03/02/13 - Hard Grafton

Distance - 4.3 Miles
Geocaches - 14 out of 15
First Cache

Grafton Flyford

So, how do you like your winter fields and footpaths?  Knee deep puddles, deceptive marshland that goes up to your calves or muddly fields where you end up with clown style dinner plates of mud on the bottom of your boots?  On this walk, you don't have to make a decision, as all can be equally experienced.

At least the caches were excellent.... and I really needed the numbers, having not done a trail for several months.

Thanks to cache 1, there are details of where to park and we head off down a good looking path that soon turns into a waterchute.  Caches 1 and 2 found easily enough but I always had my fears around cache 3.  The clue of "famous model" led me to believe that "Twiggy" would provide the answer.  No joy.  No doubt, it was under Kate Moss.  A position I have often considered whilst out geocaching.

My mud splattered misery is abated by the laugh I had at cache 4, a two part multi which squeaked on retrieval.  This was the only time on the walk that the dog looked even vaguely interested, although little did she know that she was about to be herded by a sheepdog.  Her own fault for looking so fluffy.

And the Sheep Look Up

Arrive at a road but have to double back to go through the field to Hill Top Farm.  This is where the mud sticks to my feet like glue and I end up taking half the field with me.

Mud Pie

Battle of the Somme

Never has a man been more relieved to do a bit of road walking.

Now I have been caching for over 4 years and just occasionally, I am presented with something unique. Cache 7 is a two stage multi puzzle to determine in the field. I set out all the bits on top of the gate and only look like a minor idiot as a dog walking muggle comes past. I have no idea how I was meant to get the co-ords out of it but I managed to find the final part through "cachers instinct". I was that impressed with myself, I dropped off a TB. Hit the village that the cache trail was named after and walk through picking up the next two caches before heading back into the wetlands.

We are here

There is only one place that cache 11 can be, and luckily, despite sitting in a deep muddy puddle, the cache has survived.  All is not as simple as expected, as the log book needs to be found inside the cache.  I am attempting this when the farmer comes on a quadbike with his two sheep dogs for feeding.

I hastily sign and pack up the cache to move on, but one of the dogs thinks that I have stolen one of his charges.  Molly is suitably embarassed at being rounded up but we manage to make our escape.

Unfortunately, we have to double back around these fields to get the remainder of the caches and we bump into the farmer and his dogs several more times as we complete the round.  I would love to know what he thought I was doing, caked up to my knees in mud and wandering around in apparent circles.

Expected something good from the last cache and it didn't disappoint.  A 1 in 25 chance of getting it right.  This is why I don't gamble.  I needed 23 goes.

Follow the outbound route back to the car.

Spent rest of afternoon cleaning the Geowagon

Conditions made for a poor walk but the quality of caches put a smile on my face. Thanks to Chickowee for the trail and the unusual caches.