In tribute to
Blac Raven - one of my favorite cache placers - this is a
replacement of The Longhunter, a cache that as originally placed,
had 8 well-hidden waypoints prior to the final, and took finders
days - if not weeks - to complete. This replaces the later
incarnation of The Longhunter, called
In a Ducks Nest. Be sure to read the description for
The Longhunter, Revisited, as well.
In January 2005, I rediscovered geocaching (having found a
couple of caches in 2003), and found it to be a great way to
explore my new home surroundings. The Longhunter was one of the
first caches I noticed, and finding it (hopefully first) became an
obsession.
I started my search on January 15, 2005, and finally completed
it (FTF!) on February 5, 2005. I was hunting this cache pretty much
every weekend day between. If I found a single waypoint on an
outing, I counted it as success.
Over time, though, Blac Raven changed the cache. First, he
eliminated Waypoint 4, which was located near where Stossel Creek
flows into the Tolt River. He was concerned about the steep hike
down there, and the very small possibility of the Swan's Mill Pond
dam upstream breaching. (Finding that waypoint - or even a way to
that spot - was a significant challenge, and with Blac Raven's
permission, I placed a
terracache there.) Upon removal of that waypoint, the
Longhunter was split into two separate multi-caches - one at
waypoint 3 and the original final. Before long, Blac Raven
eliminated waypoints 5-7 and the original final, and changed the
name to "In
a Ducks Nest." Shortly thereafter, Blac Raven sadly went
dormant.
This is a "refreshening" of that cache, using that cache's final
location and its route, but realigning some of the waypoints. There
are 2 (or 3!) waypoints, using Blac Raven's original, somewhat
unconventional numbering. The container for what had been Waypoint
3 of The Longhunter now contains the coordinates to get you started
on
The Longhunter, Revisited.
Notes about the waypoints:
- Waypoint 0: Located in the original location but with a new
container. The listed coordinates are for this waypoint.
- Waypoint 1: Located in the original location. Blac Raven
created the items here, and you can use them to find the
now-optional Waypoint 2, if you can get there (at the very least,
those coordinates might help you in route-finding). Also now a
capsule with coordinates to the final cache.
- Waypoint 2: Optional; nice view here on clear days.
- Final: Located in exactly the same location as the original
Waypoint 3 and, later, the Ducks Nest final. All of these items
were placed here by Blac Raven. Be sure to check for the info
you need for The Longhunter, Revisited.
The total hike (including getting to the Ducks Nest and continuing
on to The Longhunter) is just under 8 miles and, depending on your
approach, can be completed as a loop. Remember that this is bear
and cougar country, so keep little ones close. (Our 9 and 5 year
olds hiked this.) I highly recommend taking along a topo map -
this
one might help.
Completing these caches will take you near a number of others;
see the Longhunter description for more details.
One last thing. Many of Blac Raven's hides were very difficult
to find, exacerbated by cryptic clues and suspect coordinates. I
have attempted to make the overall effort more manageable (and also
reduce damage to flora) by including more explicit hints and,
hopefully, accurate coordinates.