Pushing the Limits

I recently returned to geocaching after a much needed year long break, for both mental and physical recovery. I must say getting back into the swing of things has been a blast but also an eye opener as to how rusty I am at the game. Before I left for my hiatus I was a go hard kind of guy looking for the next 5/5 to satisfy my urge to push things to the next level. If it was considered crazy or extreme, I was in. Now I find myself working back into the searching/finding groove with a few easier caches which has given me a whole new appreciation for creative hides.

I find myself, however, reading through my old logs of caches that “pushed the limits”. What I’m finding is, even though I haven’t cached for the better part of a year, these caches have but one or two (and in some cases zero) new logs. One such cache is Sportsman01’s Proposal fall’s (GC289A6) and it’s neighbour Big Bald Mountain Cache (GC7DE3) by Deep Woods. Both are amazing caches in amazing locations and explore two extremes, a hidden waterfall few even know exists in an isolated valley and the second highest peak in the Maritime’s. For someone like myself that doesn’t get caught up in the numbers game for quantity, but rather quality caches these were two of my favorites. I even camped close to the falls(next to where I parked my truck) and was able to see a moose wandering by in the wee morning hours.

There are a great deal of cachers that believe in having a caching experience rather than  “just going geocaching”. For me the days that I have spent all day getting one cache have left a bigger impression then days spend grabbing PnG’s. One such example is when my good friend Lloki and I set off for my 31st birthday to bag our first 5/5 in Northern NB. Mountian Trilogy(GCWPZ6) was a three part multi cache in the middle of nowhere. It involves point plotting(project a point), a strenuous hike with no trail through swampy and hilly terrain and very poor reception(noted in the cache description) With pure luck we found the cache and just made it back to the car before dark (and during the first  snowstorm of the year) I spent the rest of the week sick in bed but still say it was worth every minute.

So I encourage all cachers who haven’t tried their hand at caching in a remote area for a higher terrain difficulty to do so, but do so safely. Go with experienced people, cachers or not, who know the area. Seek the advice of the cache owner as to what to expect. Most times their advice will be your best asset to finding the cache and on some occasions they will offer to accompany you to ensure the best caching experience. From day trips to overnighters there really is something to be said for “extreme geocaching” from which I think every one can take something. So what are you waiting for, give it a try!