Dan Q

Kind: Checkins

Dan Q posted a note for GC54KVD Oxford Medical History #2: Grey matter

This checkin to GC54KVD Oxford Medical History #2: Grey matter reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Came past here the other day while some work was being done on the island. The entire area around the GZ has been torn-up and it seems likely that the cache has been muggled and that the area might no-longer be suitable for a cache. :-(

Dan Q posted a note for GC5J655 GO Active Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park

This checkin to GC5J655 GO Active Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

  1. CO hasn’t logged in in almost 3 years.
  2. Long string of DNFs.
  3. No finds in 8 months.
  4. During that time I’ve repeatedly tried to contact CO both through this site and through Go Active Oxfordshire (to report this as probably-missing and to volunteer to help with its future maintenance if they want to bring it back to life), but never received a response.

I strongly suspect that this cache is abandoned by the organisation that set it up. I’m reaching out to them today, one last time, but if they don’t respond then I suggest that this be considered for archiving by an administrator.

Geohashing expedition 2019-01-08 51 -1

This checkin to geohash 2019-01-08 51 -1 reflects a geohashing expedition. See more of Dan's hash logs.

Location

A34 near Peartree Interchange, Oxford.

Participants

  • Dan Q (whose birthday it is!)

Plans

It’s my birthday on YYYY-01-08 (Birthday geohash achievement, here I come!), and even though I have to go into work (boo!), I note that my graticule’s geohashpoint falls only about a kilometre and a half of a diversion from my usual cycle route to work. The A4260 and A34 are basically a deathtrap for cyclists, so depending on conditions and traffic I’ll probably divert via the Oxford Canal towpath from Kidlington to Peartree, park up near Peartree Services, and then finish on foot. And then go to work, I guess.

Expedition

Success! A relatively easy (but sometimes scary: the traffic’s a bit nuts on some of the major roads that provided the shortest route) journey to the hashpoint area, followed by a slightly-scary crossing of the road to the hashpoint, which turned out to be right by the crash barriers at the central reservation. The crash barriers provided a great place to tie a “The Internet Was Here” sign.

On my way away from the hashpoint, at 09:19, I hid a geocache: (“2019-01-08 51 -1, 09:19”, OK049E, GC827X6). The geocache is of the “puzzle” variety – the person looking for it is likely to discover geohashing (if they haven’t already) as part of their research into the secret location of the cache.

Achievements

Birthday Achievement
Dan Q earned the Birthday Geohash Achievement
by reaching the (51, -1) geohash on his 38th birthday, 2019-01-08.

Dan Q note OK045C The Fairy Elevator

This checkin to OK045C The Fairy Elevator reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Dropped by to perform routine maintenance to discover that this cache has been partially muggled: the lifting mechanism has been cut and the pencils have been removed. However the cache itself is otherwise functional. As a stop-gap the cache is temporarily hidden BEHIND the tree (rather the hoisted up it); I’ll look into a proper fix as soon as I’m able.

Dan Q performed maintenance for GC7R0HB The Fairy Elevator

This checkin to GC7R0HB The Fairy Elevator reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Dropped by to perform routine maintenance to discover that this cache has been partially muggled: the lifting mechanism has been cut and the pencils have been removed. However the cache itself is otherwise functional. As a stop-gap the cache is temporarily hidden BEHIND the tree (rather the hoisted up it); I’ll look into a proper fix as soon as I’m able.

Dan Q found GCG6XD Britain’s highest Geocache

This checkin to GCG6XD Britain's highest Geocache reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Found today at 11:30 with Robin, whose ascent marked his final expedition this year as part of his 52reflect.com project. I’ve been up here many, many times before since this cache was placed (and some before) but only this time taken the effort to find and sign. TFTC!

Dan Q found OK0231 St Giles Webcam Cache, Oxford

This checkin to OK0231 St Giles Webcam Cache, Oxford reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Wandered out of my office and around the corner to this cache, which has long been on my to-do list, this afternoon. Waved at the new camera!

Note to future visitors: looks like the “lag time” is about 45 seconds, so you’re likely to have to stand around a bit. I’ve attached a picture showing the window where the camera now sits so you can position yourself appropriately. Good luck!

Dan Q need-maintenance OK0231 St Giles Webcam Cache, Oxford

This checkin to OK0231 St Giles Webcam Cache, Oxford reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Looks like the webcam is now back up, but the URL on this page needs revising to https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/webcams/ and/or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh48dJYojmE.

Going to try to get out there when I can.

Dan Q performed maintenance for GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three

This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

At community suggestion, replaced containers at waypoints #1 and #2 with smaller, more-discreet variants to help reduce risk of future muggling. A geocacher still shouldn’t struggle to find these containers, though: they’re pretty obvious once you’re looking in the right place!

Dan Q posted a note for GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three

This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Visited GZ as part of maintenance; all well here, although the “obvious” path to the cache continues to become increasingly overgrown – a fallen tree in the way almost but not quite justifies putting the terrain rating up half a point.

Two bicycles seem to have been abandoned near the GZ. One belongs to hire scheme Ofo and has been reported to them. Making a note here so that if one or both are seen to still be there in the New Year they can be reported as having been “abandoned for several weeks” as per council recommendations: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20060/street_cleaning/168/report_an_abandoned_bicycle

Cache container and contents remain in perfect condition. Go find it!