad says.


Out first stop was Jake's Claw TB Hotel where we put in our first geocoin. It's actually harder than I thought, releasing a coin. You know you'll never actually SEE it again; never hold it again. Wow! Big steps!


From there it was on to Ghost Town Puntenney ...


Where I made Alvin crawl into a tree! There were no ghosts, no town, but there was a graveyard. Very cool. The only headstone that we could read was in Spanish -- a 9 month old baby boy.


Are we there Yeti? had some interesting stuff in the cache. I especially like the "big foot."


My group shot posed some unique problems. Alvin's head is cut off since the tree branch MOVED after I fastened the camera to it. We were hot and hungry by this time and I didn't want to get everyone to hold still for another photo.


The next cache had great coords. And we got to test our rock climbing skills at the side of a pull-off. This was where we realized we'd been following another Prescott-area cacher all day.


Vista Point- North Perkinsville Road Series

After that, it was to White Horse Lake for LUNCH. In our planning in the morning, we realized that there were NO caches actually AT the lake. So even though it was last minute, Alvin and I quickly spray-painted a cache container to put out.


Since it was a small container, Mom & I named it "White Pony" You see my geocoin on top. This was the coin I'd carried around in my purse for a week. I gave it the mission of visiting places with strong memories. Complex, I know. But that's why I put it at White Horse Lake -- I caught my first fish there!


The rock we hid it under.


And my FAVORITE group shot of the day. Even Lily got in on the caching action!


By the time we got to Overland Trail- North Perkinsville Rd. series Dad had pretty much had it with all the photos. In fact, this is the ONLY photo I got of the cache. After this, we went to visit Alvin's parents, Al Sr. and Sandy, since they were camping nearby. They'd been waiting for us so we all drove into Williams for dinner.

For not being hungry, our gang ate a LOT.

After dinner, there was time for one last cache and to put out Alvin's geocoin.

We put this at the Kaibab Lake cache. It was getting dark, everyone was tired, and there were muggles where we needed to hike UP the mountain. So we took a very round-about way to get there. Just Alvin and I went; Dad, Mom & Lily stayed in the truck.

At every cache we went to, we also put in geotokens for a free geocoin!

Chino Valley Geocaching

I'm still really excited about our new geotokens, so even though it wasn't "date night" I took Alvin out geocaching. We hit 4 Chino Valley area caches.

We started out with on that my friend Kris put out called What the quail? We found a geocoin there.


Then, we were on to cacti with a view. This one, was, yep IN some prickly pear cactus. But that wasn't the issue. The issue was it was also on an ant highway! Yuck. (I'm not activating the link because the guy archived it and it's no longer an active cache.)

Oh yeah, I got my hair cut!

From there we went to Yuma Flood Zone and had to re-bury the cache. Floods and all!

We finished up with another cache of Kris' called Got Mail? Then, we went to my folk's house to get Lily.

At each of these caches we put in some of the EatStayPlay.com geotokens. These geotokens are good for a free geocoin. A free TRACKABLE geocoin no less! Well, I shouldn't say they are good for a free coin -- there's some work involved.

Geocaching Date

I was just chomping at the bit to get some of our new EatStayPlay.com geotokens out and into caches so for our Wednesday night date, Alvin and I decided to go geocaching! As you can see from the clouds, we knew we'd be limited on how many caches we could get to.

This is Walking Trail near my house and the first stop for the evening. Alvin always makes sure to take LOTS of photos of our progress. We found a "2" off a telephone pole in the cache. That was really neat since telephones have special meaning to Alvin and I have a thing for prime numbers!


From there we went to Jerome Junction.

Alvin opening the cache box.


The log sheet.


Do you see how the sky is getting DARKER?

The last cache of the evening SAID that it was a small (i.e. we could put in geotokens) but I think it was really a micro since all it had was a log sheet.

Time for a Drink was the name but it really meant that it was time for a hint. Yeah, we had to call for help on this one!

We tried to get to one more but we just got rained out. Oh well, next time!

Profiles on Geocaching.com for EatStayPlay and AlvinE

Geotokens

The tokens came! I ordered 4,000 in 4 different colors. And no, they aren't EatStayPlay colors; I thought that if I got dark green, dark blue, and brown that they'd disappear in the bottom of a geocache. ESPECIALLY in an ammo can!

It was kinda strange having different colors...

I'm very pleased with how they turned out. Kris did an excellent job in the designing, as usual. It just took a while to get the guys on the PRODUCTION end to figure out the files. But it all came together in the end.

Here's all four colors.


And the green one. Isn't this guy jaunty? I actually scanned him in. I put these on my page about getting a free geocoin.

I took some to the briefing this evening to show Alvin. (They actually arrived yesterday but there was no time for posting.)

The Geocoins Are Here!

After WEEKS of waiting (and months of planning!) my geocoins have arrived! I ordered 100 custom, trackable geocoins from Larissa at OakCoins.com

Larissa did a WONDERFUL job! She was always patient and answered all my questions. She didn't get worried when I kept changing the size or the amount; she just drew up another quote and sent it to me.

And, the turn around time was great! I got photos from the factory (made me cry) and an email when they were shipped. If you're even THINKING of ordering custom geocoins (trackable or not) you need to get them through OakCoins.com

Anyway, this is my coin - the front. I don't have a good photo of the back. And, I am giving these away FREE on my website! They're at: http://www.EatStayPlay.com/Coin/Blog.html



Isn't it pretty! I can't WAIT to put some out. But first, I need the geotokens...

