TerraCaching and Geocaching

Terracaching is a game similar to Geocaching.  In fact, it is kind of like what Geocaching used to be.  Following is a quote from the website.  “TerraCaching.com employs a complex, dynamic rating system which learns from members and actively encourages a focus on the quality, not quantity, of caches that members post. TerraCaching.com does not have as many cache listings as other geocaching sites, which is exactly the point. If you'd like to spend more time outdoors on fun, memorable and challenging cache hunts and less time online wading through hundreds of questionable cache listings, you've come to the right place! If you put more thought and effort into your hides and want to post them somewhere where they'll be appreciated by a like minded community rather than lost in a sea of Big Box Store micros, then come on in, the caching is fine.”  To join requires two sponsors and they have to approve any caches you hide.  I joined a couple of years ago but didn’t do much simply because there weren’t many in the area. 

Recently one of our area's avid Geocachers became disgusted with all the stupid caches (and cachers) and totally left Geocaching to take up TerraCaching.  One of his friends persuaded me to become more active as well.  A new TerraCache was posted down on the Salmon River in the White Bird, ID, area recently and I wanted to be the first to find it.  There were also several Geocaches in the area that I hadn’t found.

Yesterday morning a couple of my motorcycling friends accompanied me down to White Bird.   At White Bird we got on Old Highway 95, crossed the Salmon river and rode a little ways down to the Hammer Creek Recreation Area.  We wandered around and found a couple of Geocaches which was their introduction to the game.  Directly across the river I could see the location of the TerraCache. 

It was a little after 11:00 a.m. when we parted company.  They began the 90 mile journey back to the Lewiston-Clarkston valley and I headed toward the cache site.  In horizontal distance this cache was only about ¼ mile from the road.  However, it was 600’ up.  I had ridden my BMW F650GS because I knew the road on the other side wasn’t paved.  I took a careful ride down the gnarly Lyons Creek road to a point where I had seen a path traversing the hill from the other side of the river. After following the path a little ways I determined that wasn’t working too well so I used a massive rock slide as my stairway up. It took me up several hundred feet to a point where I was just 100’ or so below the cache level. However, I still had almost 1/3 of a mile to traverse the hill. I did find a sort of trail that led me across the hill and through a draw or two that took me just below the cache site. I made my way up through the cactus which was nothing compared to the star thistle. My route up took me about 40 minutes and although I had taken a big drink of water when I left my bike I was fervently wishing I had had some way to take the water bottle with me. I was really thirsty. As advertised, the view from the cache site was fantastic.   Going back I went straight down the hill which was solid star thistle. It took just a bit over half the time as my route up had.

I had lunch where I had parked my bike and then set off to find the White Bird Geocaches.  I eventually found all of those and then proceeded to one on the summit of the old White Bird grade.  It was a beautiful spot but I couldn’t find the cache.  I rode my bike down the back side of the old grade which was twisty and shady.  It was a beautiful ride.

Next I took some gravel roads out to Tolo Lake which is northwest of Grangeville.  I had been there before but there were two Geocaches there that I hadn’t found.  I walked the total circumference of the lake but was unable to locate one of the caches.  I picked up one more cache on the Camas Prairie and headed back to Clarkston in a ferocious wind.  I arrived at the house at 6:00 p.m. having ridden a little over 200 miles with 11 Geocaches and 1 TerraCache under my belt.  It was a good day.  

Pictures: 2 are views from TerraCache site.  Rock slide I used to climb up.  Me bagging the TerraCache.  View of TerraCache site as I was descending the hill.  Geocache of the bridge over White Bird (Most Beautiful Steel Bridge of 1976 Award).  Yellow headed blackbird at Tolo Lake.   M/W