This checkin to GC8W7QW Forgotten Bridge reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Dropped by while out for a walk and discovered that “Gina + Kylie”, a pair of presumably non-geocachers, found the cache on Tue 8 June and left a note in the logbook! This is cool, not just because it’s always nice to find a friendly muggle but also because it proves that this path isn’t exclusively used by me (and by geocachers following in my footsteps) as I’d thought. Awesome!
This checkin to GC8W7QW Forgotten Bridge reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
The rain finally stopped this afternoon so I figured I’d take my next Zoom meeting outdoors with me and stretch my legs while I talked to work colleagues. And so I went, selfie-stick ahead of me and chatting to teammates in New York and Florence (what a world we live in!), out for a ramble and soon remembered that I was carrying Duck Race / Mustache Pink, a travel bug I’d picked up near Lands End this weekend. So I diverted my walk to come and check up on this cache (it’s looking fine!) and drop off the TB for the next leg of its journey!
This checkin to GC1VQ7G Pooh Sticks Bridge reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Coordinates brought me exactly to a tree that would match the hint… except for the fact that it’s been recently felled! (Picture attached.) No sign of cache, and anything else nearby that would fit the hint is on very-clearly-private land, so I’m concerned this cache might have vanished. :-(
Cheered myself up with a quick game of pooh sticks. I won, but that’s to be expected when you play solo.
This checkin to GC5J6JR Would you believe another Almost Motorway Mayhem? reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Stopped at the nearby services on a long journey from dropping my partner’s brother and his boat off Lands End (I can just about see my car from near the GZ: photo attached) for a hot drink and to remotely participate in a work meeting. Meeting’s not starting yet so I walked out the services’ staff exit and came up here to find this cache. Easy find, TFTC.
This checkin to GC4NTRC Motorway Mayhem M5 Michaelwood Northbound reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Stopped at the services on my way back to Oxford from Lands End, where I was dropping my partner’s brother and his skiff into the sea to begin his attempt to row the length of the UK! The boat trailer is wobbling in a curious way so I’ve been driving extra carefully, so it’s been a long journey so far (and I’ve still got the A40 to tackle!) so the opportunity for a break is a welcome one.
Cache was easy to sight – with the hint – and stealthing around the nearby truckers wasn’t hard, but prickly plants made retrieving the container a little challenging. Wish I’d brought gloves! SL, TFTC.
This checkin to GCYK2M Got A Light Boy ? Longships Lighthouse reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
I just launched my partner’s brother – shown in free attached picture – out in his rowboat to begin his attempt to row from Land’s End to John O’ Groats. Naturally this first involves rowing South, around the headland and past the lighthouse, to get to Land’s End! So I came up the hill to watch him get started. And while I was at it, I figured I’d find this cache! Took travel bug. TFTC!
This checkin to GC6VG1N "BOSISTOW FARM" reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
I arrived yesterday at nearby Raftra Farm for a weekend, mostly to launch my partner’s brother into the sea to begin his attempt to row from Land’s End to John O’ Groats (making use of inland waterways as much as possible). After a bit of a lie-in this morning, I came out for a brief walk and to find this geocache. Probably this’ll be a highlight of my day, as much of the rest of it will be dominated by catching up on the work I didn’t get done yesterday (during the drive down here from Oxford), at least until the afternoon tide turns which is when we’re doing the first launch!
Easy to find cache hidden in the most likely location – I maintain one just like this near my old house North of Oxford! TFTC.
This checkin to GC5VXQ3 Motorway Mayhem - M5 - Gloucester Services (South) reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
A quick and easy find (though I was glad of the hint when I approached the obstacle at the GZ) while travelling from Oxford to Cornwall to dump my partner’s brother in the sea for the start of his personal challenge to row the length of the UK. (Photo of our boat in tow attached!)
