Keystone State Park

Ready, Set, GEOCACHE!

Mom and Dad Bukky visited us this weekend and we introduced them to the world of geocaching. They have been wanting to hike along with us at Keystone State Park for a while now and we all finally had a weekend of freedom to go explore. We took them hiking almost around the entire park today and those 55 year old people actually kept up. Honestly, I think I was more exhausted than either of them at the end of the day. 

We drove around the park first to give them a tour (we drove around too because Creed wouldn't listen to me about where to park the car). Then we set off on our geocaching adventure. 

I think it was a little difficult for Mom and Dad first because they had no idea where they were going which is not something they are accustomed to experiencing.  Mom kept asking for a map and I kept telling her we didn't use a map, instead we use a Garmin GPS. So now I think they are going to buy a GPS, finally.  

The first cache, The Big One Got Away!, was found rather quickly and was a good example for Mom and Dad to see so that they could understand what type of containers we typically are searching while geocaching. The only problem is that the log that we usually sign was soaking wet from the rain and we couldn't sign it. That's the one issue with geocaching is that the containers people use to hide the caches aren't always waterproof.  It's always somewhat gross whenever we open these waterlogged caches because the paper gets all slimey from the rain water and leaf decay. 

We took the Ranger Trail that runs throughout the park to the next geocache, Sacred Altar or Big Commode? (people pick some weird names).  Ranger Trail is a nice, easy walking trail that winds through the trees. Lots of great photo opportunities along this trail. This geocache was about a kilometer away from the first cache we found. Mom kept asking "Are we there yet?" which I suppose is a form of payback for all the times I asked her that as a little kid on the road. 

Mom Bukky had to find herself a walking stick so she could get some more traction while walking. That stick came in handy later when we went way off the trail and she was caught in some brambles, but more on that tidbit later. 

Mom was the first person to find this geocache and she used her walking stick to remove all the dead branches that had been hiding the cache.  I kept telling her to just grab it with her hands but she promptly refused stating that there could be spiders which I can completely understand. 

However, whenever she and Dad Bukky did open the cache though someone had placed a fake snake inside. So, the first thing they saw was the snake. Quite hilarious. This cache's original log was soaked with rain water as well but luckily some fellow geocacher before us had put a replacement log in the cache 2 days prior. 

On to the next geocache, Keystone Caching Caper Commemorative which was just down the road from the last geocache.  Dad and I found this one fairly easily. I made him grab it though because the top of the ammo can was covered in spider webs.  This geocache had some nifty stuff inside too! Dad really enjoyed the fake glasses that were hidden inside. 

 

Our next geocache, American Sycamore, was not one I had originally planned on taking the parents to visit but Creed decided it would be a good hike along the railroad. Thankfully no trestles were crossed and there were no trains threatening to run us over. Mom and Dad were adorable and held hands as they walked along

While I attempted to walk along on the railroad track. I only made it about half a mile before I fell off. This geocache took a long time to get to and once we got there we had to rappel down. Instead of walking back along the railroad we walked along the shoreline which was mostly rocks. Once we hit the sand, it was an easier hike. Dad and Creed skipped rocks across the lake while Mom and I sat down to take a break from hiking. We eventually made it back to the car but not before Mom fought with some brambles that had caught up around her legs. 

All in all, it was a great geocaching adventure.

West Lake McMurtry Geocache Part I

Sunny outside     ✓

Warm weather    ✓

Doors off Jeep    ✓

GPS ready to go  ✓

TIME TO GO GEOCACHING!

We set out this weekend determined to find some of the geocaches we had to forego on Valentine's Day. Last weekend, we stopped because it was getting dark and we were not entirely confident if we could even reach the other geocaches on the west side of the lake. Once again, there was a gate blocking our way to the trail, but this gate is an important gate since it blocks the road to the gun range. We were wary about crossing this gate because we didn't know where the gun range was located and we enjoy not being shot.  After studying our maps, we decided that the gun range must be to the left of the road and the hiking trail is to the right. Therefore, it was completely safe for us to walk around the gate and hit the trail. 

