Geocache Fun

We went geocaching with Ty and his family over the Christmas break.  We gave them a GPS as a present and we were trying it out.  This was the second attempt at giving Ty a GPS and although this one was better it still wasn't as good as Uncle Nick's the noted anesthesiologist from Cheyenne.  But it still gave us a decent idea of where the hidden treasure was located.  We parked at the North entrance to Snow Canyon and crossed the highway and headed up a canyon.  Ty told us we needed to climb this hill.

I'm no expert on geocaching but this seemed a bit of a tough climb for family fun treasure hunting.  But he insisted that the comments on this geocache said it was a hard hike.  So we started up and I will say the picture does it no justice as it was way worse than it looks.  Very steep, no trail, boulder hopping etc.  But the worst part was the rocks were not stable and keeping them from rolling with 7 people climbing up was a bit of a problem.  I voiced my concern as did Sloan but Ty insisted and picked up Josie and headed up the hill.   About half way up I knew this was a very bad route but it was even more dangerous to head back down so we were committed.  Lisa and I are not 50 but let's just say we are in our 50th year and it was a leg burner but we finally made it to the top.  

Beautiful view of the country.  Checking with the GPS and it's 7 satellites we were still a ways from the cache.  This geocache was called "Joan's Bones" and was suppose to have a skeleton made from animal bones to help locate it.  We found that and Lisa laid down next to Joan and had a rest.

The cache was nearby and I thought it would be on top of a small hill in front of us but Bodie found it in just a few minutes under a tree not far from the bones.  

They looked through the box and left an item and took one as is customary.  Boden as usual agonized over the choices and finally decided on a trinket to remember it by.

Now we needed to get back but I knew we could not go down the hill we had come up as it would result in a nice big rock slide that would probably ruin the day in  one way or another.  We searched around and found a trail that headed to a lookout over Snow Canyon - another great view.

Backtracking from this trail we eventually found the trail that went around a hill and down a canyon that we should have been on in the first place.  An easy hike out through a really nice little canyon that I had never been in.  I walked with Jett and tried to keep him out of trouble.  He doesn't have a healthy fear of cliffs, fast moving objects or anything that can hurt him really and goes full steam ahead at all times.  He is so fun to be around but you have to watch out for him too as he usually has big bumps on his head and black eyes half the time.

It was so much fun hiking with Boden, Josie and Jett.  They are great little hikers as is required in the Larsen family.  Sloan who is expecting our 4th grandchild did the hike with no problems as she is as tough as the rest of them.  Ty is just a lunatic with a crappy GPS and should be considered dangerous.  I think he could hike all day carrying Josie and herding his boys and never break a sweat.

It was a great day spent with my family in beautiful southern Utah in the winter.  Doesn't get much better.