Misadventures in Geocaching

Beta 8/26/01

"It's got to be the going, not the getting there, that's good" - Harry Chapin

I'm T. Jess Bowers and chronicled below are my Geocaching misadventures in both hunting and placing caches. My partner in geo-crime is Dr. Gene Garris who maintains a geocaching site of his own. As you will soon read, I'm not exactly a wiz when it comes to finding sites. In fact, until recently I had placed more caches than I'd found. However, I assure you my inept skills won't keep me from writing as if I know what I'm doing. So, with that thought in mind, here are my misadventures in Geocaching.

Caches I've Hunted:

Note: these stories contain information that could spoil your cache hunt by giving too many clues.

Iron Horse -- established by Jim Pate

12/30/00 A cold morning greeted me as I cranked up mother Jeep for the thirty minute drive to my Cartersville rendevous with Gene. After picking up a steaming cup of joe at the Canton Coffee Company I made good time driving west on Hwy 20 towards its junction with I-75. Grumbling bellies directed us to the Waffle House where the morning crew provided chow fit for kings of a former Soviet protectorate. There must be something about the sound of eggs cracking and hash browns frying that aids digestion. With sated bellies we finally headed off for the days first hunt.

It's cliched but the path was literally over the mountains and through the woods. No, grandmothers house wasn't at the end of our quest, instead, we were after a rectangular tupperware container stashed somewhere near a St. Francis statue. Having read the description on Jim Pate's webpage we knew that the cache could be reached from the top and bottom of the hill. Both of our GPS receivers showed we were smoking hot as we approached a small road on our right. We pulled mother Jeep onto the road and after a little backtracking decided on a good parking spot. After gearing up we surveyed the topography. What looked like a fairly easy downhill hike from the safety of the car was actually a little steeper than we cared to endure. So, after reloading the car we drove back to the highway and headed down the hill to find the lower approach.

The trail started on the side of the highway at a closed road in the northeastern most corner of the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA. We followed the dirt road on foot until it seemed to veer off in the wrong direction. At that same time we noticed what appeared to be an abandoned logging road heading in the right direction. As we hiked down the trail we started heading slightly right of the cache. But, since a deep ravine was on our left we continued down the trail to find an easier path. And it's a good thing too because just as I was about to suggest we start heading left I saw a large dark hole directly ahead of us. The hole turned out to be an old railroad tunnel and what I thought was an old logging road was actually an old railroad bed. Since it was well below freezing and had been unseasonably cold for the past few weeks the water covering the entry way was frozen and we were able to walk inside the tunnel. In a rare fit of over-preparedness I had brought along a good flashlight and we hiked through the tunnel to the other side of the hill. Unfortunately this side's entrance was blocked by chain link fencing so we weren't able to find out exactly where on the hill the tunnel exits.

Exiting the tunnel we were quickly back on the path to the cache. It was a straight shot to the cache and we made good time on a small trail. With the St. Francis statue in sight our cache hunting blood lust was at pandemic levels. Unfortunately, our cache lust went unquenched. Despite searching the general area where out GPS's said the cache should be we were unable to locate it. Not sure whether the cache had been looted (possible) or we were just idiots (more likely) we decided to celebrate finding the general area and prepared a large pot of hot chocolate with Gene's Swiss Army surplus methenamine stove to warm our chilled bones. After hiking back to the car I read Jim Pate's web page which I had previously printed off the web (yeah, I left it in the car- lotta good it did me in there!) and saw that the site was a short distance to the right of where we searched. Oh well, next time... And there will be a next time. A week after logging our attempt on the Geocaching.com website ScottJ of Georgia logged his hunt. It seems he was the first to find the cache and it was right where Jim placed it. (At least ScottJ reports it was an "extremely clever hide")

We were so unsettled by our failure that we completely forgot to check out the ghost town across the highway from where we parked. As we were heading towards Rock Town, the second site we hoped to bag, we came across an older gentleman just up the road. Still intrigued by the train tunnel, we stopped and asked him if he knew anything about it. "Oh yeah" he said "it was used by the old TAG (Tennessee Alabama Georgia) Railroad". The man has lived in the area since 1917 and said that the old ghost town at the base of the hill was home to the men who worked the local iron ore mine. We'll definitely have to check it out next time.

