Dan Q

Tag: geocaching

Dan Q found GC98N5E Tar Lakes/South Leigh Loop #11 One Tree Hill

This checkin to GC98N5E Tar Lakes/South Leigh Loop #11 One Tree Hill reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Deer were prancing around the fields as I came through, and I realised that the hiding place for this cache must be near a place I’d thought about once as a possible hiding place myself, when I first moved to the area and took a walk this way (before I’d looked at the local caches!). While retrieving the cache a dog walker came the other way and, seeing a cyclist on a not-entirely-cycle-friendly path, probing around looking for something, asked about my activity. He’d never heard of geocaching, but he’d heard of hide-and-seek and he’d heard of orienteering, and seemed happy enough to accept that it was some combination of these two.

Dog walker in a recently turned-over field.

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Dan Q found GC98N4Z Tar Lakes/South Leigh Loop #10 Up

This checkin to GC98N4Z Tar Lakes/South Leigh Loop #10 Up reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Came out for a cycle tour today to complete the loop: I covered the first half – with the exception of a DNF at #9 – last month, and I was itching to get out and complete the second half. (Having gotten home after this second expedition I see that #9 has been repaired/improved, so I’ll fly by and give that another go sometime soon!)

I was glad to have brought my bike lights: even though it’s a while until sunset it was helpful to find my way in the wooded area that surrounds this cache. Great hiding place for this one: the only cache I’ve come across of a remotely similar design was my own GC7R0HB (which sadly got muggled one too many times and had to be archived a few years ago).

Dan cycling towards South Leigh.

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Dan Q performed maintenance for GC9EXXX Church Micro 14129…Sutton

This checkin to GC9EXXX Church Micro 14129...Sutton reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Visited to check on this new cache: especially as the container is a new design I wanted to do an early checkin to ensure it’s bedded in nicely. Glad to say all is well! Also dropped off Paul The Sea Horse, a Travel Bug I found up in Derbyshire who’s still got a couple of years exploring left in him before he completes his ten year mission! Please help him move along if you can.

Dan Q performed maintenance for GC9EXX4 The Bisected Footpath of Blackditch Fields

This checkin to GC9EXX4 The Bisected Footpath of Blackditch Fields reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Dropped by to check in on this new cache (always worth checking that a new cache is settling in alright!) and to dip a TB. All is well. Also discovered that through the kissing gate on the opposite side of the road there’s a crop of the plumpest and brightest sloes I’ve seen in years. So if you’re in the vicinity and fancy a lip-curling snack (or you’ve plans to adulterate some gin!) take a look!

“Perfect Fit” cheap & easy post topper geocache

For GC9EXXX Church Micro 14129…Sutton, a geocache I recently set up, I wanted to use a “pole topper” style cache. I’ve always felt slightly let down by finding yet another magnetic nano stuck inside a pipe, so I wanted to do something better. You can watch the video here or on YouTube, or scroll down for written instructions.

You will need:

Steps:

  1. Sand down the lid and the inside of the pole topper so the glue adheres to it better.
  2. Mix up your 2-part epoxy in the pole topper. Don’t use too much or it’ll overflow and block the lid from closing.
  3. Put the lid into the pole topper and press down firmly and evenly to squeeze out any air bubbles.
  4. While you’re waiting for the epoxy to set, file off the flange around the edge of the tub. It’s there to catch drips but you’re not going to be storing food anyway! The lid is easier to take on and off with the flange filed away.
  5. Finally, roughen the bottom edge of the tub with some sandpaper to make it easier to grip when opening and closing the container.

Music:

For Lorilyn by Casey LaLonde, used under a CC-NC Creative Commons License.

Video posted at UTC on .

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Dan Q archived GC8YZKJ Sunken Bunker

This checkin to GC8YZKJ Sunken Bunker reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

When I first placed this cache I failed to accommodate for how high the river might get during summer floods. I’d chained it to the bridge to help stop it from disappearing, but that instead introduced a new problem: after a flood it’d be left hanging in a highly-visible spot and attract muggle vandalism. The net result is I’ve had to retire this cache.

Dan Q archived GC86MHH Top of the Footpath

This checkin to GC86MHH Top of the Footpath reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Visited to check on this container and can confirm that it’s completely seized and unopenable. The end cap that used to provide it with cover (and a hiding place for a pencil) is gone, too, and this (combined with the fact that I no longer live around the corner) feels like a sign that this one needs archiving.

Dan Q archived GC86MTH Yarnton Lane

This checkin to GC86MTH Yarnton Lane reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Following a run of DNFs I drove over here to check on this cache but it is indeed missing. As this location is no longer in walking distance of my home I’m retiring it to free up what is a pretty convenient hook for some other cacher!

Empty hook where the geocache used to hang.

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Dan Q archived 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.

One final visit to retrieve the container from this increasingly inaccessible multi. Braved copious nettle stings to get there and back the “short way”, then began a quick tour of Kidlington to retrieve any surviving clue stages. Sad to see this one go, but the epic container will live on in a future cache, someday!

Dan with Oxford's the Wild Wolf 3 final stage cache container.

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Dan Q found GC95GZY Fairhaven South 2

This checkin to GC95GZY Fairhaven South 2 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Nice easy find for fleeblewidget and I while on the way to pick up our kids from my mother’s house and take them home to Oxfordshire. A beautiful day for an explore around the dunes but sadly we can’t stop, we’ve places to be! Nice to see the lake, though. TFTC.

Dan Q found GC56XWR Pendle 12

This checkin to GC56XWR Pendle 12 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Coming back down from our walk, this was fleeblewidget and I’s last cache of the morning. The shadow of the hill disrupted my GNSS signals and threw us off by a few metres, but fleeblewidget soon spotted the right hiding place and we had the cache in hand. TFTC.

Dan Q found GC1BQK0 Pendle Summit

This checkin to GC1BQK0 Pendle Summit reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

A very easy find (with spot-on coordinates fed good sky views to ensure a solid lock) for fleeblewidget and I late this morning, after a hot hit satisfying ascent up the Big End. TFTC.

Shortly afterwards we met Steve Taylor (pictured) carrying a bathtub up the hill! Turns out he’s planning to do this 45+ times over the course of the next few weeks in order to raise money to fight Cystic Fibrosis! We promised to sponsor a couple of rubber ducks for hours bathtub upon our return to our accommodation.

Steve Taylor climbing Pendle Hill carrying a bathtub for at least the second time this morning.

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Dan Q found GC1HW0N Penhul Hyll

This checkin to GC1HW0N Penhul Hyll reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

My partner fleeblewidget and I are celebrating 14 years together as a couple with a glamping holiday near Sawley and took the opportunity to climb up Pendle Hill this morning. I’ve many fond memories of taking this route with my father, when he was alive, and it’s interesting to be able to see how, just on the timescales of my own life, the shape of this hillside has changed owing to smaller landslides. Lower down, for example, human-caused erosion (picture attached) has damaged our destroyed paths I used to take, and new fences encourage climbers onto alternative routes. We also observed evidence (picture attached) of an older landslide, with a cliff of relatively new earth exposed where there clearly used to be a grassy/rocky slope.

Views were very good today and we could just about make out what we assume is the Ribble estuary in the distance from near the summit. A great and enjoyable expedition. Picture of the two of us at the trig point attached. TFTC.