I will feature my latest
cache find(s) here. This section will not just feature
caches in Thousand Oaks, but wherever I may find them.
11/29/2009: What can I say? I can't get enough of the Superstition Mountains. I go to Arizona about once every year or two. When the opportunity presents itself I climb Flatiron. Thanksgiving weekend, 2009 was no exception. This time my son Jeff accompanied me on the expedition.
We got the usual early start. We were on the trail by about 8:30AM. It was a pretty cool morning, probably in the mid 40's. A storm front passed through the night before, but everything was dry, so I guess all the front brought was cooler weather.
We made pretty good time on the way up. The only thing that slowed us down was me stopping to video some of the ascent. I've documented the top a few times but have done little in the way of documenting the trip up. The video I posted on this site give a flavor of the terrain you climb and descend in the Siphon Draw.
When we reached the saddle we headed for Flatiron first. Jeff was amazed by the views. Sure he'd seen pictures I took from past trips up, but pictures don't do the place enough justice. You have to see it for yourself to truly appreciate the place.
We decided to head up to Superstition Peak which is about 400' higher than Flatiron. It's funny how I did this with John and Oz in 2005 and couldn't find the route up that we took. It seemed like there was a well worn trail all the way until we hit a boulder that we have to climb, then we were on top. Now there are lots of false trails. We did a lot more climbing and scrambling this time. Nevertheless it was fund and I got a really nice vantage point of Flat Iron and the Siphon Draw from our route.
While on top we looked south at the other Superstition Peak which is about a mile south and 30 feet higher than the one we stood on. There were very dark clouds building just south of it. We decided it was time to leave.
By the time we got to the saddle the clouds had move over head. I told Jeff we needed to get moving. I did not want to get caught up there in the rain. Those rocks can get very slippery. We made it about a quarter of the way down when the rain and hail started pouring down on us. Then the lightening hit. It reminded me of my adventure on Pyramid Peak over the summer. We kept moving, but at a much slower pace because the rocks in the Siphon Draw were as slippery as ice. Fortunately, the clouds gave way to sun before we hit the basin (a sheet of slickrock). The basin was starting to dry so we have dry spots to step on.
All told, the trip took us about 8 hours. We were sore afterward - typical of a climb up Flatiron. I can't wait to go back.
8/13/2011:Conejo Cachers Summer Meet and Greet - GC3115D
Where: Magoo's Sports Bar & Grill
When: Saturday August 13, 2011 at 6:00PM
Come join some of the Conejo Cachers for pizza, beer, and fun. This will be a great opportunity reconnect with old friends, put faces to names and have some newbies meet some veterans.
Cache In Trash Out
Ever visit a cache and think to
yourself, "What a mess"? Well, so have I... And a lot
of us are doing something about it. Ecochic has written
a great article on why you should care and how you can
help. Click here for
more.
Geocaching
From a Child's View
My daughter
drew me a picture for my birthday. Can you guess what
it is? Well I'll tell you. It's me, my wife Linda and
my daughter hiking up Boney Mountain looking for a cache.
Can you find the cache? Why it's on the other side of
the mountain of course. Good camo job.
