Oh no! Here comes one of those cdparker1
multi-caches!! Should I put it on my ignore list or should I
attempt to find it? Well, only you can decide what you want to
do. I put no caches on my ignore list. They’ll stare me in my
face until I do them or until they are archived.
The Pitch
I am not going to lead you through this multi
from spot to spot. Nope! I’m going to be really nice and give you
ALL OF THE WAYPOINTS that are considered the parts of this
multi-cache. I will tell you, no, better yet, show you what you are
looking for, in a waypoint along the way. What I will not give you
is the final location. That you get to find by yourself or in a
group. Better hurry , though, as there are talks of this area being
developed into more homes for those snobby Clifton Park
people….hey, wait a minute! I’m from Clifton Park!!!
The background
When my parents first moved to Clifton Park oh
so many years ago, they decided to buy a new house in this
neighborhood for the whopping price of about $25,000. Currently
there are two that I know of that are listed from
$199,000-$219,000. Quite a difference a few decades makes! Anyways,
Manchester Drive is where we grew up in the Northwood development.
As kids, we would walk through the woods, up to what we knew as
First Field. There were legends of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th
fields…many more than we ever really knew. Years later, I would end
up riding my dirt bike through here and my sister would ride her
horse. The trails would take you from Exit 8A down to Exit 8 or
vice versa. They would also spur off towards Dunsbach Road, one
leading to where my sister boarded her horse, and another that came
out by the trailer park. Both of those points you may come to, but
do not to try and find either of them as starting points as they do
not have access.
Access
The access became more limited when they decided
to build a couple of homes where we accessed the woods. Their
driveways took up the trail-head and other points were generally
more private, leading out of one’s backyard. Within the past decade
a couple of roads were built/extended which made for new access
points. The one that you will be using is off of Princeton Avenue
(limited to off street parking). If a group of people are
attempting to do this cache, then it may be advisable to car pool
to the parking area.
Maps?
I have broken my map down to six fields and a
hill area. I will be working on making some sort of map available.
Please make sure to mark your starting point. It is pretty easy to
NOT get lost due to the proximity to the Northway, but there are a
myriad of trails throughout this area and not a one of them are
marked. The only bush-whacking you will need to do is about a few
feet off of the trails to find the micros and a bit more to get to
the final location of the cache. The trails will get you where you
need to go, so please stay on them.
How long is this hike anyways?!?!?
Well, I guess it comes down to dumb luck. On my
first trek through the area of trails that I remembered, I closed
out my day with an odometer of 3.5 miles. Upon review, I noticed
that I had not even gotten to a spot where I rode my dirt bike. The
next trip, which was used for marking waypoints, yielded a trek of
6.5 miles. Depending on the path that you choose and where you come
into the “waypoint trail” your distance may vary. Rusty O Junk
helped me with a ‘trial-run’ and by the end of that, we had logged
around 7 miles. Going in circles, of course, will add some time and
distance to your day! Give yourself some time, bring some snacks ‘n
things, make an afternoon of it and enjoy!
Safety First
- There are a few points which exit to private property. Some of
those points you will see are used by those with either dirt bikes
or 4-wheelers. Keeping this in mind, please be careful when hiking
through the woods as they may also be out there driving.
- I have pulled off a quite a few ticks from my treks through
here so a tick-check would be advisable.
- Watch out for rusty items. I saw a van and two cars junked here
as well as sofas, couches, and other assorted garbage.
- I was also told to watch out for hunters. I have never seen any
back here, but that does not mean they are not out there.
Consideration
Speaking of that private property, please be
considerate of the people that live by some of the dead ends that
you will come across during your hike through the woods. Yes, some
of those same people were not considerate when they used the woods
as their own personal dump-site, but we don’t want to lower
ourselves to their level by adding to the trash. There is one spot
in particular that looks like a mini dump-pit…believe me, you will
know what I mean if you happen to choose that path!
Do not pass go!
This area is bordered by many homes and
businesses. Many people will most likely think you are just walking
the paths. Many will ignore you. Others, as you know, may be more
inquisitive of you or possessive of the area. Best bet is to cache
in stealth. Stay away from the waypoints that I have indicated are
boundary waypoints as those would be the ones that would give you
trouble. Stay away from the driving range. THEY WILL COME OUT IF
THEY SEE YOU! We made the mistake of crossing the back edge of the
driving range and an employee asked us what we were doing. Luckily
I saw him quick enough and put away my hammer that I was using to
place tags. Suffice it to say, a few waypoints were deleted from
the list so as to keep you further away from here. Don’t tempt
fate. STAY AWAY!!! Look at the boundary map below to see where NOT
to go!
Back to what you are doing
Park your car and pick a waypoint that you want
to visit. Find the micro to determine if you have chosen wisely or
if grasshopper has to go back to another waypoint. If you choose
incorrectly, you will find a penny with “DNF” stamped on it. If you
choose correctly, you will find a small square/rectangle of
aluminum with coordinates stamped on it. There will be multiple
correct choices to make during this cache, so you may come into the
middle of the “trail” or right at the beginning. As you find
incorrect waypoints, delete them from your GPS or mark them in some
manner so that you know that you have been there. When you get to
the final micro, it will have stamped upon it “FINAL” so that you
know that your quest will be over once you find that “Final”.
Remind you of…?
Ever read one of those books that lets you
choose where the story goes by going to one page or another page?
That is the inspiration to this one. So, I guess I lied earlier
when I said that I would let you choose the path and that I would
not be leading you hand in hand to the subsequent spot. But you do
get to choose where you start and, by that, you choose your
destiny.
The micros…
Most tags are within a few feet of the trail,
placed so that the non-cacher should not see them. It’s all about
the angle. The reception in here varies due to tree cover. If you
are having problems finding a tag, try spreading out a bit. They
are all nailed to trees from waist-height to about head-height and
look like….
Bring this too!
Print out and bring the waypoint portion of this cache with you.
Trust me, it will make things much easier!
Found it?
When you arrive for the final, you will be
searching for a cache container that is cylindrical in shape. If
you are doing this cache during the winter months, it is reasonable
that it could get frozen in place. If this is the case, then you
can unscrew the top of the container to access its contents. Please
re-hide better than you found it.
First To Find item…
The FTF for this cache will find an unactivated geocoin in the
cache container
Bonus?
For the astute: find the clues to be able to search for another
cache. This is the only way to log that cache.
Disclaimer: You, and all members of your party must read and
agree to the www.geocaching.com disclaimer. In addition, you all
must agree to hold the cache owner, www.geocaching.com, and the
land owners harmless from any and all causes for action. You and
all other members of your party must individually and collectively
determine your/their physical fitness and outdoors/hiking skill
levels, decide whether or not to visit the various cache locations,
and whether or not it is safe and prudent to do so under the
conditions that will be encountered. Cache seekers assume all risks
involved in seeking these cache locations.