Fernley and South

After being sick for most of December, caching was desperately calling our names. GeoJeep was lonely and we were starting to get the shakes from withdrawal. So today we planned a trip to Fernley, south to Fort Churchill and home on Mikes favorite road, Six Mile Canyon, through Virginia City. The day started out cold but sunny and soon warmed up so we could cache without our coats.

We headed straight to Fernley with no stops in between with a list of 18 caches. We made our first find quickly and then were stumped by the next cache at the busy intersection of Highway 50 and Highway 95. These type of caches are our worst nightmare. We can’t find anything when we are standing in the middle of traffic and are feeling very conspicuous. This was no exception. We searched for about 15 minutes and then decided to phone a friend for help. That got us nothing but voicemail. About that time our stubborn streak kicked in and we weren’t about to give up. We headed back to GZ and this time the cache practically slapped us in the face. It couldn’t have been more out in the open if it tried. We signed the log with a big sigh and headed on to the next.

Eight caches later we were ready to head down 95 to the Fort Churchill area. We weren’t sure what the roads might be like in the mountains around Fort Churchill because it had snowed a few days ago, but what the heck, we decided to give it a try. As we headed south, the snow in the mountains diminished and our hopes were high. Sure enough we were able to get to the top of the mountain where the cache was located and we found the “Rat with a View”. After signing the log, we enjoyed the view while we ate our lunch. We found one more in the state park and then headed south again.

A few caches later, we were on our way to “A Comfortable Saddle”. The road in was a well maintained dirt road and we were able to get to within .3 miles of the cache. Unfortunately, the cache was located at the top of a very steep hill. First we went around to the south looking for a way up. No way! Back we went and headed north. Still no easy way so we began the climb. We had to negotiate a rock fall that almost caused GeoJeepette to fall, but luckily she recovered before rolling down the hill. On we went, climbing higher and higher, huffing and puffing harder and harder. At last we were at the top and we found the cache. It was cold, windy, and miserable by now but we were actually sweating. We enjoyed the view for a few minutes and then headed down. As we were making our way down, the smallest train we’ve ever seen roared past (just the engine) and honked it’s horn and waved. They probably thought we were crazy and who’s to say we aren’t! Back at the jeep we were just glad our hearts were strong and we had survived to tell the tale.

Since it was getting late in the day, it was time to head north to Silver Springs and try for two more caches in the hills. As we made our way up the dirt road, the snow began to get thicker and thicker and where there wasn’t snow, there was mud. GeoJeep’s tires were just hunks of mud by the time we reached the first cache. We again had to hike a little ways and by the time we found the cache our shoes were also hunks of mud. Back at the Jeep, we tried to knock the mud off, but I’m afraid the inside of GeoJeep needs a little attention. The sun was beginning to set, so it was time to leave the mountains before the roads froze. We made one more stop along Highway 50 for an easy historical marker cache and then we headed home up Six MIle Canyon, through Virginia City and down to Reno. We ended up with 13 caches. One we looked for was missing and we ran out of time for the rest. Oh well, they’ll be there next spring too.