For more information see the Iron Horse entry at Geocaching.com

Rock Town -- established by Jim Pate

12/30/00 After our unsuccessful assault on Iron Horse we drove to the Rock Town cache. Mother Jeep's tires made sloshing sounds as we drove up the dirt road ascending Pigeon mountain. Though the valley below was free of snow, save the occasional flurry, the mountain top sported a dusting of snow. And it was getting dustier the higher we climbed. What was merely a flurry in the valley was quickly becoming a minor snow storm as the flakes grew larger and more plentiful with each foot of elevation we gained. Fortunately, as we reached the trail head the snow tapered off so the hike was enjoyable.

From the trail head the path rises gently for the first half of its ~.75 mile length and then levels off until you reach Rock Town. Rock Town is a collection of sandstone formations ranging in size from the rough equivalent of a large woodland animal to a two-story home. There's great bouldering spread out over a four or five acre area so watch out for falling climbers.

After winding our way through several large rock formations Gene and I ran into what first appeared to be a dead end. But, closer inspection revealed a narrow passage to the right through which we were able to squeeze out oversized frames. By this point in our hike we had completely lost satellite coverage; however, a short distance later we were again in the open and were able to gain an adequate fix through the tree cover. When the trees regain leaves next spring this should be an especially challenging cache. With two GPS receivers at our disposal we soon narrowed the cache location down to a fifty by fifty foot area. After a short time spent scrounging around we decided to take a methodical approach to finding the cache. With compass in hand, Gene and I both retreated from our search area in different directions, took a bearing towards the cache's position, and then followed the bearing until our paths crossed. This procedure led us to a spot in the middle of our previous search area but despite our best efforts we were never able to find the cache. Back home, hours later, I read Jim Pates description of the cache and realized that it was in our midst. I even think I searched the right rock (though I'm still blaming Dr. Garris for over-looking it).

So, December 30^th ended with two caches attempted and two failed. Did that dampen our spirits? Not at all. It was a great day in the woods and, to paraphrase Harry Chapin, it's the going, not the getting there, that's good!

For more information see the Rock Town entry at Geocaching.com

Morningside Cache

4/1/01 We found one, we found one!!! We're no longer losers (at least not when it comes to geocaching). Nestled inside an older Atlanta neighborhood, Morningside cache is an easy escape from the big city. Gene and I gorged on pizza at Johnny's New York Style Pizza over on Cheshire Bridge and then lit out to claim a cache. Morningside is only ten minute drive from Johnny's and after reading the description on geocaching.com I had a good idea where this cache was hidden. Sure enough, the GPS confirmed the park and a short walk later we were within striking distance. Or were we? We met our first fellow geocacher on the trail to the cache. Locache was his screen name and he too wanted to bag this cache. We matched the terrain to the description but couldn't find the damn cache. Locache was confident we would find it and counseled patience. I, on the other hand, was convinced the cache had been sacked by neighborhood thugs. There was a particularly vicious eight year old eyeing us and I just knew he was secretly laughing at us. Have I mentioned my problem with paranoia? Well, Locache was right and after a little hill climbing we found the cache nestled under an downed log. Great hiding spot! As for that eight year old...I'm keeping my eye on him. I sure he'll end up in juvi hall before long.

Red Top Mountain

5/12/01 Ah, June 12 was a glorious day! A hat trick (three caches in a day) only a month after finding our first cache. Gene and I drove north from Atlanta and headed to Red Top Mountain. The park was easy enough to find seeing that there are six foot tall signs leading up to the entrance. Finding the cache itself was another story. We parked at the main building and hiked overland to the cache site. We stopped near a brush pile and compared our readings. Both GPS units said the cache should be right around where we were. We searched the brush pile and then decided we'd each step back about thirty feet but in different directions. We'd then see what direction the GPS said the cache was in, take a reading with our compasses, and then see where our lines intersected. Sound like a plan? Well, it did to us and, sure enough, we would up right be that damned brush pile. Ok, so there's a margin of error to GPS units, right? About thirty feet as I recall. And, if the person setting out the cache had the same margin of error then the cache could be within a roughly sixty foot radius. (Two thirty foot margin of errors). With that in mind we set out searching the surrounding area. Of course, that was a complete wastes of time. Of course? Yes, because I was the one looking. It seems I have a highly refined talent for overlooking the obvious. After a half hour search we found the cache in that same brush pile next to where we first stopped. Now, before we found it I decided that a roving band of Estonian gypsy's had probably found the cache and looted it. After all, is there anything in the world an Estonian gypsy would want more than a tupperware container. I mean, it's not like there are any Estonian Targets around, now are there?

