I’ve exchanged messages with Taradoherty and it sounds like their previous log
(suggesting that the cache is missing) was posted in error. I’ve no reason to believe that there’s anything wrong with the cache.
In hindsight, visiting this cache might have been a mistake as a storm was beginning to roll in, but I got there before things got TOO hairy! I was in the vicinity preparing an
adventure-trail thingy along the coast path anyway, and couldn’t miss the opportunity to head for this exciting location. And it was a real treat to see a container like this: I’ve only
ever seen them before when I’ve placed them myself (e.g. GC7QG1Z). Great container, hide, and description: FP awarded. TNLN, TFTC!
Okay, I’m going for it! I’m driving from Oxford to Penzance this morning and having just watched the sun rise over Sedgemoor Services off the M5 I’ve determined that I’m ahead of
schedule by enough that I can justify a diversion, so I’m going to try for this hashpoint as I “pass”. Typing from mobile, apologies for lack of formatting ans any spelling errors; I’ll
fix them later.
Expedition
Driving from Oxford to Penzance in the world’s-smallest-rental-car isn’t a fun adventure. What is fun, though, is hitting up a graticule I’ve never hashed in before to see if I can find
the day’s hashpoint while en-route.
Parking the awfulmobile in a country lane, I followed the road and then a country footpath towards the hashpoint. I say “footpath”, but the public right of way was in dire need of
maintenance and the nettles and hedges were encroaching badly upon it. Which was troublesome, because the other side of the footpath was marked by an electric fence that I
didn’t want to touch, and so I had to shuffle sideways-at-times through the first field. The second field was easier-going, and I got a great view of the distant storm beginning to roll
in which would soak me later, as I hid adventure-game clues atop a cliff near Penzance. The third field
appeared to be where the hashpoint would be, and it was crossed by the public right of way, but I was surprised to find that the electric fence returned and now barred my way. Luckily
its owner had seen fit to put a length of plastic piping around the live wire so it was possible to jump over without burning my crotch, but this seemed a little not-the-done-thing
regardless.
The hashpoint was right in the middle of the field and an easy find. Certainly easier than the short-but-exciting hike there and back.
Photos
The gap between the electric fence and the bushes is allegedly a footpath
Nothing but farmland for miles around – the nearest settlement in the distance
That looks like a safe concession to your electric fence crossing a right of way
Checked-in following recent report of “broken hinge”. Hinge is fine, but this kind of container is designed so that the hinge can be easily detached and the lid removed completely – so
long as you come at it from the right angle it’s pretty easy to put it back together again. All is well at GZ; cache is particularly easy to find now it’s a little more wintery but I
don’t think there’s any increased risk of muggling. Happy hunting!
A challenging find this morning, and not in the good way! After an extended search the cache was eventually found on the other side of some fallen (spiky) bushes from the published
coordinates. From the logs it looks like it was moved some time ago but the coordinates were never updated? Cache contents very damp and log baggie holed – log still usable, but not for
long. Contents need maintenence ASAP, container might survive either year or two if frost doesn’t crack the seal. SL, TFTC.
Staying at the conference centre down the road I got up early this morning to come out and find this cache before breakfast. After a little while struggling to make out the letters on
the gravestone in the dim November morning light I was eventually able to find the cache. Don’t understand the checksum, though! SL, TFTC.
Sorry it took me so long to get out here to check up on this cache; geocaching.com started disbelieving that my email address was valid and stopped sending me watchlist notifications
for a while! Looks like the lid had become detached at some point (that can happen with this kind of container) but a subsequent cacher more-familiar with this kind of container
reassembled it. Dried out the container a little, but the most-fragile contents were already safely ziplocked and silica-gelled and were all in serviceable condition already.
The fairies are all busy weatherproofing their homes for the winter, so I gave them a little help too.
Fantastic hide! Stood around looking at my phone for a bit while some pot-smoking workmen nearby eyed me suspiciously, but eventually they moved away and I had a moment to retrieve the
cache. Glad I came first thing in the morning (am on my way to a conference at the National Gallery)! SL, TFTC!
I can’t help but notice that this “modern missus” is quite-literally being held back by a chain (of oppression?). Not sure that’s what the artist intended or just an unfortunate
side-effect of the way it’s been installed, though!