This page will allow us to log who cached in the group for any given run. |
Group Caching
Milford Trail Hike
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After the outing update.... We had a smaller group this time but no less fun! We gathered at 9:00 A.M. and hit the trail to start finding caches immediately. Today was a day for milestones as each of teams hit some type of milestone while caching today. The first milestone hit was TeamLegend4's 6000th find. A nice scenic area with a traditional cache nestled up next to a lake. Further down the trail we also hit #3800 for DarrylW4 & Firefly03 on a crafty multi-cache that took us two attempts due to the red herrings tossed in. Also along the way we hit #150 for searchgeek78 and #100 for moosetracks82 the newest cachers in our group today. They were both caching without a GPSr today but finding caches none the less! They really have the caching bug! Finally, near the end of the trail we hit #1000 for Geoaddict. This came on the only ammo can cache of the day!
All in all, even with the usual rain we get when we do these group outings, we had a nice time. This was a much shorter and less intense hike than some of the others we have done. Total distance today was 4.5 miles in just under 3 hours.
Stats:
Miles hiked: 4.5
Caches visited: 20
DNF's: 0
Time spent on trail: 3 hours
Total participants: 7
Participants:
TeamLegend4 - Bill & Krystal
DarryW4 & Firefly03 - Darryl & Drie
Searchgeek78 - Steve
moosetracks82 - Krystal
Geoaddict - Mike  Left to right: Geoaddict-Mike, TL4-Bill, Firefly03-Drie, DarrylW4-Darryl,
TL4-Krystal, Searchgeek-Steve, moosetracks-Krystal
 TL4-Bill up a tree for a cache
 TeamLegend4 (Bill & Krystal) at cache find #6000
 Geoaddict (Mike) at #1000
 Hiking along the trail
 Milford Trail Hike
I have been eying a newly created trail that runs from near downtown Milford to the Kensington Metropark entrance as a great place to do a group outing. Over the past few months a bunch of caches have been placed along this trail so I think now is the time to get serious about planning this. At last count there are 21 caches placed on this relatively short trail. The trail is only 3.6 miles one way. My plan is to park at the North end of the trail at the YMCA where there is plenty of parking and walk the entire length of the trail to the Kensington entrance then turn around and walk back to the car. This should make the hike just under 7.5 miles. The entire length of the trail is paved and is shared by walkers, runners, and bicycles. The trail weaves around a couple of lakes/ponds and through some woods and really is quite beautiful now that the leaves are changing colors. I recently ran the North section which was 3.12 miles round trip and I made that distance in about 35 minutes. The elevation changes are only slight and are pretty gradual. Doing the entire 7.5 miles round trip at a casual pace and finding all the caches should take a few hours. There are also many other caches in the Milford area so an entire day can be spent caching in the area if so desired. Kensington Metropark has many great caches including a bunch of earthcaches.
Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010
Time: 9:00 A.M.
Meeting Location: YMCA Parking Lot (N 42 35.398 W 083 36.817)
Confirmed attendees:
TeamLegend4 - Bill, Chris & Krystal
DarryW4 & Firefly03 - Darryl & Drie
Searchgeek78 - Steve
moosetracks82 - Krystal
Geoaddict - Mike
Here is a link to the official Milford Trail website: http://www.milfordtrail.com/1/83/index.asp
Following are a couple of maps that show both the trail and the 21 targeted caches:
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Holly Hike / Cache Adventure
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After the outing update....
Well another successful hike/caching outing is in the books! We had 15 people (see below) show up in less than ideal weather conditions to hike the park today and find as many caches as possible. We arrived at the park just after 7:00 A.M. as the rain was falling quite steadily. Participants kept rolling into the meeting area for the next thirty minutes and began putting on their foul weather gear, preparing for what was sure to be a cold, wet hike. There was one exception, Rick (equinoxrox) our new friend from the Cadillac area was the tough-man of the day and he only wore shorts, tennis shoes, and a rain pancho.....not sure what else he was wearing under the pancho and I wasn't asking!
We started our hike at about 7:30 A.M. and our first loop was about 4.25 miles. This was by far the toughest part of the day. Here we had the most elevation changes, most bushwhacking, and longest distance in one run. This was also the coldest and wettest part of the day. The good news is we survived and only got one DNF on this section (our only one of the day). After completing this loop we moved the vehicles and started on loop #2.
Loop #2 was a little shorter then the first loop and quite a bit dryer. Our total miles for this loop was 3.63 miles. This loop took us through the remaining areas on the South side of the Rec area and allowed us to finish up the "Black Dot Micro Series" for those that had not already completed this challenging series of caches. With the information needed to find the final cache "Going for the Gold" we made that the last cache found on this second loop of caches. After finding the final cache here we lost a few in the group but the rest of the crew decided to push on to the North side of the Rec area for loop #3.