NOTE: This cache has been removed due to the Georgia Parks & Recreation Department's decision to prohibit geocaching in Georgia Parks. Join the Georgia Geocachers Association and help lobby the Department.

Allatoona Dam

5/12/01 After beating the Estonian gypsy's to the Red Top Mountain cache we turned mother Jeep towards the cache at Allatoona Dam. We found the dam with little trouble (it's pretty large) and quickly decided on a parking area. A nice hike up an old road led us to the cache area and a short search led us to the cache. Oh if only they were all this easy. Of course, it was now early summer and the area surrounding the cache was ablaze with poison ivy, but, hey, what's a little epidermal irritation between geocachers? With two caches under our belt we headed back to the care to find our third of the day.

The Brushy Mountain Cache

5/12/01 It's time I be honest with you, my reader. I'm a profane man. But this cache tested the limits of my profanity. To say we had a little trouble finding this cache would be an understatement. I coined at least thirty seven new cuss words while hunting this site.

The hunt started out innocent enough. Brushy Mountain is on the Silver Comet Trail, a former railroad line newly created as a bike trail. Getting to the cache area by car wouldn't be a problem if Gene had printed out the cache page from geocaching.com. In fact, he did print out the page. Unfortunately, the MapQuest map didn't load and Gene forgot to bring his DeLorme map. Note I blame Gene for these sins. I'm not trying to assign blame, I'm just arrogantly denying any personal responsibility. A profane and self righteous man I am. Oh well, starting at Allatoona Dam we plugged in the Brushy Mountain coord's and headed in the general direction. Through sheer luck and minimal skill we found Brushy Mountain Road, or some similarly named street, and followed it until landmarks started matching up with the description provided by the cache owner.

Feeling the rush of our first hat trick we found a suitable parking spot and prepared for the overland part of our journey. Between the two of us we had enough gear to shame a well armed Navy S.E.A.L. Web gear, flashlight, water, backpacks, cameras, we were going loaded for bear and were damned bit and determined to find this cache. And, as we started to leave the car, we saw a family walking out of the woods. Momma, pappa, and a barely walking child had just returned from the cache that we geared up to hunt. Oh well, at least we knew the cache was still there! (Unless this was a wandering Estonian gypsy family who had just stolen the cache). We found the general area of the cache with little trouble. And that's when the real trouble started.

I coined my first new cuss word about thirty minutes into the search. Brushy Mountain is, well, brushy. Both GPS's put the cache on the side of a hill that had been clear cut a couple of years ago and three to four foot scrub pines grew between the briar bushes. In fact, I think the only thing that kept us searching was the fact that the family we saw exiting told us the cache was indeed in it's proper place. Well, after nearly an hour of searching we began questioning the family's ethnic origin (I was convinced Estonian) and we decided to just give up and view the "interesting feature" the cache owner advertised. A short hike into a nice forest led us to an old railroad tunnel. Wow, just like the one at Iron Horse! We were too tired to fully investigate this tunnel and after failing to find yet another cache we decided to head back to the car and send the cache owner a long string of profane emails. And then, on our way back to the car, we found the cache. You see, both of our GPS's put the cache a good sixty feet up the hill, but, the cache was down in the forest. Ok, fine, whatever, at least we found the damn thing and could claim our hat trick. Looking back it really was a great day, Estonian gypsy's and all!

Caches I've Established:

Dukes Creek Falls

1/14/01 Although we were not able to find a single cache on our first outing (see Iron Horse and Rock Town stories above) Gene and I wanted to establish two caches of our own. For years I've camped along the headwaters of the Chattahoochee river. Knowing that others would enjoy the area I thought it would make a great location for a geocache. Unfortunately, the winter's previous snows had left one troublesome obstacle in our path; namely an iced over muddy road which the Forest Service had closed. With no other approach available to us we had to abandon our ambitious plan and settle on setting out a single cache.