The trail that is about 7.5 miles long. 

it just kept winding and looping forever

So away we went hoping that our friends on the rifle team are as good as they say they are at hitting targets. There are six geocaches hidden along the Orange Trail and as much as I would like to say that we found all six we only found three.  The last three geocaches we are saving for another time when our friends can accompany us.  

It took us a good two hours to even reach the first geocache, Maggot Brain. Gross name, right? Of course, it most likely would have taken us longer if Creed hadn't taken us through a shortcut. We climbed our way over rocks and steep inclines. Kept a lookout for thorns or vines that could trip us. 

Or at least Creed did all of that. I, on the other hand, suffered the wrath of nature. 

He had gone on ahead without me and I was attempting to keep up while ensuring my camera didn't get broken. Plus, he had worn his adventure pants, aka cargo pants that protected his legs from brambles, thorns, and poison ivy, and hiking shoes. While I had worn shorts that don't protect me from anything and chacos sandals. Needless to say, my legs and feet are torn up from thorns and I'll be buying a pair of adventure pants for myself very soon and wearing my hiking boots in the future. 

Oh, and I fell into a ditch covered in fallen leaves too, so that was a fun shortcut.

Once we hit the geocache zone, I made sure I hadn't gotten any serious cuts or bruises while we rested a bit. The description of the geocache claims that from a certain perspective this area looks like a brain, but we didn't see it. However, I do agree with the owner that this area must look amazing after a rainstorm.  All those dried streambeds we hiked across must come to life after a good rainfall. It didn't take us long to find the geocache hidden in the base of a tree. It had some pretty neat stuff hidden in it as well like a box DVD set of the Beatles, which has probably been destroyed by the rain but cool nonetheless. 

area around Maggot Brain

From there we stayed on the trail since I was a little sore from falling in a ditch. It's a fairly easy trail to hike, but there are some points where it gets extremely rocky and steep. I always enjoy these points in the trail though because the roots of the trees form little steps and it's almost as if nature is building a stairway for people to go explore. 

Our next geocache, Hootie, wasn't that far away and was so adorable. The trail led us right along the lakeshore and I took several pictures along the way much to Creed's slight annoyance. I reminded him though it was in his vows to always pose for photos. Plus, he should have known pictures were going to be taken if the camera was brought along for the hike. 

at the lakeshore

The hint for this cache was "Hoot, hoot" so it was obvious that we were looking for some nocturnal bird. Some geocachers will hide the caches inside bird decoys, which not only makes it a cool geocache but also prevents muggles, non-geocachers, from noticing the caches. This cache though didn't go the typical bird decoy route. It was much cuter than that. 



Creed noticed it first and waited till I walked over to point it out to me. There might have been some girly squealing on my part on how cute I thought it was since I was expecting an ugly, old decoy.

hoot hoot

See how cute that is?! Just an adorable little owl chilling in an old tree. I'm really surprised that this cache has lasted out here this long without someone taking it.  It was at this point we debated about whether or not we should venture on to find the rest of the geocaches along the trail or if we should only find the next one and then head home. Since it had taken us three hours just to get to this point in the trail we decided one more was good enough. 

The description for the next geocache, Sleepy Hollow, had listed a few ways of traveling to the geocache. There was staying on the trail or taking one of two shortcuts because the Headless Horseman is right behind you (at least they stuck with the theme of the geocache).

We stayed on the trail. Headless Horseman only comes out at night hopefully. 

Walking up to this area was amazing.  The Sleepy Hollow tree clings to the edge of some moss covered rocks with its exposed roots tangling around each other. It leans over the small valley carved out by rainfall making its way down to the lake. In order to get down to this geocache, I had to carefully climb down the rocky edge. Camera was given to Creed so I didn't potentially break it if I fell.

confused by the items in the geocache

After trekking back up the rocks to the trail from the geocache zone, Creed proposed another shortcut back to the beginning of the trail so we could get home faster. He promised there shouldn't be any thorns or brambles along the way, so away on the shortcut we hiked. It wasn't a bad shortcut either since in reality it was the service road for the lake staff. Before the road there was a little pond full of bullfrogs and cattails and we stopped there while Creed attempted to catch a bullfrog.  The sun was beginning to set around this time so we didn't stay long at the pond and started off down the road to the beginning of the trail. The temperature was beginning to cool down from the 80 degrees it had been that afternoon. It was a peaceful walk with the prairie grasses blowing in the wind and the birds chirping along the way. 