FTF

Our cache was found for the first time today:




FTF #160 for Garyp47!!!!!. I guess everyone else wasn't up for the uphill hike. Had to slog through some mud on the trail and even some fresh white stuff (yes snow) after leaving the trail. I think it will be gone by tomorrow and my footprints will vanish hiding the spotty path to the cache. Took the FTF gift certificate prize and signed the log FTF!. I guess I am too old to hunt Easter eggs so this was the next best alternative. TFTC and great exercise.

New Geocaching Banner

Isn't this a COOL banner? I made it to promote geocaching on EatStayPlay.com.

THEN I realized that vertical just wouldn't work.



I ended up with this one instead! I'll have to add both of them to my Banners page.

Placed Our First Geocache

Alvin had this amazing idea and location for a geocache. We've been "working" on it for weeks, but we actually have some TIME today to get the cache put out into the woods. Yesterday, after work, the family and I went and bought some "swag" for the cache.

And, a cache box. A waterproof container. It fell to me to cover it with camo duct tape.


Let me tell you, this is harder than it looks! Of course, I want it to look nice -- not just slapped on or anything. Plus, I figure the tape will last longer if I take the time NOW.



Ahh! The finished product. My fingers weren't even TOO sticky from the tape.


The first order of business when placing a geocache: HAVE LUNCH! Actually, we were all starving so we wanted to eat first. And this wasn't even close to the first step. Before I even left the house I did some VERY complicated research to make sure that there were no caches within .10 of a mile to where we would be putting OUR cache.

Of course, I didn't exactly know WHERE that was since I'd never been there before.


Welcome to the "High Gear" geocache. Can you see where we got the idea? Alvin had known about this place for a while. AND, he's friends with the owners of High Gear Bike Shop. So, we got them to donate swag for the box.


The box!

It has:
$15 gift card to a local bike shop for First to Find
a bike bell
Prescott bike trail map
2 tire tube kits (from High Gear Bike Shop)
2 tire patch kits (from High Gear Bike Shop)
camo lanyard (for bike keys)
water bottle carabiner (this is what EatStayPlay ALWAYS puts in!)
bike multi-use tool
bike license plate 'Spoiled'


The stump at our feet? Yeah, the secret hidden location!

After we placed our cache, we hiked to the bottom of the hill (*hint*) and then went looking for some caches.


Found! Mom found this one so she had the honors of first peek.

This cache had the best swag I've ever seen. We took a little ladybug button.


Then, after two no-finds, it was getting dark. So, we found one more small cache and then took Alvin home. I went to my folk's house for KFC and a movie.


Happy hunting! Now, I have to post our cache on geocaching.com and then WAIT for somebody to find it.

Sunday Geocaching

This Sunday, Dad decided that the three of us should go geocaching. Alvin was out hunting for the ever elusive buck (with his bow) so I readily took Dad up on the offer. After all, no papers to grade!


We started off along Williamson valley road. Even though this cache is CLEARLY under a huge bush, it's actually in a neighborhood. There were houses all around. And, you can't really tell from THESE photos, but it was really cold.


I JUST got my sunglasses about a month ago. I put them to the test lately with kayaking and now geocaching. I really like them.


This is at our second cache. I can't remember the name of it (or the first one!) But, there was STUNNING rose quartz all over that I just couldn't help ubut pick up and fondle. I now want a basket of it in my spare bedroom to catch the light.

Mom really liked (Snaggle Tooth! The cache's name had something to do with Snaggle Tooth!) the way that the ground was swallowing and spitting up the rocks all at the same time. The earth just glittered in the sun. I was so pretty I just wanted to stay and watch the way the light played over the soil.


This enxt cache was actually on the back-side of a hill. Pretty steep, covered with HUGE granite boulders. AND, waist high manzanita bushes! As you can see, I was wearing my GOOD coat, the one Dad bought me for Christmas last year. Not exacly great to be slogging through the brush with but at least it was warm.

This cache was really hard to find. It was well hidden, the batteries on the GPS were dying, and we'd just walked up this killer hill. I'd like to go back someday and sit down on the hillside and sketch.


Ah! The view! All of these were taken with a EatStayPlay.com "salesman" camera. Meaning, not a great camera so I'm really pleased with how they all turned out.

Dad was really please to find this javalina cave. No piggies in it now (thank GOD!) but he put it in
his GPS so Alvin and him can come back next year.


This cache was called Rock'n'Body. I couldnt' figure out why until I saw this HUGE rock man laying on the ground. The log said that placer of the cache had found the rock man in the early 80s and decided to put a cache there.


The outline helps you see the body. I couldn't get an elevation for a better photo.


And, the three of us! Celebrating the cache. After Rock Man, we drove down a little side road. I spotted a Bald Eagle on the wing. Mom found mountain lion tracks. Lily refused to pee.


This is our last cache of the day. At the top of ANOTHER hill. Covered in scrub oak. And STEEP! As you can see from the pics, it was getting cold and windy and rainy.

Success! DON'T tell Dad, but I actually forgot to put our prize in the cache. NOT cool since we're using it to promote EatStayPlay. I found it in my coat pocket at the bottom of the hill. I was not about to trek back to the top to put it in the ammo can. Next time!

And, I just really like this photo of mom.

So, 5 caches in one day. Excellent. Then, back to my folk's house for dinner and hot chocolate.








And, 5 is a prime number.