Cornell Finch

Missed FTF by 40 Feet

If you’re a premium member on geocaching.com then you’ll be able to get (almost) instant notification by email, to any email address you specify when a new cache is published.

Last night I went out in the dark[1. Not as bad as another cacher who visited the cache at 1am!], into the woods, and shit myself up getting FTF on Dave’s Detour, the email arrived this afternoon for a new cache very close by.

Within three minutes of the email arriving I was in the car, data loaded to the GPSr, and on my way. I’ll let the log from the cache tell the rest:

As the saying goes – “Missed it by that much”! In this case about 40 feet.

I got the email, downloaded the details to the GPSr, jumped in the car and arrived at GZ within about 10 minutes. I then spent 20 minutes searching entirely the wrong area! This voice comes from the other side of the trees “We’ve got one of those too!” A few (very) quick introductions and then another voice goes “Got it!” I suppose it’s Karma for scaring myself silly through the woods at Dave’s Detour last night!

It would also appear that my little blue Mini is becoming something of a celebrity in the local GC community too! Was lovely to meet the Toby Tortoise gang and after a few swapped stories we bid each other goodbye and went our separate ways.

Signed the log but TNLN, not even the FTF Certificate.

Congratulations to Toby Tortoise and many thanks for the cache.

What I didn’t write in the log was that I am extremely pissed at myself for being so far out. GPS was saying I was right on top with about 16 feet accuracy and the clue matched thelocation beautifully. Then the other cachers come along, walk straight past and straight to the cache. Grrrr!

FTF = First To Find and TNLN is Took Nothing, Left Nothing. It’s a common practice in geocaching to swap “swag”, usually cheap stuff aimed at the kids as it keeps them interested. I’ve heard a number of people say that their kids love “hunting for the treasure”.

Can’t win ‘em all and as I had the FTF on the other cache from the same cache owner last night I shouldn’t grumble too much.

Oh, I also picked up cache number 100 this afternoon. I logged DNF[2. Did Not Find] on a devious hide (more on that when I have found it!) and decided to go for an easy one before heading home with the dogs. Somewhere Near The Middle #3 was logged as my 100th find. I need to find another 100 by the end of October to keep up the current find rate. I have a week off in August, guess what I’m doing…