Cache Slash Fever

When it comes to geocaching, Cynical and I are newcomers to the game. We rely on the guidance of more experienced and seasoned hunters. When we heard our gurus were hosting a cache finding event, we marked our calendars and made plans to attend. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate fall. Leaves are in their full glory north of us and Saturday promised a beautiful day and delivered.

On Friday, with GPS unit and knitting in hand, we made the trek north and prepared for Saturday's Cache Slash Fest 2006.

Not only are the organizers knee deep into caching, but they are as equally enthralled with all that is Halloween. It makes for a great combination. They blended their love of both into a very creative and well-organized event. Saturday's schedule not only included finding eight unique caches, but a bonfire, hayride, ghosthunter presentation and lots and lots of food.

It didn't stop there, as the crew had constructed and displayed several incredible creations dotting the yards of the hosts including a corpse launching mausoleum; a poor soul beheaded by an authentic guilotine; a shaking, grinning electric chair victim; acid spitting alien and a gas chamber. (At Chez Ragged, we thought that our carved pumpkin was unique. Now we know better.)

As I mentioned, we are novices, so we were at first a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of expertise around us as we listened to the pros tell stories of their most unique hunts and hides.

I think what impressed me the most was the camaraderie amongst the cachers. I am always fascinated by the fact that a common interest can bring together people from all backgrounds, all lifestyles and all areas.

The evening was wrapped up with a visit to a local cemetery where a presentation was made by a ghosthunter. I must admit that I have never put much stock in that sort of thing, but he certainly made me wonder.

After his presentation, we were invited to shoot some photos and test the equipment. Cynical and I chose instead to reinact scenes from the Blair Witch Project. (There is photographic proof, complete with a nose shot, but I fear we can never share it here.)

It made for a full and fun day. And we slept like babies, babies on Benadryl.

Unable to find two of the eight caches (I am certain it isn't because I had to trek three times back to the same cache because we didn't follow instructions or that we at one point simply drove in circles), we vowed to find them on Sunday and that we did, thanks to Needlefingers and Pilot. During our hunt we came across the most picturesque cemetery. A beautiful rod iron gate greeted us as we made our way down a tree-lined path. It was breathtaking. I know that often cemeteries are creepy, but I found this serene and beautiful. Geocaching brings us to places we'd never stumble across. That's the greatest reward for me.

We headed home, tired, rejuvenated in our geocaching and looking forward to next year.

I attempted to sleep on the way home, but found myself trying to wrap up my second set of socks in honor of Socktoberfest.

Just a few shots from the weekend: some of the Halloween decorations. I just couldn't do them justice. A shot of a fallen tombstone shot during the ghosthunter presentation.