Arguably "The Best Sunset"
We've noticed that a lot of caches are hidden near or in boat launches. There's nothing wrong with that, because there's lots of good things about them being hidden there. There is typically not many muggles around, there is always parking and they're right next to the lake! The cache's name is about a debate between the cache owner and their friends about who's lake sunset is better. Unfortunately we didn't get to see a sunset, but we did get to see a geocache!
Gateway
Before getting to Gateway we stopped by the Grand Isle Rec Park and tried to get a cache there. There was a muggle there the whole time, cleaning his lawn mower right next to the cache. We decided that we would try a nearby area first and then come back.
Gateway is located on the gate to Grand Isle State Park. It's a micro and didn't take us too long to find it. By this time Zaiden was strapped to my back so Co did most of the searching. This also makes two consecutive caches in a row with no picture. Frowny Face :(
There's a trail in Grand Isle Park that has a neat name that I do not remember. On this trail is two caches that are hidden but not hidden. They're hidden as in they can't be found without looking, but they're not hidden as in they aren't hard to find once you know where to look. Both of these caches reside in areas based on their names. As such you can not see the actual cache from the path. Colette tried her luck with the first cache and was successful. The trees are so thick that it took her longer to get to and from the cache than it did to sign the log book and swap swag.
The same goes for me when I went after Cedar Grove. My time spent bushwhacking in times past came in handy for this cache. It's just like riding a bike! We saw some really cool things on the trail as well. The peak of the trail is on an exposed rocky region. There was also animal trails from deer and probably coyote. At the end there was a tower with a beautiful view of the nearby mountains. This entire hike was very enjoyable!Tree Island and High and Dry
There is a road that runs from West to East through Grand Isle State Park. Unfortunately the road was blocked off, which I guess they do during the off season. So we packed the kids onto the stroller and started hoofing it. Both sides of the road are pretty well covered with trees, until the right side opens to a large field. In the open field is a small cluster of trees. An island of trees, if you will. According to the cache's log there is a Letterbox right near it and they warn cachers to not mistake it for the cache. Letterboxing is similar to Geocaching. They consist of logs and a rubber stamp hidden in a box somewhere, but as opposed to geocaching a GPS is not used. Instead hints are given as to the letterbox's location and that's how you find them. Once you've found it you stamp your log with the box's stamp and do to same with your stamp to it's log. Fortunately for us we didn't look hard enough in the wrong spot and only found the cache we were after!
The second cache was just down the road from the first. I tried to find it first but the GPS just didn't want to cooperate. Colette then gave it a shot and was successful. She said that since the GPS wasn't cooperating she decided to read the description again. Based on what was said as well as her geosenses she was able to locate it.
This is Vermont: Grand Isle
Back now to the Grand Isle Rec Park. This time only a mugglette was there, but he was obviously waiting for others to arrive. I knew I didn't have much time so I quickly made my way to where I knew the cache would be. While I was playing in the bushes two more cars pulled up and several more muggles piled out of them. I signed the cache's log and got the information we came for and made my way back toward the car. I decided to tell them what I was doing, rather than look like a pervert hiding in the bushes. They seemed genuinely interested in my story and we were soon off.
I really enjoyed our next stop. After gassing up (gas in Vermont is substantially cheaper than in New York) we stopped at the Hyde Log Cabin. According to the plaque the Hyde Log Cabin is possibly the oldest building in the country, as it was built in 1783. It has been restored over the years and is in excellent condition. The cache's log mentions tours being available but they were not running during our visit. The cache wasn't too far from the cabin and Colette signed the log while I took pictures. I love getting to explore history first hand!
Vermont's Only One
Here is another cache where the place is also very cool. This cache is hidden just over the hill from the last remaining active draw bridge. According to the log the bridge raises every half hour during the summer months. Since we visited the area during the spring it was not operating, but I would love to come back when it is and get some pictures. This was the first time that Colette deployed her "take a picture into the hole" cache finding method. Rather than stick her hand into various tree orifices she snapped a photo. The method payed off and we hopped back into the car.Island Crossing
This cache was a quick boat launch micro. We like to make the most of our stops so we spent some time skipping rocks. Zoey expressed her concern for the environment and did some CITO while we were there and Colette grabbed a hand full of large skipping rocks to decorate and leave in caches in the future. As quick as most boat launch micros are I will probably never get tired of them!
36 Views of Camels Hump XXX
Apparently this one is part of a series, but I haven't looked into it just yet so I'm not sure what the name of it is in reference to. Regardless this cache calls a cemetery in North Hero home. I pulled up right next to its location. While Co was filling out the log I noticed a beautiful view of the mountains across the lake. Unfortunately my current lens could not do the sight justice so I was not able to capture it. I will without a doubt remember this spot for when that changes in the future!
Pelot's Gas Saver, Pelots Find and This is Vermont: North Hero
I decided to put all these caches together because they all reside in the Pelot's Point Nature Area/Trails. Pelot's Point is in Northwest North Hero and is an excellent set of trails. Pelot's Gas Saver is named as such because it is right next to parking area and serves as a quick find as well as a thank you for stopping to such a beautiful place. Farther into the trails (there are three) is Pelots Find. This cache is an ammo box and is well hidden. This is where I decided that going through the forest would be a great idea. Zoey thought it would be fun to follow me and we both regretted it. The trail soon looped back around and we were back on the right path. Colette found this one and Zoey got to trade swag. The last cache was another part of the Grand Isle County series. We have all been really happy with the different shapes and sizes of these caches. Inside was a travel bug attached to an old ford car. His mission is to meet old cars like him and he has been all over Quebec. Aside from the great caches the trails were also fantastic. They were built around a sugar farm operation and a lot of the stuff for it is currently active. There is also information plaques dedicated to the flora and fauna of the area. We all had an awesome time!
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