Loop#3 was the shortest and easiest of our trek today. The elevation was easier and there was much less bushwhacking then we had experienced earlier in the day. We hiked another 2.75 miles total in this loop as we only had time to complete the West side on it before we started worrying about finishing before dark. Since most of the remaining participants in the group had already found most of what was in the East side of the loop we choose to end our hike after completing the West side. We did get notification of a brand new cache in the park as we were hiking out of this loop so we hustled out and drove back to the South side of the park to score a first to find which was pretty cool.
Overall we had a great time! We really enjoyed our time in the park, this is a great place to hike and there are so many caches in there to find that you can explore every area of it. I can't wait until we plan the next outing!
Stats:
Miles hiked: 11
Caches visited: 51
DNF's: 1
Time spent in Park: 10 hours
Total participants: 15
Participants:
TeamLegend4 - Bill & Krystal
Celtic Cache Trio - John
Reefrider52 - Kevin
jtee - Josie
gsix5666 - Glenn
Rock Dogz - Bob
Bapman - Bruce
BWY Gang - Bill & Lynne
Equinoxrox - Rick
Tim and Trish - Tim
Rexshe - Rex
Ranger4+1 - Gordy
searchgeek78 - Steve
 MCCM Scoring a FTF at Holly Rec Area
  Holly Hike / Cache Adventure
Saturday, October 2, 2010 Meet-up time: 7:30 A.M. Anyone wanting coordinates loaded into their GPSr (USB cable load only) meet at: 7:00 A.M. Parking / Meeting Coordinates N 42 48.210 W 083 30.562
Targeted caches = 49
What to expect: Terrain ratings will range between 1.5 and 4.5 with the average being around 2.5. there are some pretty good trails through the Rec Area but most of the caches are places anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred feet from the trail. Some bushwhacking will be required on many of the caches. I'd recommend pants if you value the skin on your legs! The terrain in this park is tough in some areas. There will be some elevation changes but it will not be as bad as what we experienced at Ortonville. Even so, be prepared for a very good workout! I'm bringing trekking poles as these are very helpful on these types of hikes and the really help during the bushwhacks. Cache difficultly ratings will range from 1.5 to about 3.5 with 2 being the average. I have seen a lot of smalls to "micros in the woods" with some of these caches in the past. The advantage we have is lots of eyes looking for the caches makes it much easier to cover more ground quicker. The owner of most of these caches told me "these caches don't stand a chance against our group". The plan will be to move the cars a couple of times and hike the area in a few big loops. However, you should plan to be away from the vehicles for long periods of time. Bring plenty of water so you stay hydrated, this is absolutely critical. Pack snacks and your lunch as the plan is to munch along the way or during one of our "trail-side" breaks that we like to take. I am also bringing two-way radios as this helps to stay in communication if the group gets spread out a bit as it usually does. Feel free to bring yours if you have them, and we can coordinate a channel that morning. Small first-aid kits are a good idea as is rain gear if there is any chance of rain in the forecast. A dry, clean change of clothes kept in the car will come in handy as well if you want to change into something more comfortable and join us for some chow at the end of the day if we can find something nearby.
I will update the MCCM Group Caching page with a fresh GPX file as we get closer to the date as well as keep track of those that have confirmed or expressed interest in joining us for this adventure. The page can be found at the following link:
Confirmed Attendees
TeamLegend4 - Bill & Krystal
Reefrider52 - Kevin
gsix5666 - Glenn
Rock Dogz - Bob
Bapman - Bruce
BWY Gang - Bill & Lynne
jtee - Josie
Celtic Cache Trio - John
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Ortonville Part II
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After the outing update...
Our second outing to Ortonville was a huge success! The group consisted of TeamLegend4 (Bill & Krystal), Reefrider52 (Kevin), jtee (Josie), Rock Dogz (Bob), BWY Gang (Bill & Lynne), paldog0603 (Mike), Big Smile (Antoinette), and Juillet.
We hiked an estimated 15 miles over some pretty tough terrain in some challenging conditions. The day started off a bit humid and damp but with the promise of only a slight chance of rain. For the first three hours we hiked along the South loop of the Rec Area with barely a sprinkle then about Noon the sky opened up on us and we got drenched. It took most of the rest of the afternoon for everything to dry out as the sun kept coming in and out. It was also pretty humid back in the woods and the skeeters could be bad at times. The wet ground made the terrain that much tougher as we had to deal wit wet leaves, mud, loose rocks, and steep inclines and declines. We got a great workout over those 15 miles!
We hunted 39 caches and found them all....no DNF's. One close call, but a phone a friend helped get us on the right track and we made the find. All in all this was a great day spent with friends and a perfect caching outing. I can't wait for the next time we can get a big group together to do it again.
