FTF HAT TRICK

Whoa! An FTF Hat Trick by a cacher (moi) who doesn't even try to get FTFs? Yep, and it's the best kind... the kind that find me.

Last time I did this was almost six years ago. Then, I was going for it. This time, I just happened to head to some caches that had been published just before 10:00 pm the evening before. The fact that the morning was waning and that I stopped at another cache on the way meant I was not expecting these hides to have virgin logs.

As I entered the Hunter Russell Nature Trail along Willow Creek in Midhurst, I checked the logs on the first hide at the bridge. No logs? Refresh. Still no logs? Can't be. The FTF hounds have been here, and just haven't logged the find yet. But when I found the cache, the log sheet was fresh. FTF number one: GC3VHD7.

I headed to the Cedar View cache further along the trail, but now my pace was a little faster than usual. I may not go seeking FTFs, but when they are suddenly staring me in the face, that ol' FTF excitement comes back. But I couldn't find it!

I moved on to Hemlock's Neighbour, which proved to be very difficult. The GPSr told me to search an area, then it would tell me, no, go over there instead. Then over there. Then back to the first spot. This was a 3-star difficulty hide, so I was already composing my DNF entry in my head when I stumbled on the cache's namesake. It was obvious. But it was still exceedingly difficult.

Finally I found it, and yeah, it was hard. Although, if future finders don't hide it exactly as they found it, it may be slightly easier. As I was signing the virgin log roll, I heard someone behind me. It was local geocacher Blunderbutts. FTF number two: GC3VHCX.

After signing, we returned the cache, then headed over to Cedar View together. Once there I focused on one area that seemed promising, but neither of us were finding this pesky 2.5-star hide in the large clump of cedar. Then, I looked in a direction I had not looked in before -- and I'll let you guess what direction that could possibly be -- and there it was. FTF number three (with Blunderbutts): GC3VHD3.

Let's just say that some "vertically challenged" cachers may have trouble with this one.

There you have it... three FTFs I just happened to stumble across. Thanks to CocoD for putting this series of three geocaches along a great trail. I am sure it will lead many to discover a wonderful local area they did not know existed.