Kayak Cache Traditional Cache
Hemlock: Never should have been published as this is inside the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Smallish cache in the Newark Slough--you'll need some type of
watercraft to get there.
UPDATE 09/09/2005
No, please don't stuff me into that dusty old archive!
After months of good intentions, I finally made a maintenance trip
to the the cache, and the original cache is indeed gone.
In its stead is a new cache on the other side of the slough, in a
location I hope will be more discreet. May also be a little harder
to get to, due to shore mud. Wouldn't recommend trying it with a
tide of less than 3 feet, unless you have some a coat hanger or
some other kind of hooking device.
Cache is a yellow rubberized dry bag, with Tupperware and Ziploc
inside to (hopefully) ensure dryness for log, and a few empty
bottles on the bottom for floatation. Secured to post via sturdy
webbing strap. Initial goodie trove is a rather mean-looking rubber
salmon.
No guarantees this one will survive the forces unknown that
disappeared the last cache, so get it while it's gettable. And to
repeat from below, this is not a good first trip for a novice
kayaker. It's six-miles round trip from the neatest put-in
(Dumbarton Bridge), and you'll need to know how to read tide charts
and weather forecasts. (No seals today, BTW, but lotsa little
sharks.)
Oh, and one other set of possible helpful coordinates--N 37.30.141,
W 122.05.233 is the mouth of the slough if your approaching from
the bay.
ORIGINAL LISTING...
I've been thinking about a kayaker cache for a while--I and many
other paddlers carry GPS's, so a few besides me oughta be into
geocaching, right?
Anyhow, this one is in the Newark Slough, just south of the
Dumbarton Bridge and about a mile in from where the slough empties
into the bay. You'll need some type of reliable watercraft to get
there. I'm obviously biased in favor of kayaks, but know that if
you try it in an open-deck boat, the wind can kick up quite a bit
of chop, especially late in the day.
Closest put-in is the base of the Dumbarton Bridge, Fremont
side--just paddle south. You can also put in on the other side of
the bridge (a useful option when the road to the Dumbarton Fishing
Pier is closed for bird safety May-August) or paddle up the slough
and back from small boat ramp at the entrance to the Don Edwards
Wildlife Refuge.
Terrain rating is based on the fact you need a boat to get there,
and most people don't have one. Once you've got that licked, it's a
lovely few hours of paddling in the bay marshlands. Expect to see
numerous birds and, if you put in from the Dumbarton Bridge, one of
the bay's bigger pods of wild (ie, not Fisherman's Wharf) seals.
These guys are usually hauled out on the north bank of the slough a
half-mile or so from the mouth, and they're very unaccustomed to
humans, so stay on the opposite side to give them a wide berth, as
required by the Marine Mammal laws.
The cache is a small dry bag securely attached (I hope) in a
location that should be accessible from a boat at any tide. I don't
expect to service this one very often, due to the remoteness, so
let me know how it's doing if you go. Cache is pretty obvious for
anybody who gets that far, so feel to adjust and/or camoflage.
Per request: This is going to be a tough one if you don't own a
suitable boat. You could rent a kayak from the nearest outfitter,
California Canoe
& Kayak in Oakland and figure out a way to get it 20 miles
south, but I wouldn't recommend this for a first kayak outing, due
to tides, winds, etc. Better idea may be to make friends with
someone who has a kayak to spare. Bay Area Sea Kayakers is a great
place to meet those kind of people and receive the most thorough
kayaking instruction in the Bay Area.
Update 9/11/04: Revised the co-ordinates a bit based on feedback.
Lemme know if these get you closer. Also, allow me to advise that
it's good to plan this with the tides. Putting in from Thornton
Ave., you'd ideally want to paddle out on an ebb tide, hit the
cache around slack tide and ride back on the flood. Putting in from
the bridge, aim for the opposite. Morning is better, too, so you
aren't fighting the wind. Added photo with location of cache
marked--the challenge in this one should just be getting there!
UPDATE 4/3/05--Not sure what the last entry means--it'd be
hard to find on foot at any time--but consider this one tentative
until I can visit for maintenance, which may be a while....
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nggnpurq gb abegurea cvyvatf sbe nonaqbarq envyebnq oevqtr. Frr cubgbf sbe zber.