As promised, in this blog post we’re going on a cache hunt!
The following is a excerpt from one of our more memorable cache finds. There are many more than just this one for sure. In later blogs we’ll include a few more, but this one is special because of the physicality of getting to the location where the cache container is hidden.
As an introduction, here is the cache owner’s description of the location, as listed on the cache page:
Ole Swimmin’ Hole
Many rivers, streams, and creeks, born in the Great Smoky Mountains, run down into the lower land hollows and valleys, forming swimming holes for local residents cooling pleasures.
Swimin’ Hole-Little Pigeon River
Put on your swimsuit….you’ll be getting wet in your quest for this this cache, as it is very near a Little Pigeon River swimming hole, that many of the local residents will utilize to wade, swim, fish or just cool off on hot mountain summer days. Additionally there are two rope swings available for the young and adventurous types, to use at their own risk.
This cache is located on the other side of the Little Pigeon River from a pulloff on Maples Branch Road in Richardson Cove, Sevier County, Tennessee. On most occasions the water, in crossing the river, will be at a minimum of waist depth; if one chooses a “wading” route, otherwise a very short swim will be encountered.
Once the bank, on the other side of the river, has been reached, a steep, somewhat treacherous incline riddled with sawbrier, will be traversed before reaching this cache.
WARNING: If recent heavy rainfalls have occured; it is suggested, not to attempt crossing and, the pursuit of the cache should be left for another day. The same suggestion applys for cold, off seasonal days! Do not attempt to cross the farmers field from Pittman Center Road to find this cache, the farmer does not allow crossing his property!!
A 50 mil ammo box is located somewhere near the top of the bank, let your gpsr (that you protected and kept dry on the crossing) guide you there.
Please remember the exact place and position you retrieve the cache so as to return it in the same manner! Retrieve from off river side of tree so as to preserve camoflauge.
Get wet, cool off and enjoy the hunt!
The above is a very good example of a good cache description. It gives some history, a little bit of info about the area, and it also gives very important warnings as to what you should and shouldn’t do when making the decision to go after the box. (the part in RED)
Now we get into some of the adventures other cachers have had in trying to find this particular cache.
I find the logs other cachers post after finding caches to be quite entertaining sometimes. This cache is no exception. The fact that one pretty much needs to swim to get to it, lends itself to some very interesting stories.
Here we go…(click on the thumbnails for larger pictures)
September 30, 2007 by puppyluv68 (87 found)
water is low… wet a lil’ above our knees
as we were putting the cache away, muggles were all over the parking area, had us blocked in… as we started to wade back over, we realized it was a local church who had come for a Baptism… we sat and watched til it was over.
Thanks for the cache, nice area!
August 26, 2006 by fluffy&itchy (3977 found)
Well ol’ fluff has always thought she could walk on water. This cache proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt that she definitely can!!!
This one has been taunting me for at least a year and a half. First I was in leg casts for what it seemed like was a lifetime. Then work got in the way. Then it was too cold. Then, well I just never could find the time to go after it. But it just kept gnawing at me. I just decided it wasn’t going to gnaw at me anymore, so I headed off to the bag the sucker.
One big problem though… fluffy don’t do well in that cold mountain water. Hmmmm. This one needs a little pre-deployment survey methinks.
So I put on my thinking cap and came up with a way to get the cache without the swimming part. Although, I sure did feel like jumping in after slipping and sliding all over that hill for an hour in 95 degree heat!
I managed to avoid the electric fence but a piece of stealth barbed wire made a new scar on my right knee. Not to worry though. The poison ivy leaves wiped off all the blood that was dripping down my leg from the barbed wire and the saw briars.
There were several locals swimming all the time I was slipping and sliding. I’m sure they wondered “what that crazy person was doing over there”, but they never said a word.
I loved the challenge of this one. Both mental and physical. Although I made it harder than it needed to be, I did it of my own free will and enjoyed every minute of it.
Now it’s time to go home and hope to wash off the poison ivy before it takes hold and put a sterile dressing on that bloody scar.
T- nothing
L- Green Jeep TB and unactivated Geoquest coin
August 12, 2005 by DMflyer (3759 found)
I have to agree with others, this WAS the BEST cache of a whole day of caching !
Tried crossing at the pullover but was too deep to wade, went downstream a bit, was able to wade across only knee deep. Took my boots with me, tied together over my shoulder. Sure glad I did. Needed ’em ! Briars and thorns galore. Found the barbwired. Glad I had on boots.
Came to within 12ft of the coordinates and there it was like magic!
Traded the stuffed smiley-faced football, (the $20 was gone already) for a Walt Disney World coaster. (should be fine even if its wet, unlike the smiley face)
Took a few pictures, had some trouble getting back down to the water (butt slide) but that will heal 🙂
November 6, 2004 by dozer&thedirtclods (6146 found)
I went with the FAMOUS BBB & B1/2 caching today/night
this was one of many caches on this cache run from Wears Valley to K-TOWN Started 10:00am from Sweet-H20 and returned at 4:30am(11/7/04)
WELL let me see about this cache…..
We got to the area and we checked it out..Checked the water temp..This time of the year it was COLD!!!!!!!!!
So decided to change and go on across..
BBB decided he would stay on the bank and B 1/2 was taking the pictures. As I was going across and the water was getting deeper and as I was taking it SLOWLY….and making sure I didn’t have to get rescued..FINALLY across to the other side and start to fight the BRIARS…then I stopped and looked at the GPS…it said look upward and the STEEP hillside…Told my myself I will NOT turn around now.
I was wearing thermals under my clothes. I am glad I did cause I had holes in my outer layer of clothes from the briars. I had a few scratches and bleeding but went forward to the cache.
Coords were great. I found the cache and signed the log, took the mints. Then, I decided to take a different way back..It was alots easier.
This cache will be one of the most memorable ones I have done.
Great hide/cache
ON to the next closest cache
Thanks for the adventure SHACONAGE!!!
Momma DirtClod
October 31, 2004 by FawverFamily (5902 found)
Got this one done today. It’s been on my “Close To Home” list for a long time and I wanted to clear it off before it got too cold.
My wife and one of our daughters went for this one. The wife stayed dry to take pictures of what was to come. That left me and my daughter to brave the elements.
In the water we go, moving slowly in the COLD water trying to find the high spots so we don’t get too wet. Got over to the other end just fine. Found cache, signed log and replaced where we found it.
Now, back to the other side.
Back in the water we go…hmmm with the sun at the angle it was, we couldn’t see the bottom like we could on the way over. No problem, I remember where we crossed. It’s right over theeeeeeeeerrrrrr.
Man!!! What a hole!
I am now VERY wet, up to my neck! I make it out of that hole and point my daughter up stream telling her, go that way, it’s got to be higher ground……wrong!!! She finds a hole just like I did, now she is up to her neck in cold water! We were laughing very hard the entire time!!!
We got out of the “hole zone” and finally made it back to the other side. Wouldn’t ya know it, the wife got pictures of all of this. I will upload them for your viewing pleasure as well. Had a ball on this one…Thanks for the fun time….
This cache had many elements that originally drew us to the game:
- Physically challenging
- Mentally challenging
- took us to a cool place we would have probably never found had there not been a cache to find there
- it offered an opportunity for families to do something together in the outdoors
Hope you enjoyed reliving this hunt with us. There’s much more where that one came from, so stay tuned!
Happy caching…