Dukes Creek Falls is another spot in the north Georgia mountains that I've long enjoyed visiting. Years ago we used to hike down to the falls and play in the pools of crystal clear mountain water. But the number of visitors to the falls has increased in recent years and the Forest Service has responded to the increased impact by "improving" access & facilities at the falls. A parking fee is now charged at the trail head off the Richard Russell highway. (This is actually fairly common these days at many state and federal public lands.) The trail leading to the falls is wide and has a bed of gravel for most of it's length. There are also sections of wooden boardwalks leveling out the upper sections and stairs providing convenient access to the lower section of trail. A 1.1 mile walk leads to the bottom of the falls but we stashed our cache higher up the trail. Due to erosion caused by hikers "cutting" the switchbacks, the Forest Service requires that hikers stay on the trail and even threatens prosecution for violators. Therefore, we were challenged to find a place to put the cache that wouldn't run afoul of Forest Service rules. Fortunately, about two-thirds of the way down the falls trail we found a side path that did not have the "stay on path" signs. Since this area is well suited for cachers traveling with children we decided not to make this a hard cache to find.

One final word regarding this cache. As mentioned above, the Forest Service has signage warning visitors to stay on the path. If you decide to hunt this cache please observe those signs. There is no need to bushwhack your way to the cache if you're starting at the Dukes Creek parking lot. Gene and I will monitor the cache through the spring and summer and decide whether it needs to be moved due to environmental/Forest Service concerns. If you would like to report a problem with the location please email me.

For more information see the Dukes Creek entry at Geocaching.com

DeSoto Falls Cache

2/4/01 It was another cold, wintry day when Gene and I set out this cache. I hadn't been to DeSoto Falls in years but seemed to remember it being an interesting and scenic area. This was one time my faulting memory didn't fail me! I'll write more later but I think everyone will agree this cache makes for a nice day in the woods. Note: the geocaching.com virtual log for this cache contains reports that some of the landmarks I list no longer exist. I will check this out soon but if you want the most complete information be sure to print out the virtual log, read it, and bring it along on the cache hunt.

Headwaters of the Chattahoochee River

4/30/01 It took three trips to the mountains in order to gain access to the recreation area in which this cache lies. Apparently there was a large accumulation of snow on the road leading into the cache and the National Forest Service closed the road for a few months. By April the road was open and we were finally able to reach the spot I had in mind. I'll write more later at a later date. This is a very special area for me and I hope others enjoy it as well.

Atlanta Area Geocachers' Gathering (Event Cache)

6/9/01 We're hitting the big time now. I had been throwing around the idea of getting geocachers in the Atlanta area for a few months and had discussed it with a few folks I had met both on the trail and online. Everyone agreed it was a good idea but I never could find the time to plan a get together. With prompting from Locache (a fellow geocacher I met at Morningside Cache) I finally set a date and solicited help in picking a location. On June 9 we met at a Cobb County park and finally got to meet the folks who were hunting our caches and whose caches we'd hunted. Shortly before this meeting the Georgia Parks Department had banned geocaching in State parks. This gave our meeting a focus and as a result of this meeting those in attendance decided to organize as a group. After an email discussion following the meeting we're now the Georgia Geocachers Association and we plan to meet once a month. The next meeting was scheduled for July.

Second Atlanta Area Geocachers' Gathering (Event Cache)

7/14/01 The second meeting of the association started with voting on the group's name. This meeting led to the creation of the Georgia Geocachers Association. This meeting resulted in even more people joining our group and an August meeting was scheduled. I wish I could tell you more about the meeting but I'm afraid I wasn't able to attend. My sister had gone into labor just hours before the meeting and I went to the hospital to greet my new niece.

Suggested Locations for Future Caches in North Georgia:

Part of the fun of establishing a cache is finding a good location of your own which you want to share with others. However, if you're short on ideas but would still like to establish a cache then here are some suggestions along with DeLorme map pages and quadrants. NOTE: Since this section was first published the Georgia Parks and Recreation Department has issued a rule stating that Geocaching is NOT allowed on its lands. Until this rule is changed I do not recommend setting out a cache on any land controlled by the Parks Dept. Also, note that this rule does NOT affect county and city parks. Contact your local parks officials for permission to place caches on those lands.

