Treasure Hidden in a Field - 2/7/2010

Treasure Hidden in a Field by Worldtraveler (GCF1D5) is a multicache that I had avoided for years. When I first started geocaching, I had within a year found all but 5 or 6 caches in Memphis/Shelby County. This cache was one of those. There were a number of reasons. My friend jbgreer had already hunted it, so he wouldn't be going with me. It was a 5 stage (at the time) cache surrounded by lots of simpler and easier caches. The area of the cache had muggles at any given time. There were terrain challenges mentioned in the cache description. I had all kinds of excuses.

Well, on this day I decided that I would go over to the first stage and scout out the area. I arrived at an empty church parking lot. No muggles today. I found the information needed for the first stage quick enough so I figured I'd see if I could find it. A short walk later, I was at the first stage. Excellent technique and by sheer luck, I found it immediately. With the coordinates (and other information) in hand, I set off for the second stage. This took me across easy terrain, back past my car, across a field and into an area where people obviously played paintball.

The trail was muddy and the surrounding grass was wet, so I wasn't sure I'd get much further. The second stage was nicely hidden, but again, easily found. I wrote down the next set of coordinates (and other information) and plotted the next stage. This would take me across a water-filled gully. I still had an hour or so of daylight left, so I decided to walk back to my car and put on my rubber boots. I also changed out my GPSr batteries. The gully, while it didn't appear deep, had deep mud and my boots were barely tall enough to keep me dry. No problems, though, and I made my way easily to the third stage. The container had dislodged itself from its hide spot, so I found it with little effort. Instead of coordinates to the final stage, I had to project a waypoint. I hadn't done that in a while, but on this day, luck was on my side. I projected the waypoint and hiked around thorny bushes and through muddy waters to where my coordinates led.

This final stage was the toughest one for me. I looked all over everything all around and no cache. I had about 30 minutes of good daylight left and I was starting to get frustrated. I looked at the hint and it said "Think sepulchre". I had no idea what a "sepulchre" was so I tried to call my good friend jbgreer and ask him. No answer. "Jesus", I said, "What in the heck is a sepulchre?!?" and then it hit me - Jesus was entombed in a sepulchre.

About that time I spotted the hide! I retrieved the ammo can, covered in mud and spiderwebs, and used the information I wrote down at each stage to get inside. It was packed full of swag - more than I'd seen in a long time. I took a Civil War geocoin to move on, signed the logbook and sealed the cache back up.

I hiked back to the parking area and sat down at a picnic table to change back into my shoes. I decided to relax for a few minutes looking out across the field and basking in the glory of a great cache hunt!

This had to rank up there as one of the most fun solo caching experiences I have had in a while. Maybe it was the creativity of the hides, or the cool swag in the final cache. Maybe it had more to do with the relative ease in which I found the stages - and the great weather. Anyways, this will probably make it on the list of my favorite finds of 2010.

[ The next morning's view from my window ]