Dale Spaur - a challenge, but a great cache!

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=95e03a02-d0a4-40ea-bea1-86b04cc63a2c

I highly recommend this cache, even though I wondered at one point if I was ever going to get myself back to my truck. This multi-stage is physically challenging, with each stage requiring a steeper climb than the last one did. I learned this the hard way.

MollyPup and I decided to do this one, which starts in East Palestine. You drive between the stages, by the way. And each stage is a full sized ammo can, with coordinates and driving directions to the next stage. And more of the story. So the first stage is down near the creek in East Palestine's park. OK, that's not that bad a hill. I did make it worse by parking closer, in the cemetery across the creek! MollyPup didn't seem to mind scrambling down the hill and crossing the creek. She didn't mind climbing back up the hill, either, but I was huffing and puffing!

We drove to the second stage. Oh, ohhh. I've cached in this park before - and the terrain is STEEP!! Sure enough, we climbed up and up and up. Thought I was going to need oxygen!! MollyPup, of course, trotted right along as if on level ground! We had no trouble finding this stage. Got the coordinates and headed for the third stage.

We pulled up at a playground, and parked on the street less than a tenth of a mile from the cache. I could see that almost half that distance would be spend going across the playground. 'This stage will be a piece of cake' I thought. Uh huh. Across the playground and into the woods. There's a ravine there, with a small creek running at the bottom. There are trails that will get you near, but you have to actually walk on the creekbed to get to the cache. One of the trails takes you to the creekbed, maybe a hundred feet upstream of the cache. BUT. The creekbed is not loose rocks, or sand, or gravel. It is one unbroken sheet of stone. With moss growing on it. MollyPup ran down the creekbed and tried to stop so she could turn around and come back to me. She slid a good 20 or 30 feet, with all four paws scrabbling for purchase. And there's a drop of a foot or two between where I was and where my GPS wanted me to go. I decided I wasn't going to risk the slippery creekbed with the drop in the middle, so I worked my way along the bank to where I was just above where the GPS told me the cache was. Over the edge I went, sliding in the mud to the bottom. I got to the cache and signed the log, then tried to get back up the bank. Did I mention it was muddy? And steep? Before I went down I debated with myself about going back to my truck for the rope I carry. I was now wishing I had that rope! I dug in with fingers and toes and for every foot I climbed up I slid back down 11 inches before I could get my next handhold and foothold! I was starting to seriously doubt if I was going to get out of that ravine! I eventually clawed my way up, with MollyPup running up and down the hill as if it were nothing (I've seen her go up completely vertical dirtbanks and lakeshores!), and headed for home.

If you're up for a physical challenge, and you have the time (you don't have to do the stages all in one day, even, but you can if you want to, with time to spare), this was one of the most fun caches that I almost didn't return from that I've done!

Ed_S

Ohhhhh my sides are splitting from laughing. I think I can talk Geoguin into going, but man I wonder if he will want to pull me up the hill. LOL. Thanks for the rope idea, I will remember that one.