The Geoduck Place Traditional Cache
ohjoy!: Due to this hiding place first being bent and then broken off, I created a totally different hide and am submitting a new cache for all to enjoy. Watch for "Return of the Geoduck."
Thanks for your patience with this one. As long as cachers follow the rules, the new one should last a long time.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This spot has such memories for me. It is where we used to collect geoducks when I worked at The Seattle Aquarium. More about that below if you are interested.
Important Instructions and explanations:
9/5/06 - the container has changed and the difficulty level increased. It is still in the same location. However, retrieval will be more difficult. Seagulls will no longer be able to fly away with it.
Ask yourself, "How can I retrieve this cache without doing any damage whatsoever to the container? What would ohjoy! do to make it possible to retrieve it?"
If you discover the correct technique, it will be a piece of cake, or as simple as pie, whichever food you prefer.
If you cannot retrieve it, a DNF will be in order at which time I will tell you how to get the cache out.
** Solo Point is closed during hours of darkness.
** No swimming – you are right next to a sewage plant outfall.
** No boat launching and long term parking without a permit - you don't need a boat to find this cache.
** No need to go anywhere near the RR tracks. The crossing as you enter the park has drop-down gates in the event a train is going by.
So now - the geoduck collecting trips – we were only permitted to collect a few each visit, and we couldn’t use any tools for fear of damaging the geoducks that would go on display at the facility.
While only about 15’ below the surface, we would locate a geoduck, and then dig down into the sand. To do this, we would rotate our hands and arms. Our bodies would also rotate, leaving a circle of fin prints around the spot. The two divers would each take a turn collecting a geoduck. One would work at retrieving a geoduck while the other one would hover above the cloud of silt and sand, watching.
The geoduck would retract its neck, but it didn’t have the ability to dig any deeper with a foot less than 1" in length, so once we had the right location, all it took was persistence until finally our hand was under the entire animal. By then it was usually easy to rotate it up and out of the sand.
The animals never left the water. We brought coolers down to the water where we filled them, slipped the geoducks in, and then carried them to the truck. We immediately placed thick rubber bands around them to simulate the pressure of the sand.
And believe it or not, we even got paid to play like this! So if you ever go to The Aquarium and see rubber bands around the geoducks, you have a little bit of inside information you can share with others.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
arne gur jngre'f rqtr
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures