2016-02-21: Hiking in a Beautiful Canyon with a Beautiful Lady and She Said YES!

Hello again and welcome back to our Geocaching Adventure blog. Today I had a surprise planned for Candy. We were supposed to have gone to Palo Duro Canyon here in Texas back in November for a vacation. But do to her job change at that same time, our vacation plans were cancelled and we ended up moving to Texas. First in East Texas and now in West Texas.

Well today we finally got the chance and good weather to make the 2-hour drive up and take a hike. And I couldn't have asked for much better weather either. It started out a little cloudy. But by the time we reached our the Lighthouse Peak, the sky had cleared. Still a little windy, especially up at the peak. But at least it wasn't hot!

After arriving at the trailhead parking, I put on the backpack with some bottled water, grabbed both GPS's for Geocaching, and away we went. Because the weather was so nice and being a Sunday, there were quite a few people out on the trails. I mean there must have been 25-30 cars parked at the trail head and saw plenty of people coming and going along the trail.

We started out on the trail and within a few hundred feet came to and found our first Geocache. Then about 600'-700' down we found the next cache. The next cache however, we spent about 10 minutes looking without success, a DNF. It was then I decided that this may take more time than I expected. So we just hiked through to the Lighthouse Peak and would do the Geocaching on the way back.

We enjoyed the views and took lots of pictures. In this first photo below, I don't know if this rock formation has a specific name but I call it "Sitting Chief." Following the ridge to the right and into the second photo, this hill is actually called "Capital Peak."

Sitting Chief

Capital Peak

Down to the right you can see two peaks way in the distance.
That is Lighthouse Peak and our destination.

After about an hour, we arrived at the base of Lighthouse Peak and began our climb up. This section here was probably the most difficult as there was a lot of sand through here which made the steep climb slippery. You kinda had to walk funny from side-to-side finding flat spots on secure rock.

We've reached the top! Here is a panoramic photo taken from between the two towers. It was a spectacular view! The wind was blowing at about a chilly 30 mph too. But definitely worth the 6.84 mile round trip hike!

After a few moments of enjoying those views and taking pictures, we saw some hikers going up to the top of the second peak. The one to the right side of the next photo. So we decide to follow up the narrow trail to go part way up also.

Now we're back down next to Lighthouse Peak and got another hiker to take our photo. Before heading back, I decided it was time and took off my backpack and we sat on the edge looking out into the canyon. Looking at the photo of us below, it was just to the right of where we are standing. We had just celebrated our two years together since our first date and TODAY was Candy's birthday.

I reminisced about our adventures and how we've gotten through some rough spots already. And that if we work together, we can climb any mountain and walk through any valley. Just as we hiked up here to Lighthouse Peak. I then proceeded to ask her if she would marry me and she said YES! YIPPEE!! I have been waiting many months to get here to this beautiful place to propose to a beautiful lady! 

On the hike back we found 11 more Geocaches for a total of 13 along the trail. There were almost as many missing caches having 9 DNF's! We didn't look for all of those 9 as most had previous DNF's from the last few cachers.

Below we had a tiny water crossing and had to make it as dramatic as possible for our extreme Geocaching friends back in Florida! And MY Sweet Candy and her phone ready to take photos. She's so cute!

"This is where he proposed and I said YES!"

I saw the little trail and had to run up the hill.
From that point up got a little more vertical!

So today was another especially great adventure kinda day! We can now call each other fiance instead of boyfriend and girlfriend! Thanks for reading about our special day. We hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a comment to let us know you stopped by and feel free to share it with your friends. Maybe that boyfriend or girlfriend to kinda drop a hint! Hmmm...

See ya next time.

2016-02-06: Geocaching and Canyon Hiking in Dickens Springs

Today we wanted to do some rough terrain hiking and Geocaching. Our last few months back in Florida, we starting doing the bushwhacking and hiking through scrub and swamp. While the chance of hiking a swamp in West Texas is ZERO, there is opportunity to do some bushwhacking through the forest.

About an hour east of Lubbock are several Geocaches with high terrain rating located within Dickens Springs. So after breakfast, we headed out on US-82 into Dickens County and the town of Dickens. After stopping by the historic Dickens County Courthouse and the County Jail buildings for photos, we arrived at the Dickens County Springs Park from 1891.

The history of the springs from the Historical Marker:

At one time, water covered this area. Sandstone, the prominent rock around this site, is porous, causing exposed strata at canyon rims to form a natural drainage outlet for upland aquifers, making possible the existence of these springs. Situated at the head of a canyon ravine immediately below the Upper Prairie Region of the Rolling Plains, the ancient springs have been a favored human habitat since the earliest human occupation in this region. Many nomadic tribes have used the site, leaving behind a wealth of archaeological evidence. 

John A. Askins and his family settled near these springs in late 1883, and it became known to pioneers as Askins Springs. A traveling real estate developer called Dr. M. S. Crow arrived here in 1891 and was a driving force in the organization of the town of Dickens about a half-mile west of the Askins land. In 1891 he gave a speech proclaiming his intent to give ten acres around "Crow Springs," as he called them, to the town of Dickens. The new city park became known as Dickens Springs. Generations of Dickens citizens and tourists, attracted by the rugged and colorful scenery and the unique collection of plants, have visited this site for picnics and social gatherings. In 1978 the departments of Anthropology and of Park Management at Texas Tech University made an intensive survey of the land surrounding Dickens Springs. Though many artifacts were lost to souvenir hunters, the university workers uncovered a variety of ancient tools, rarely of local origin. In the 21st century, Dickens Springs continues to provide water and beauty to the area for modern visitors as it did for the nomadic peoples of the past.

So we drove towards the springs and canyon area and about halfway down the entrance the road forks. Naturally I take the right fork. Not having ever been here before, we later learned I should've went left. You'll see why as you continue reading!

We arrive at the parking area for the Chuck Wagon (GC4ZZA4). A quick find of our first cache, and we go check out the chuck wagon. A makeshift replica of an old west covered wagon with a picnic table in the center. Hopefully in the hotter summer months, they have a canvas giving shade to those having a picnic.

As you can see from the photo above, if you do decide to have a picnic here, you will have an incredible view of the canyon. Our next cache was called the "Forgotten Picnic Table" (GC552R2). Looking above at the picture again and the trees in the foreground, that's where the spring flows. That's also the location of our next cache. DOWN into the canyon! We started down what appeared to be several different trails leading down, but none panned out. So we just started bushwhacking our way through the trees, bushes, and thorns.

It's kinda hard to tell in the photo below, but the first is looking down through the trees what we had to get through. After about 30 minutes, we finally made it to the bottom and found the forgotten picnic table and the cache.

Now the next cache seemed to be in the direction of the top of canyon on the opposite side about 1/4 mile away. But before we climbed back up the opposite side, I wanted to find the origin of the spring. Plus it was kinda going in the same direction anyway. So we followed the small creek upstream to the spring.

REALLY?! We arrive at the springs only to find stairs and a trail leading UP to the other parking area. Yeah, remember that fork in the road I mentioned? If we had taken the left fork, we could have parked and taken the easy way down into the canyon. I know, I know... where's the adventure in that right? So we check out the springs and take the trail up to the giant steel teepee covering another picnic table.

Now checking out the remaining caches, we were now closer to The Mystery of the Dug-Out-Mine cache (GCHYXZ). While not really a mine, this is actually a replica of the original first home built around 1878 by John Askins (even though the above sign at the entrance suggests 1883). The dugout was a common sense first home for early settlers in timber poor West Texas. John Askins traveled to Colorado City, TX for the tin used to roof his dugout. The remains of the original dugout were located about 200 yards to the south. But this method was a quick way to get shelter until more lumber or brick could be brought in to build a house.

Finding the cache above and behind the dugout house.

Looking back down the canyon from the cache in the above photo, if you look closely to the top right side, you can hopefully make out the frame of the chuck wagon. We bushwhacked our way down to the forgotten picnic table below the trees in the center of the photo. Then towards the camera to the right for the springs and up to the dugout house out of the photo to the right. Now the last cache was over to the top of the hill to the left side of the canyon.

So we went back down the stairs to the spring and followed the creek a short ways until we got to within 200' of the cache (GCHYXW). Then it was climbing UP the side of the canyon through rock, sand, and trees to get to this boulder you see below. We searched for about 15 minutes without any luck. This cache on the opposite side of the canyon doesn't get looked for as often as the others. The last time it was found was in May of 2014. Since then there has only been one other cacher logging a DNF in March of 2015. And now almost another year later and our DNF. I don't like going through all this and not come away with a find.

Having now hiked back down to the creek, we decided not to go the short route back to the car which would also require bushwhacking back up the canyon. Instead we went back up to the springs and the teepee parking area, and walked the road back to the fork and then down again to the chuck wagon and our car. I forgot how long a walk it was going around the long way, but it felt like a mile!

Driving back up to the entrance of the park, there was one last cache (GC54JDT) to get and another short hike up the hill. If you look back up to the photo of the entrance, you'll see the hill off to the left side. Yep, we now had to hike up there too!

The last cache for the day was at the Dickens Cemetery (GC5HGQC). A quick find and we then headed back to Lubbock. Another long but adventurous day hiking in the wilderness. Yes, our muscles maybe a little sore, but definitely well worth it!

2016-01-23: Strange Houses, Hiking Hills, History and Cemeteries

Today was a day for Geocaching fairly close to Lubbock. Getting a late start after breakfast, we headed east over to Ransom Canyon to grab a virtual cache (GCGPZH). High above overlooking the canyon is a very unique house. It kinda reminds me of a kids Viewfinder from the one side. You can't tell from the photos below, but the side facing the lake is just a giant glass window.

A couple of houses down and across the street is this Hobbit looking house.

As we continued to cache around the lake, hundreds, maybe thousands of ducks were flying by overhead. Not sure you are able to see them flying in formation on the device you are reading this one. Hopefully you can.

After Ransom Canyon, we headed south down US-84 a few miles to the town of Slaton. There we found our next Geocache at the Slaton Harvey House (GC1EKVV). From the historical sign: The city of Slaton has historic ties to the railroad. For decades the site was ranchland until the Santa Fe Railway sought a location for a division point to service trains. The Santa Fe bought the land in April 1911, naming the townsite for rancher and banker O. L. Slaton. Passenger and freight service became central to the economy, and the company built a passenger depot and Harvey House the following year. Scottish immigrant Fred Harvey created the Harvey House chain in 1876, partnering with the Santa Fe Railway, which built the restaurants and provided space on their trains for food and supplies. Harvey provided the equipment, management and hospitality staff, including the hostesses known as Harvey Girls.

The Slaton Harvey House served efficient but elegant meals to 42 passengers at a time around a horseshoe shaped counter on the first floor, which also housed the kitchen, bakery, gift shop and manager's office. The manager and his family and the Harvey Girls roomed on the second floor. The Slaton Harvey House, a commercial and social center, operated for 30 years, briefly reopening to serve troops during WWII. The building remained a passenger depot until 1969; the railroad later converted it to a freight depot and operations center before vacating the property in the 1980's. Slaton citizens coordinated the preservation and restoration of their landmark building.

From there we drove north on some backroads to stretch our legs and do some hiking. There were a couple of caches with a high terrain rating. Sounds like an adventure! We arrived at the first area (GC4C0MZ) and I drove around the curve past it and then back again trying to figure out the best parking and approach to the top of the hill. It was an exhilarating climb with a fantastic view! So peaceful and quiet with only the sound of the wind out there.

A couple miles away on the east side of Horseshoe Canyon was the next cache (GC1K5MW) and the next hike. Slightly easier than the first one, but still an amazing view and peaceful. Only one car had passed the whole time up and back.

On our way to the next couple of caches out in the middle of nowhere, we passed by a herd of deer grazing in a field.

Our last cache for today was located at Emma Cemetery south of the town of Ralls. Emma is on that short list of ghost towns that were once county seats. Business partners R. L. Stringfellow and H. E. Hume were store owners in the Crosby County seat of Estacado, when they bought a section of land in 1890. A post office was granted that year and the name submitted was Emma - after a woman who later married one of the partners. History doesn't seem to record if she became Mrs. Stringfellow or Mrs. Hume.

The central location made Emma a consideration for the county seat and since residents of Estacado were already drifting to the newer community, an election was held in the Fall of 1891. Emma squeaked through by a six-point margin (109-103). The residents of Estacado moved the courthouse and other prominent buildings to Emma and the town prospered for awhile. By 1910 there was a population of 800 and Emma had all essential businesses including a bank and newspaper.

Emma's future seemed bright up until it was bypassed by the railroad in 1910. The shoe was now on the other foot and Emma lost out to the new town of Crosbyton in an election held in September of 1910. This election was also close (198 to 120) and soon the former townspeople of Estacado and Emma were moving again - this time in an organized exodus that consisted of steam engines, mules and most of the male population. The former courthouse was dismantled and taken to Cedric and the next year the Emma post office moved to Ralls. Today only the historical marker is left.

History lesson is over. Now back to Geocaching. Cemetery caches are one some of our favorite caches to find. This one happens to be a virtual cache (GCHA69). Now since we've been Geocaching, we must have been to a hundred or more cemeteries. THIS is a first! Every headstone we've ever seen said "Died", "Death", or simply "D". Poor Tommie Horrell had the truth told about him. He was MURDERED on Jan 5, 1894 at the young age of 24.

While we ended the day with only ten caches, they were really good quality caches. Unusual houses, history, hiking, a cemetery... this is why we like this game! Where do we go to tomorrow? You'll just have to come back and see!

2016-01-10: Geocaching Around Lubbock Texas

Because it was so cold yesterday, today we decided to stay local and do some urban Geocaching around Lubbock. Our first stop was to see the Buddy Holly Center and Museum. It was closed this early, but we did get to see the giant glasses (a virtual cache GC6E04) and the memorial statue (GC640VA). Buddy Holly's hometown was Lubbock, Texas and they certainly pay tribute to him.

Not too far away over at the Eastlawn Memorial Gardens, is another virtual Geocache (GCC1AB) at Buddy Holley's gravesite next to his parents. There'a another Geocache here (GC1KJJV) highlighting the supposedly haunted aspect of this cemetery. This cemetery is one of the largest in Texas with over 60,000 graves and was established back in 1892.

Also while in the cemetery and with all the snow on the trees, Candy couldn't help it but to go over to one of the trees and shake all the snow off the branches! By selecting one of the taller branches, that also meant it comes down on her head too.

Exiting the backside of the cemetery brought us out to the Canyon Lakes Park. Within the city limits of Lubbock is the Yellow House Canyon, a narrow and shallow channel. The city created a series of small dams that created a series of narrow lakes. And Canyon Lakes Park was created. There's also a series of eight Geocaches around the lake as well. And of course we can't just leave them without looking first!

From there, we drove over to the campus of Texas Tech. Since it was Christmas Break, there weren't many students still here which made Geocaching a little easier. Though most of the ones we looked for, we could not find. We did see some very nice statues.

So that was it for today. We did learn a lot about the local history. Now time to go back to the apartment and thaw out again.