Anna Ruby Falls (DeLorme p.15 E-9)

I don't recall what Anna Ruby Falls looks like but it's easily accessible by car. This might be a place to make a hard to access cache by hiking up the side of a the mountain.

Raven Cliffs Falls (DeLorme p.15 E-8)

As I recall, Raven Cliffs is a three or four mile hike. At the end of the trail are some nice camping spots so you might want to make this an overnighter. On the other hand, it would make for a nice, long winter day hike. There's a nice view from atop the falls and a good site can be found just beyond the top of the falls.

Neel's Gap on the Appalachian Trail (DeLorme p.15 near intersection of D-8 and E-7)

You've got two options here. Either hike up to Blood Mountain or go the other direction and hike towards Turkeypen Mountain. As I recall, the path is uphill but not too bad (certainly nothing like Blood Mountain!) and there's a mountain top/knoll after a half or three quarter mile hike. Since this is on the Appalachian Trail you should probably go a quarter mile off to the side of the trail to stash this cache in order to avoid accidental discovery.

Dicks Creek Falls - I just added this one to the list and am not sure of the DeLorme coordinates but it's just south of DeSoto Falls and is probably similarly situated in terms of geography.

Amicalola Falls (DeLorme p.14 G-4)

Easily accessible by car, you can drive right up to the falls so there's an easy reward for who ever places a cache here--Amicalola is a good falls for photography. However, the area does get a lot of public traffic so you'll probably want to hike a good distance of find a suitable site. It would be nice to have a good topo for this area (and the others as well). Gene and I plan to put a cache here soon and will post its existence at Geocaching.com, however, if someone wants to beat us to it then more power to you!

Notes on Equipment:

I use a Garmin GPS 12 running version 4.55 software and Gene carries a Garmin Etrex. I highly recommend the DeLorme series of bound topo maps. The Georgia map book is great to bring along in the car. While it does not provide the same detail as U.S.G.S. topos it is a very convenient adjunct. While traveling anywhere outdoors in the Georgia mountains it's always wise to be prepared for any weather condition even remotely possible. The mountains make their own weather and a short rain shower is not uncommon anytime of the year.

Links:

Geocaching.com - The new home of all things related to Geocaching. Want more information? Want to know where to go and how to do it? Geocaching.com has the answers!

Gene Garris' Geocaching Page - Since Gene and I got into geocaching together there's a fair bit of redundancy. However, it will give the reader another perspective on the same sites. Besides, Gene's html skills are far more advanced than mine.

Mountain Man's Geocaching Page - I first met MtnMan online. While establishing the first Atlanta Area Geocachers Gathering I solicited help in picking a location. MtnMan was one of those who volunteered his help and I chose a location he recommended. In fact, MtnMan was able to help arrange the picnic shelter we reserved. He's a great guy and has a nice site with details on some of the caches he's established.

DeLorme Maps & Software - DeLorme makes a great bound set of topo maps for Georgia and many other states. There's also a series of maps on CD-rom that many geocachers use. I have no experience with the disc version so I'll stay uncharacteristically quite on that subject.

Georgia Geocachers Association - A group of us Georgia geocachers got together last July and created a loose association. At present we're meeting for fun and fellowship once a month. The group is still new so our website, GGA Online, is still in beta. However, we hope to soon add content aimed at helping the new geocacher enjoy the game.

Other pages on this site:

Bowers' Guide to North Georgia

BBQ Joints of North Georgia

Just In Time III

WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER

Geocache hunting, like any outdoor sport, carries the risk of unforeseen hazards. I support a policy of not knowingly placing stashes in areas that will create undue risk to the cache hunter. However, as conditions and cache locations may vary, it is the responsibility of the searcher to become thoroughly familiar with the conditions in the area to be searched, to adequately prepare for those conditions, and to conduct oneself safely and responsibly with respect to those conditions and with respect to his or her personal abilities and limitations. Individual geocache sponsors assume no liability for events which may occur related directly or indirectly to one's searching for a cache.

Do not let children hunt for GPS stashes unsupervised.

By reading and utilizing the GPS clues posted on this web site, you acknowledge the above conditions, and accept responsibility for your own actions, and agree to hold non-liable the GPS cache sponsors and website authors and further agree to provide this disclaimer to any person with whom you share these GPS cache locations.

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