This Sunday Lisa and I met up with Jshults to do a little iPhone geocaching. The first cache we found was the San Onofre Breccia - Dana Point Earthcache (http://coord.info/GCP80W) to "complete" this cache we should have also gone to see the other half of the San Onofre Breccia that is exposed at Aliso Point (http://coord.info/GCP805) Just south of the San Onofre Nuclear power plant.
This is the Photosynth I took of the exposed cliffs of Dana Point a section of the San Onofre Breccia, a 15 to 20 million year old formation. A breccia is a sedimentary rock composed of angular fragments (clasts) embedded in a fine-grained matrix (the 'glue' that binds the clasts together). In the San Onofre Breccia, the clasts range in size from less than an inch to the size of small trucks and are a variety of rock types, mostly metamorphic. A formation is a rock that can be easily recognized over a large area.
From here we walked along the beach and tide pools (no dogs allowed) to the very tip of Dana Point and our primary target for the day the Sea Caves Geocache (http://coord.info/GC1KBVM) Photo by Lisa McClure, After searching where we thought the cache should be and thinking it may have been either washed out to sea, been muggled, or perhaps fallen too far down the rabbit hole for retrieval. We were pleased to be greeted by the owner of the cache "Masoe". "Yep thats where it was, Nope it is not there anymore." Jshults being the seasoned cacher that he is retrieved a pre camo'd altoids tin sealed the rabbit hole and replaced the new cache, (After giving us time to sign the log book! TNLNSL! TFTC!)
The people we have met while out and about on our caching adventures have been truly interesting, and give you a great reason to get out in the world. We also notice that geocaching gives us a unique spacial awareness of a place that we did not have before, given that in looking for a cache you are focused on a space the size of your living room. Once the cache is found that moment and that space are etched into your internal map of the place.
All who wander are not lost, Some of us are out iPhone Geocaching! Wanna go?
For the uninitiated the cryptic letters at the bottom of Darin's post "TNLNSL" and "TFTC" respectively mean "Took Nothing Left Nothing Signed Log" and "Thanks For The Cache" which are common terms among geocachers.
ReplyDeleteGeocaching gets you out of the house. This gorgeous spot was only a 15 minute drive from our house. Sometimes it is easy to take for granted the public spaces we have near our own homes.
It was a real pleasure to take some time out to enjoy our coast line and to meet the Tide Pool Docents at the Ocean Institute. We really appreciate all they do to educate and preserve our oceans.
Very cool. I recently got an iPhone and have always wanted to try geocachig with the kids. Is there an app to download? I'd love to know more!
ReplyDeleteCheck this link from "AppShopper" Lela,
ReplyDeletehttp://appshopper.com/navigation/geocaching
Loving being able to log my finds now! Great update Geocaching.com.