Pine Mountain Rec. Area

Today we decided to try our luck at the Pine Mountain Recreation Area. There are 7 or 8 caches in the rec. area so we thought a great concentration for lots of finds. Along for the ride was Sam, Ian, Cole and Aiden (that was dumb of me).http://notatlanta.org/l/images/PineMountainTrailMap.pdf



So around 12 noon we got to the rec. area parking lot off main street. I was wearing the backpack with water and goodies.



The first cache is near the head of the trail. Rock On GC1DJ37. It is a micro cache so we signed in and headed on.



The next cache was Hurricane Hollow Hide GCVM71. It lead us just over a small bridge. The leaves and underbrush were rather soggy and wet because of the rain the last week. The kids were a little hesitate about digging in all of it. We didn't find that one. Will probably go back for a second look though.



Our next cache "Y" GCXPD0. The gps said 0.3 miles away. But let me tell you 0.3 miles up a switchback trail on the side of a mountain is no cake walk. And of course this is about the time were Aiden had enough. So all the way to the top I alternated between 3 minutes of him walking to me holding him on my hip to him on my shoulders. We found this cache. Was pretty easy after the walk up.



Ok again gps said next cache (By The Juniper GCV8HT) is 0.3 miles away (seeing the pattern here). One the way we found the summit of pine mountain.





After the summit we decided on to By The Juniper GCV8HT. We were starting to get tired and Aiden was getting heavy. (note to self turn back when everyone starts getting tired and the water is running low) Forward we pressed. Once we took a short cut back on to the trail and closer to the cache. (note trails are placed to get you up and down the mountains without you having to walk directly up or down the side of a mountain). We got to a place between to large hills and 500 ft from the cache. So I had Sam, Ian and Cole climb the side of the adjacent mountain in hopes of locating the cache. No luck. the heavy tree cover or something and the large topo change in the area was playing fits on the gps,

So we pushed on the trail and found a stream where everyone wet there heads, shirts, and anything else the could get wet. While we there at the stream me and Ian went scouting back up the side of a hill to try to find the cache since Ian has not found one yet on his own. No luck.

OK call off that search. Time to head back. So I placed the Rock On coordinates in the gps so we could stay the right direction. 0.76 miles!. Again on switchbacks and up and down mountains. It feels like twice that.

After a lot of breaks and walking we made it back to the car where we proceeded to down water sodas and anything else that was liquid and would be harmful.

Side note....
Once back to the house I was having trouble figuring out if we got the "Y" cache. I uploaded the track from the gps. Here the killer. The map above says 5 miles of trails. They are not measuring the switchbacks. The track I uploaded said 9.42 miles. mind you 80 % of that was lugging a backpack and a 2 1/2 year old. I'm not sure if that is correct but it's surely feeling it right now.

Till next time.

Kevin

June 25 Kingston GA

These are pictures of the Spring Bank nature preserve in Kingston. There are two caches located here but so far I've only been able to find one.

R-T-C #6: 'Spring Bank' GCZ9J2 & R-T-C #7: The Ruins GCZP8G

I can't believe all the different trees on this property. I'm looking into finding out some more about the property.

Saint Simons & Jekyll Island

Me and the kids went caching mainly around Jekyll Island. Great place.

We got started @ 7:30 (couldn't get Ian out of bed). Since it was a holiday weekend and muggle presences was likely to be very high I thought it would be a good idea to get going early.

The first place we hit was the Tidelands Nature Center, Jekyll Island, GA GCNGGY. We first
drove around the lake there. It looks like a nice to fish. We found the cache near the oak tree at the Nature Center. It was took early to go inside but we put that on our agenda for next visit.

Our next stop was next door at Summer Waves, Get Cool and Beat the Heat! GC1BNNY. Read lots of logs that this one couldn't be found but Caitlin nailed it within 30 seconds.

Our next stop was just down the road @ Jekyll Island Battery GCVX51. The mosquitoes were vicious. Was a nice little hike. And all the trees on the island area just awesome.

Feeling the high of two good (easy) finds we headed to COME SEE & BE BY THE SEA GCD180. I swear if there is an easy way into the cache I won't find it till the walk out or after we are driving away. We found an abandoned road that had been gated off. So we hiked up the side of a small hill and into Spiderland!!!!. I am quite sure the island is home to the genetically alternated supper spiders. Not just one or two but huge spiders every 3 feet. Cole found this cache. The hint helped.

Wow! Three home runs in a row. South Dunes GCXQ40 This was is a Jekyll island cache that is suppose to be hidden in a grey tool box. Well this was just the next road off the main road that Oh yeah by the way was also the park that the previous cache was next to.

Couldn't find it anywhere. And it was not a nice hike through all the dunes and woods. Kinda cool topo though.

After the hot sticky hunt for the south dunes cache we went looking for the cache at the visitor center. Didn't find it but found something much better. A/C and cold drinks!

Next on the list was Super Nature Trail GC124QK. We parked next to a gas station and hiked down a old paved road. Saw a bunch of little crabs and the alligators. First just saw the one. We got a little closer to the shore of the pond where he lived. Then I saw the other alligator beelining across the pond toward us. So it was time to leave the alligators. We jogged down the trail a bit. I asked Sam (who had the GPS) how close we were. She said to my dismay that we were close back where the alligators where. We quietly went back and looked but couldn't find it.

Our next stop was a nice area near the boat house ruins. Jekyll - Hyde GC165KA The GPS kept tracking to the middle of area with no under brush just some tall trees. We explored around and found the cache in the hollow of one of those big trees.

Next on the list was the Circle of Oaks GCXQ20. We were worried because this was another cache by Jekyll island that was suppose to be in a grey toolbox. Well it was in a small black cache box. Found it quickly and head off to the Jurassic Pond GCGER0.

Awesome pond in the middle of the island. Lots of large white birds nesting around the pond. Cole found this one so he was OK to keep with us for a little longer.

Next was a Thanksgiving lookout GCRKHE. We let Cole run the GPS and Caitlin found this cache. the girls found a deck of playing cards that they were going to share. Of course on the way home it was Sam's and I got the cards.

On down the road the pier and picnic area. Picnic Area GCY8RP. Couldn't find and didn't have much of chance to look due to all the people. Since the GPS said we were only .20 miles from the next cache we decided to try it.

So down the horse trails went after North Beach Cache GC2FE9. I felt like we just entered a jungle. We must have walked a mile on that trail but since the marsh was near and we kept hearing things in the bushes we kept to the trail. It finally took a hard 90 degree turn and we narrowed into a portion of the trail. We looked and looked with all the mosquitoes and spiders. We decided to give up and started to head back. Sam asked for my treo to look up the cache. She said it was in a hollow tree. Give it to Sam to read the instructions. So we headed back and found it. in a hollow tree under a palm branch.

It was a good day and the kids and lots of fun.