Roamin Joe's Geocaching Web Site

 

Caches placed by Roaming Joe

Roamin' Joe wants you to get outside and see things few folks have seen! My caches are placed to encourage outdoor adventure! These ain't no parking lot, park caches. Check the Topozone map link and study the terrain and mileage. Hike prepared (Ten Essentials, Proper gear and clothing). I'll keep the descriptions of where the caches are hidden easy. If you made it out to them, I'm satisfied. Just keep them hidden from any casual passer-by's.

Remember: "Travelin' feet are happy feet!"

Roamin' Joe's Very First Cache!

(Woo-Hoo!)

Aye Caramba!

New Coordinates:

N 33d 47.284'

W 116d 38.996'

Original Coordinates:

N 33d 46.912'

W 116d 37.594'

"Aye Caramba" has been "legalized"

Ok.
Here's the story:
Last May, the terrible trio (Ramblin' Dave, Stillfeet & myself) spend a weekend cruising through the woods above Idyllwild. Found a really cool spot at the end of the Caramba Trail. The creek was flowing strong, shooting horizontal over the waterfall about 4-5 feet before crashing onto the rocks below.
I had carried a cache with me, looking for a spot just like this to place it in and to lure other geocachers out to. This was perfect.

Or was it?

I was informed by geocaching.com that my cache was in a National Forest wilderness area, and therefore, illegal! It was rejected. Though it was posted on my website, NO ONE HAD FOUND IT!

Bummer.

Well, I've righted a wrong. Changed my wicked ways (or at least one of them). I've seen The Light!

"Aye Caramba" has been relocated! Onto State Park territory (if just barely).

AND, I've devised a way to make the original location a "virtual cache"!

And here's the deal:

As always, my caches aren't hard to find. I'd rather you spend your precious time in the wilderness enjoying the trail, instead of rooting around in the rocks and bushes…

Just inside the state park/national wilderness boundary, along the trail from the tramway to Law's camp, you'll find a huge, round boulder which looks like it would roll over the trail if it weren't for 4 or 5 small trees holding it back. It's an interesting enough condition that it makes a good landmark. The relocated "Aye Caramba" geocache is right behind this boulder! Can't miss it.

But don't stop there! Make it to the original location and do the following:
When you get to the original coordinates, point your compass to magnetic north. Just across the trail, in line with the pointer of your compass is a tree. You could touch the tree from the trail, so you don't have to tear up the ground hiking off trail…
Look at the base of the tree facing away from the trail. There's a small pattern laid out with small rocks. E-mail me your description of this simple geometric pattern to prove that you made it out there, and I'll post your name on my website under the "Aye Caramba" description.

We did both our trips out as overnighters, but you can easily do this in a day hike. I just enjoy being in the woods in the evening, so most of my hikes are overnighters.

Get out there!!!

 

 

 

Placed on Memorial Day May 26th, 2003 in the basin above Idyllwild, California.

Left Humber Park at 9:30am on Saturday morning and headed up the Devil's Slide trail with "Still Feet" and "Ramblin' Dave". Taquitz Rock and Suicide Rock were the dominating landmarks. It took the better part of three hours to make it up "The Slide". The Indian's have an ancient name for this trail: "Atz-abut-cika", which loosely translates to: "It's a bitch coming down, too". Made it to the Saddle Junction for a short rest, then on towards Laws Camp where we were lucky enough to snag a yellow post cancellation at the last minute. The next day it was on the trail a little further to Caramba Falls and Outlook. Didn't make it to the Outlook, as time was short, but the water falls were awesome, shooting over the rocks in a horizontal torrent! The pools looked inviting, as it was a very warm day (I'll remember to take the filter next time, Dave!), but the water was cold enough to numb your feet if you left them in for more than a minute.

Just before you drop down to the creek at the end of the trail, look to your right. There's a group of trees growing out of a nest of boulders. The cache is hidden under some sticks and needles in the middle of these.

There's a camera, log and a few trinkets in a small tupperware container with a blue lid. Take your picture and leave yer mark in the log! If there's no more film in the camera, or the log book is filled, e-mail Roamin' Joe, I'll go replace them!

PCT #1

N 32d 38.881'

W 116d 31.337'

 

Placed on Sunday June 9th, 2003 on the ridge above Star Ranch, halfway between the Mexican Border and Moreno Reservoir, along The Pacific Crest Trail, north of Campo, California.

If you find this cache, you're halfway towards Moreno Reservoir along the PCT! If you started at the monument at the border fence, you've already hoofed it north a little over 12 miles. Keep going!!! The views along Hauser Canyon just up ahead are spectacular! Don't worry, the trail up the other side of the canyon isn't as steep as it looks.

There's a camera, log and a few trinkets in a small tupperware container with a blue lid. Take your picture and leave yer mark in the log! If there's no more film in the camera, or the log book is filled, e-mail Roamin' Joe, I'll go replace them!

Sneffels

N 38d 00.073'

W 107d 49.035'

 

Stashed at the Blue Lakes (Lower) basecamp to the Dallas Creek approach to Mount Sneffels on August 14, 2003.

I shlepped this cache to basecamp to commemorate my first trip to Colorado. My wanderings took me to four of the "fourteeners" Colorado has to offer: Sneffels, Red Cloud, Sunshine and Handies. Awesome country, and weather (my partners and I survived just about the full spectrum of what the Rockies could throw at us in August: sunshine, rain, hail, snow, wind, lightning and rock slides). Bagged the four peaks, discovered old mining cabins in the woods and met some inspiring people.
Sneffels is a truly awesome mountain, try the Dallas Creek approach, instead of the much used Yankee Boy Basin approach. You'll be hiking through Blue Lakes chain and many creeks and classic glacier bowls.
The cache is uphill from one of the campsites at Lower Blue Lake, follow a fallen tree up to another perpendicular at it's the top. Follow it to an unnatural pile of rocks (it's under these to protect it from the elements).
I hope you make it out to Sneffels. It's a place I'll always remember...

Back to Basecamp!