To catch up / pull ahead of Adam (UKCacheMag) in terms of number of caches found I need to maximise my numbers when planning cache trips, which isn’t easy as I have done almost all of the large concentrations of caches around here. So this time I thought I would do not one but two cache series, which do meet each other and form a figure 8 total walk around the villages of Scarcroft and Bardsey to the NE of Leeds
15th April 2012 – White Horse View GC1FHYG – cache #1607
Of course I had to stop and pick up a drive-by en route. This cache had caused loads of people problems, so much so that the owner had gone and ‘refreshed’ it so it was easier to find. Anyway I got to the co-ordinates which are on a road junction and the description says the cache can be seen from the road, but I saw nothing… I consulted the clue.. ‘Sheffield United’… and started looking for something to do with Owls… couldn’t see anything, then I thought about it some more and realised the Owls were Sheffield Wednesday, and Sheffield United are the Blades… then I saw the cache straight away
15th April 2012 – Second Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #1 GC2E168 – cache #1608
There are two circular walks around the villages, called ‘The Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk’ and ‘The Second Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk’ – they have a short stretch of common footpath so basically form a figure 8. I parked my car in the only suitable place for which to do both in order and set out – first to do the first cache of the second walk – which took an inordinate amount of time to find as it was in trees, many yards from where my GPS was saying, the clue was no help as it said under the fallen tree – of which there were several, and in an area used as a dumping ground, with some nice barbed wire strewn around for added enjoyment. (The description does tell you to beware of this barbed wire) I was about ready to give up when I noticed another fallen tree further away than I had been looking… and eventually found the cache
15th April 2012 – Second Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #2 GC2E169 – cache #1609
A much easier cache to find, hidden in an old gate
Here the two walks split, and I walked on to start the first walk, but didn’t find GC24YPQ Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #1, I wasn’t quite sure where or what I was looking for as there were two hints, one said something about it being up in the hedge and one said it was on the ground under stones, well I could see no stones and no sign of anything in the hedge… and there was a bloke coming along with a dog so I left it… the cache owner has since been round the walk to check and the cache was there somewhere I just didn’t find it
15th April 2012 – Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #2 GC24YPY – cache #1610
It started raining about now, which wasn’t in my plan, (but fortunately it didn’t rain long) the next cache in the series was easy to find – but had no log in it so I had missed the first two clues for the bonus
After this I didn’t find GC24YQ6 Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #3, the hint said five feet up a banking in a hole covered by stones… I found a likely spot with a hole and a rock, but no cache… I was looking in the wrong hole obviously as the cache was still there – though the hint has been made more specific now !
15th April 2012 – Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #4 GC24YQD – cache #1611
A cache in the hole at the top of a gatepost, first place I look now when there’s a wooden gatepost at the co-ordinates – especially if the gatepost is taller than I am !
After this I didn’t find GC24YQK Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #5, the clue said it was not on the ground, and under some stones in a twin trunked tree – well I found a twin trunked tree with some stones in a little hidden hollow where the trunks split – but no cache – though again I was obviously looking at the wrong place as the cache was still in place when the hider went to check
15th April 2012 – Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #6 GC24YQR – cache #1612
Now it started to hail ! painful on uncovered skin, but fortunately I had my bush hat on so was protected apart form my hands. This was a simple enough find under some rocks at a field entrance. I only had 2 numbers for the bonus cache and there were a couple of paths it could be hidden on between #6 and the start of the walk, so I had to pass on the bonus as well – 4 caches down on a 7 cache walk… though it turns out they were all there somewhere !
15th April 2012 – Second Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #3 GC2E16A – cache #1613
I had to retrace 200 yards of the walk now to get back to the second walk (the joining bit between the loops of the figure 8 ) then I was off again on another path alongside some houses… I wasn’t too sure about caching only a few yards from someone’s front window, but this cache was nicely hidden in a gap in the hedge that put you out of sight
15th April 2012 – Second Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #4 GC2E16B – cache #1614
There were a couple of families with small children playing near this cache, and they weren’t showing any signs of moving on… but fortunately the cache is at the base of a large tree (yes, covered by a rock) and on the side that was hidden from the people… so I sneaked in grabbed the cache and made it obvious I was taking pictures of the (quite picturesque) view, and then replaced the cache and no-one was the wiser
15th April 2012 – Second Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #5 GC2E16C – cache #1615
Hanging from a wire in a pipe in a hedge bottom… I spotted the hanger wire quickly enough
After this I didn’t find Second GC2E16D Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk #6 – which turns out to have been the only one on either walk that was actually missing ! and that because of groundworks at the Golf Club that had moved the path and wall where the cache was hidden
15th April 2012 – Second Scarcroft and Bardsey Walk the Bonus GC2E16H – cache #1616
The lack of the final cache meant that I didn’t have the final digit of the coordinates for the bonus cache, I didn’t expect this to be too much of a problem (well the last digit gives only the final few feet of accuracy, and often the GPS lock is less accurate than the 3rd decimal place) In the end it wasn’t as the clue said it was hidden under a large rock so I just looked for a large rock rather than the co-ordinates and easily found the cache
15th April 2012 – Sherbet Fountain 4 GC3D95T – cache #1617
On the way home I noticed that there were 3 more caches a short distance apart a short distance away, so I thought I may as well find them.
This one was hidden in a rotting tree stump
15th April 2012 – Sherbet Fountain 5 GC3D97V – cache #1618
A short walk took me to this cache hidden in a tree trunk blocking off one end of a disused farm track
15th April 2012 – Zadok the Priest GC1Z72Y – cache #1619
And this one was hidden under the tree trunk blocking off the other end… in a load of nettles.
17th April 2012 – Team Bug’s Log #1: Silver Birch GC3F8G8 – cache #1620
A blank day so far in my caching calendar had me going out at Lunchtime to find this cache, which was nicely hidden in a custom made hide
