The story behind the cache.
On July 14, 2013 I hosted a hike in my Sunday Morning Hiking Series up to Lone Rock. A little bit below there about half the group was getting pooped so we decided to turn back early. Knowing I planned to hike up to Lone Peak later that week I was fine to turn with this group. Three intrepid hikers, PipBoy3000, half of Two Night Owls and The NightFox decided to push on to the designated goal. They really wanted to find the next two caches.
When I planned the hike I checked out the caches in the area. It looked like the one at Lone Rock, Lower Rung Cache, could be missing. There were several DNFs including a group who had a cacher with them who'd found it previously. The last online find of the cache was questionable because the cacher had logged no other caches in the area except the virtual at the top of Lone Peak. Since The NightFox brought a container to place as usual, he decided if it was missing he'd place a new one. So the two groups went their separate ways.
The group of three rejoined the rest of the hikers in the parking lot for cold beverages about a half hour later. At this point The NightFox confirmed they could not find the original cache and he placed a new container at Lone Rock. However, I was unclear on whether it was a replacement for the original or he was going to wait until the old one was archived after we all posted "Needs Archived" then publish his.
Four days later I set out for my trek up Lone Peak. I stopped to find the cache at Lone Rock. The NightFox hadn't mentioned where he hid his cache. I thought I'd try searching at the original coordinates in case he did do it as a replacement. If I couldn't find it, I'd give him a call for the coordinates and sign it as STF pending publication and a legitimate find. I head where my GPS points and soon find a lid to a peanut butter jar sticking out. The container looks all shiny new; it must be The NightFox's. I pull it out expecting to find a shiny clean log, only to realize I'm holding the original cache. That questionable find? There's the cacher's signature right there. Well how about that?! I sign the log. Knowing there is still another container around here somewhere, I call The NightFox. He describes where his container is. I make the find promising to return his container next time I see him. He's not that excited about it as he's "got a million of them".
I head up the trail a bit farther and get an idea. The NightFox has a pretty good streak going of hiding a cache on every one of SMHS hikes he's attended. He was clearly trying to continue it here. Poor guy. It's a shame to break his streak. What if I hide the container, publish it, let him find it, then he can adopt it? Yeah, that's it! So here it is. Happy hunting!!
Congrats to that ever smiling self-portrait taker Bonolo on FTF!!