Current at 11/6/2011 (Online waypoint URL) You have already found this cache! Master Index    Nearest Caches stick this in your pipe and smoke it! by jonhycache (4.5/2) (Archived) N49� 49.481  W97� 06.541 (WGS84) UTM  14U   E 636009  N 5520854 Use waypoint: GC1HFAW Size: Micro    Hidden on 10/22/2008 In Manitoba, Canada Difficulty:     Terrain:         bring a pen/pencil. magnetic cache container.

Additional Hints (There are no hints for this cache)

4/26/2009 by Kabuthunk
Ahh, at long last, I can remove this cache from my DNF watchlist. Glad to have had me a successful dinifra . Although, I had to temporarily limit myself to only finding one cache today, since I'm saving find number 496 for something special (long story short, it's a Perfect number). Thus, I could find pretty much any 'eh' cache to fill in spot number 495, and this cache fit the bill with the added bonus of shrinking my watchlist.

I've been keeping an eye on this one since way back in November when I got a DNF on it. I at one point had a theory as to where it could be for my second attempt... and man, I'm glad I didn't bother going down THAT route, since it would have been completely wrong . However, not long ago I requested a bit of a shove in the right direction from another cacher who had located this one, and got the help I apparently needed.

Skip forward to today. Myself, my wife, and my sister-in-law were out doing some random shopping. Given I wasn't driving, I managed to whine just enough to have my wife drive over to a geocache to take care of this pesky find #495 (but not whine TOO much that she gets too annoyed and just goes home . Not that it would have stopped me from leaving again later... but this saved some time and gas). Hence, down this once-familiar road we went, until I had per pull up beside a familiar fire hydrant I had searched for so very long last time. After searching where the helpful hint I received indicated, I found... nothing! Checking my GPS again, I realized that I was... 90 meters away apparently. D'oh... I had gotten her to stop at the wrong fire-hydrant . Hoofing it 90 meters down the street, I quickly found myself at a slightly-more-familiar hydrant, and began my search. I however had to slow myself down a bit, since RIGHT at the area, a dog-walker was slowly sauntering up the sidewalk with his dog. After they had passed, I quickly dove in and checked the spot.

SUCCESS ! At long last, the cache is defeated! By this time, my wife had followed me in the car (likely after having been confused as to why I was walking so far away after I told her to stop) and re-parked nearby. I signed the logbook, which was somewhat damp. After reading Trove Chaser's log, I'm thinking that I probably found it just before him, since I didn't see any plastic bag or new logbook in there. I tossed in a micromail ball however, and re-closed and replaced the cache from whence it came.

The mission accomplished, I headed back to the car, where we took off for home. Despite the minor snag of stopping at the wrong hydrant, this cache couldn't have gone off smoother otherwise. Virtually no pedestrians (and the only one that was there left just as I was arriving), no cars going by, and a generally silent area. Which is a bit surprising, since it was actually kinda nice out today. A bit chilly, and it actually started to rain about 10 minutes after I found the cache... but at the time it was pretty nice out. And on a weekend too, I was surprised to see noone in the school's playground area.

In either case... Find #495 completed .

Took: Nothing
Left: Logbook entry and micromail ball

11/11/2008 by Kabuthunk
Second attempted cache of the day, and the second DNF of the day. *sigh* It hasn't been a good day for me . I was semi-determined to at least find A cache today, and after my first DNF just 10 or so minutes earlier, I crossed my fingers that I'd be able to locate this one to make up for it. No such luck .

We drove over here from St. Vital Park (although had I realized another cache was very nearby in St. Vital Park, I'd have probably gone after that one instead of driving down to this one), and I parked right nearby on the street... about 25 meters from the coordinates. Or at least where the coordinates were telling me to go, anyway. Hopping out of the car, full of hope (which was soon to be shattered ), I quickly went towards the coordinates. The street was quiet, and there was virtually noone nearby. I heard several voices off on the other side of some house, but everything immediately in sight was clear. Since it was a day off for everyone (or most-everyone, anyway), I didn't have to worry about the nearby playground being populated with people. Which is probably good, since I've been told by multiple people (many, in fact), that I tend to look quite creepy . I was wearing fairly "normal" clothes, but y'know... if I've got a creepy look to me, it can only do so good .

But anyway, I digress. I started out a few meters West of the coordinates, looking high and low but finding nothing. I then proceeded to trace my hands over every square inch of the fire hydrant (which Ertyu was apparently playing 'pumpkin' with several weeks ago... a turn of phrase which still boggles my mind). I then proceeded to check something a few meters East of the coordinates as well... nothing. Out with the palm-pilot! Unfortunately, the description and 5 previous logs didn't help me much . Sitting back and pondering for a bit, I decided to give a try my good old 'sit for a minute and look at the entire area at once' technique for finding micros (which has saved my butt on multiple occasions), but even that failed me. However, given the name of the cache, I pondered that perhaps the cache was located in a place I could only access by way of certain tools at the fire hydrant (no... not opening the hydrant, don't worry). At this point, I began to head back to the car, after only about 10 minutes of searching. I made a quick swing by the pole to the West of the coordinates again, but couldn't spot anything there still.

Hmm... perhaps the fact that I couldn't find either cache has more to do with my GPS leading me off instead of just me sucking. Yes, that HAS to be it !

Although, had I been able to read some of the earlier logs (OHMIC's in particular), I would likely have stayed around a bit longer and abandoned ertyu's pumpkin'd fire hydrant entirely. I have a vague hunch as to how the cache is hidden, given previous logs... but had looked specifically for the style I'm thinking of and couldn't see a thing. I could just be entirely wrong, but I have a vague thought as to the hide style. I may yet attempt this cache again (likely on a weekend, once again to avoid tons of children nearby), but hopefully someone will locate this cache again prior to that, if not at least to confirm that the cache is still in place.

I shall return!