 Date: May 22, 2010
Time: Meet at 9:00 A.M. (8:30 for those that want coordinates loaded into their GPSr's)
Location: N 42 52.110 W 083 26.302
Well after a very successful outing to Ortonville Recreation Area where we were able to find 40 of the caches we have decided we want to go back and get the rest! It looks like there are about 35 more caches in the Rec Area and immediate surrounding area that can keep us busy most of the day. This includes two tough multi's and a puzzle that
I need some help on getting started on one of the multi caches (GC1VKDT) Walkabout. This cache requires a couple of long projections to start where stage 1 will be where the two projected lines intersect. If someone has some time to work this out and send me the coords for stage 1 I can include it in the file of what we will attempt.
Just like the first time I will keep track of those interested in attending on this page.
Confirmed:
TeamLegend4 (Bill & Krystal)
Reefrider52 (Kevin)
jtee (Josie)
Rock Dogz (Bob)
BWY Gang (Bill & Lynne)
paldog0603 (Mike)
Big Smile (Antoinette)
Juillet
I have a GPX file attached below of the caches we will be attempting. I will keep an eye on the area if any other new ones pop up that need to be added and I plan to be at the meeting area 30 minutes early with my laptop if anyone needs coordinates loaded into their GPSr.
Weather Forecast
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| Attachments:
Ortonville Run May 2010.gpx
Ortonville Rec Area Caching - Saturday April 24, 2010
We are looking to get a group together for Saturday April 24th to hike through the Ortonville Recreation Area to find several of the new Geo-Bum caches. These hides are meant to be challenging, so a group effort will be needed to ensure success in finding as many of the 40 or so caches in the area. Many eyes make for quicker work when searching for micros in the woods!
Be prepared to hike long distances, bring snacks you can eat along the trails and plenty of water. There will be some areas with very nice trails, a lot of elevation changes, and some rough areas with no trails as you get closer to the caches.
I hope we can get a nice sized group for this endeavour!
I'll keep a list here of those that are showing interest in attending or those that have said they are in:
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Falling Water Trail (Caching by Bike) July 3, 2009
Reefrider recently suggested a trip to the Falling Water Trail to do some caching by bike. A few other group members and other cachers have expressed interest in joining up for this adventure.
The trail has about 25-30 caches on or near enough that can be found while biking the 10.5 mile lenght. Some suggestions have included splitting up the cars betweeen the start and finish or the trail so that the bike ride is only a one-way trip.
Below is some information taken directly from one on beenhere's cache pages as he owns the majority of the caches along thr trail.
Please post if you are interested in joining up for this adventure and also feel free to suggest a starting time. We can start working out the details now as the date is just a little over three weeks away.
Taken from cache GCVJ0D:
An old rail bed that is easy to walk on as it is paved. What is the Falling Water Trail? The Falling Water Trail is a 10.5mile linear trail based on the old Michigan Central railroad bed.It runs between Weatherwax Drive, in Jackson, and the Village of Concord,Michigan. PARKING for the trail is at both ends and in the middle. These are south of the trail a ways on Weatherwax in Jackson, and Teft Rd. near Spring Arbor, and right at the end on River St. in Concord. You are not allowed to park at the crossing roads. |
Holly State Rec. Area
Just to make it official... We are planning to head to the Holly State Rec. Area. There are many caches in the Rec. Area and I am hoping to get them all. Right now It is going to be CCT, KP, TL4, and I think Darryl and Drie for some of the day. We have DNR area trail maps which I believe includes the area we will be in. These maps proved very useful when we went to Maybury. There was no guess work involved in deciding what trail to take to a given cache or group of caches. Also anyone that plans to be there should load mysteries as well. There are two mysteries in the park that should be able to be done while there. The more the merrier!!! |
Thumb Caching
Drie and I are talking about caching the tip of the thumb this weekend. It will be another one of these long days with about seven hours in the car (according to Garmin Road Trip). Here are the caches and the lighthouse I'm looking to hit:
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Memorial Day Weekend Caching
We'll be hitting the road Sunday for caching in a couple of counties in southern Michigan. Our route will take us to the following caches (and hopefully many between): There are may caches in the Coldwater area which we will be passing through so if time permits we could hit 18 there.
Estimated drive time: 6hr 45min |
Lazy Hayes Days III
The next group caching opportunity for us will be next weekend at the annual Lazy Hayes Day event at Hayes State Park down near the Irish Hills area. While this event officially starts on Friday and goes through Sunday, our plan is to drive to the event Saturday morning and set up camp for one night. Looks like Woodville will be joining us as well.
We plan to bring our inflatable kayak so we can attempt two of the new water only caches placed for this event. Additionally, we are also looking forward to the group night cache that is planned. Otherwise we will just be hanging out in our camp chairs, eating, drinking, and socializing. Hope to see some of you make it out there! |
Roger's City August 28-29
Bill of TL4 contacted Pinestrail about the upcoming event at Hoeft State Park. It looks like there will actually be events on both the 28th and the 29th with night caching on the evening of the 28th. I've tracked down some lodging in the area (outside of the campground);
Update: The events have been published: |
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