This checkin to GC90RH3 Tiny Log Book reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
I was in the area anyway so, following a recent DNF, I checked up on this cache. It’s in perfect condition (though I did have to empty a woodlouse out of the outer cache container) and ready to find (previous logger was probably looking in the wrong place: there’s no risk of touching a stinging plant to get this cache!).
This checkin to GC6T0EG Junior Passage reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Had to search for an embarrassingly long time before finding this one. The coordinates and the hint agreed with the (obvious) location I was looking, but I just couldn’t see it. I expanded my search to nearby candidates too before giving up and moving on with my walk.
On the way back, I decided to have another quick search before calling it a DNF… and found it straight away. I was kicking myself to not have seen it before, especially given that I’d looked at past log photos and knew exactly what I was looking for! I’ll tell you what; if either of my kids had been here today they’d have spotted it instantly! (But then… they’re about the perfect height for it…)
Thanks for the distraction while I waited to collect from the river my partner’s brother, who’s been rowing down from Bablock Hythe since yesterday.
This checkin to geohash 2012-02-19 51 -1 reflects a geohashing expedition. See more of Dan's hash logs.
Field behind Hill Barn, near the Gom’s Hole public footpath, in the valley beneath the hamlet of Clapton-on-the-Hill. About 4km outside the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.
On the second anniversary of the death of my father, a man who loved to get out into the world and get lost, I undertook my first geohashing expedition. As this seemed to be a good way to remember him I decided to repeat the experience on this, the ninth anniversary of his death, but the actual hashpoints for the day didn’t look interesting… so I opted to make my way to what would have been my nearest hashpoint on the day he died.
The weather looked horrible and the COVID lockdown (and working from home in general in recent years) has put me out of practice at cycling, so I thought a 40-50 mile round trip through the rolling hills of the Cotswolds was just the thing. This may have been a mistake, as my aching legs were able to testify for several days.
Cycling through Witney, over the hills behind Burford, and then across the Windrush valley and into Gloucestershire was a long, arduous, and damp journey, but what really got me was the wind picking up in the afternoon and giving me a headwind to fight against all the way back home.
Near the hashpoint I was able to lock my bike up at the junction between Sherbourne Street and Bourton Hill – a place shown on my map as “Gom’s Hole” which sounds exactly like what a D&D dungeon master would have a goblin would name his bar. From there I followed the footpath towards Farringdon. As the hashpoint drew closer I began to suspect that it would be unreachable: tall walls, fences, and hedges stood on both sides of the (flooded) footpath, but at the last minute they gave way to wide meadows. I turned off the path and crossed a dyke to the hashpoint, where I had a great view of hares and deer in the valley below. Minutes later, the owner of Hill Barn came over with her dog and asked what I was doing around the back of her land and why I was taking pictures, so I explained that I’d strayed from the footpath (true) because my GPS had told me too (technically true) but I was heading back down to what I could see was the path, now (true, if misleading).
She continued to watch me all the way back to my bike, so I changed my plans (which had been to eat a sandwich lunch and drink a pint of Guinness: my dad’s beer of choice) near the hashpoint and instead I cycled away to a nearby layby to have my lunch.
After a 48.3 mile round trip I got back home aching and exhausted, but pleased to have made it to this damp hashpoint.
GPX tracklog: Track 2021-02-19 RETROHASH 2012.gpx
This checkin to GC90RH3 Tiny Log Book reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Repaired and reinforced container.
This checkin to GC86MHH Top of the Footpath reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Checked up following a recent DNF. Cache had been re-hidden in a slightly different spot but is otherwise okay. Returned to the correct location. Good to go!
This checkin to GC7QG1Z Oxford’s Wild Wolf Three reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Checked up on this cache as it’s been a long time without a find. All stages and the final cache are intact and well! Final stage easier to reach than during the summer, but long trousers still pretty essential! Log book still 50% “me”.
Left travel bug – help it on its way!
This checkin to GC6K31Q Thames Path - Picnic reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Cache seems to be missing; only evidence of its hiding place remains. Made a search nearby to try to find the container but no luck.