We eventually made it back to the Jeep and traveled back home. Hopefully, the hiking out to the last three geocaches will not take as long since next time we will know where we are going. Then we can find the geocaches on the east side of the lake. 

Look forward to next week's post when we hopefully take Mom and Dad Bukky geocaching at Keystone State Park!

Valentine's Day Geocache Adventure

If you haven't heard of the grand adventure of geocaching, then you must really check it out. It's a great way to get outdoors, have some fun, and perhaps learn something new about nature.

Valentine's Day, my Facebook newsfeed was full of people getting flowers, chocolates, and going on dates. Since we are broke college kids and moving soon, we decided against exchanging presents this Valentine's Day and continued our new tradition of geocaching for the holiday.  We first set out to Sanborn Lake to find all the caches placed there. Unfortunately, we were only able to find one that was still active and not missing.

Smiley Face means we've found it!

The one geocache, named 'Bout Time, we did find was cleverly hidden. Took us a good minute to figure out where it was hidden since we are used to the coordinates being a good ten feet off the intended spot. I had even walked past it a few times, but that's nothing new. However, I am thankful that it was hidden where it was instead of the beer bottle trashed creek. (Honestly people, take your trash with you and don't leave it where innocent animals and geocachers can get hurt! Dang litterbugs.) The trek around Sanborn Lake was pretty despite the geocaches being gone. The path goes around the whole lake with some spots that lead right to the water's edge. There were a few people out fishing, so maybe it's a good fishing spot. There's a small grove of pine trees where people have set up a fire pit and some stone benches. The path is also fairly easy to walk unlike some of the other paths we hiked along on this day.

After Sanborn Lake, we travelled out to the lake we normally hike and explore around, Lake McMurtry. On our way out to the next lake, we attempted to find geocaches along the way, but many are missing.  Several geocaches we tried to find today have disappeared most likely due to all the rain this area has received over the end of summer and fall.

We decided to explore the east side of the lake where more of the geocaches are located.  We only found one geocache on today and would have set out to find more, but it was getting dark and pizza still had to be made back home.

Gates are a problem at this lake and many of the areas are closed for the winter, but that did not stop us. Parking next to the gate (the sign only said "No Parking In Front of Gate"), we hopped over and set off hiking. This geocache, McMurtry BINGO, took us to a part of the lake we have never been to before.  It is such a beautiful area! The trail, which I'm pretty confident is the Blue Trail, follows along a little creek that feeds into the lake. After finding the cache, spotted by Creed first as per usual, and placing it back into its neat hiding place it was time to explore the area. Of course, pictures were taken.

Across the little creek was an overhang of rocks covered in green moss. In the rocks, we could see small fossils and old mud dauber nests from last summer. An old tree spanned across the banks forming an arch. Creed practiced some with his sling shot that I bought him for Christmas while I walked around and took pictures. Some previous explorers before us had drawn what we assume to be Bigfoot, or Sully from Monsters Inc., in mud on the rock wall. It was an awesome place to explore around. I would definitely recommend hiking out to this spot.

Warning about Bigfoot?

            

Once the sky started turning into dusk we decided to travel back home, but not before we looked around the Catfish Cove camping area. There is a rope swing here hanging off a tree branch that looms over the lake. I decided to take a chance on the swing reasoning that one of three things would happen: I would land in the water and be freezing, I would land on the rocky ground and be hurting, or I would swing out over the lake and have fun. 

After that returning home, we finished the night out making homemade pizza and watching Netflix. All in all, I think it was a pretty great first Valentine's Day as a married couple. 

Happy Valentine's Day Y'all!