This is a 50 cal ammo can that we put here because 1) this nice but
little known park deserves more attention and traffic, and 2) it
has the most prolific, easily accessible patches of wild
blackberries that we know on the Coastside, and we'd like to share
them with fellow cachers.
You'll find the most productive berries along the south side of
the road within the first quarter mile. In a good year, the vines
up nearer the cache also produce. Most of them are the California
native blackberry, Rubus ursinus. They have small spines and
you can trample a way through them to reach their berries - though
watch out for intergrown nettles and poison oak. There are a few of
the non-native Himalayan blackberries, rubus discolor, along
the road. They grow larger berries and canes, and much larger
thorns - don't challenge them if you value your hide!
There are smaller patches of blackberries along the road on the
way to the old barn, and we've also found thimbleberries in the
woods, and even a few salmonberries once, out near the water tanks.
Your problem is figuring out when to come hunting, since the peak
berry season is different each summer. Our best suggestion is to
watch for ads from the 'you pick' ollalieberry places - their
season is closely related.
The cache is starting out with a USA geocoin, 'Mind Hacks' book,
'Learn to Sing' CD, an Ethernet hub, and a few historical computer
items. The cache is off the road, near a small volunteer path. It's
not in the blackberries, but they will be hard to avoid, so wear
long pants. The small path up the hill is poison oak free, but it's
around - be observant.