Well I got tired of sitting here inside the truck for the 2nd day in a row in Omaha, NE. It's 34 degrees outside, foggy, and snow on the ground. There's not much wind so it doesn't feel very cold. I decide to go walking. There's a lake down the hill about a 1/2 mile behind the truck stop with some Geocaches around it. Program the GPSr, bundle up, and off I go. I get to the lake and it's frozen over with about a half dozen groups of ice fishers out there. I decide to wait until after I circle the lake, then walk out to take a closer look and some pictures. I've never been on a frozen lake before and thought it would be cool.
So, I start down the paved bike path around the lake. Only there isn't a paved path anymore. It's covered in snow. Anywhere from an ankle deep to knee deep! And the problem is that you can't really tell where the knee deep snow is until you're into it! But hey, I'm an adventurous guy and I press on. I got my hiking boots (waterproof), gloves, sweater, and jacket. I didn't feel cold at all.
The first Geocache was 1/4 mile away so I started tromping through the snow. Being from Florida, I don't experience this kinda thing too often. But I manage to get to the first cache, a micro in the woods disguised as a pine cone. Took about 15 minutes for me to find it. Then back to the "paved sidewalk", HA!
The next cache was another half mile away, so I continue on after it. I'm staying on the so called path, following all the deer and bunny tracks. I'm the only fool out here creating human foot steps. For the most part it's an easy walk, but every 50 yards or so the path tends to dip although the snow is still level. And when the snow gets deeper it wants to push my jeans up and get into the tops of my boots! But everything so far is still warm and comfortable.
I get about 250 ft from the 2nd cache and have to leave path, not that it matters with the snow. And in some cases, it's actually better! When you walk between a group of the trees, the snow is only a few inches. I walk down through some trees following my GPSr towards ground zero. I get to 40 ft away and here's this open path. Looks like it could have been a shallow creek. Of course now frozen over and covered with snow. The wind has actually formed what looks like dunes on a beach so I can't really tell how deep it is.
I see what looks to be a fallen tree on the other side. Of course most of it is buried in snow as well. Well I can't get this close and turn back, so I start forward. YEP, it's just above the kneecaps deep! I get across and can feel my ankles getting cold with the snow that has gotten in around the boot tops. I get to the tree and that seems to be where the cache is hidden.
This Geocache is a large sized ammo box, slightly larger than a shoe box. But it's also under a bunch of snow. I start at one end of the fallen tree and begin digging out the snow along one side. As it turns out, I started at the wrong end! After digging 6-7 feet down the side of this fallen tree trunk, I find the hollowed out end with the large ammo box inside. Success!
After covering the one end back up with snow, I make my way back to the main path. By then, quite a bit of snow has gotten into my boots and my feet are getting pretty cold. And I've only gotten less than a 1/4 of the way around the lake. There's no way I'm going to make it completely around. I gotta head back. Trying to follow into my same footsteps, I trudge on back through the snow. All the while trying to wiggle my toes within the boots to make sure they're still moving. With the exception of my feet and toes, the rest of me feels pretty good. I actually though about taking off my jacket because I was getting too warm.
Anyway, I make it back to my truck and quickly remove my soaked boots and socks, dry my feet and put on clean socks and sneakers to warm my feet. Then I grabbed my bath kit and some clean clothes and headed inside for a shower. The hot water felt good to my toes!
BUT THE WORST PART OF ALL, I STILL NEVER MADE IT OUT ONTO THE FROZEN LAKE! That will just have to wait for another time.
So, I start down the paved bike path around the lake. Only there isn't a paved path anymore. It's covered in snow. Anywhere from an ankle deep to knee deep! And the problem is that you can't really tell where the knee deep snow is until you're into it! But hey, I'm an adventurous guy and I press on. I got my hiking boots (waterproof), gloves, sweater, and jacket. I didn't feel cold at all.
The first Geocache was 1/4 mile away so I started tromping through the snow. Being from Florida, I don't experience this kinda thing too often. But I manage to get to the first cache, a micro in the woods disguised as a pine cone. Took about 15 minutes for me to find it. Then back to the "paved sidewalk", HA!
The next cache was another half mile away, so I continue on after it. I'm staying on the so called path, following all the deer and bunny tracks. I'm the only fool out here creating human foot steps. For the most part it's an easy walk, but every 50 yards or so the path tends to dip although the snow is still level. And when the snow gets deeper it wants to push my jeans up and get into the tops of my boots! But everything so far is still warm and comfortable.
I get about 250 ft from the 2nd cache and have to leave path, not that it matters with the snow. And in some cases, it's actually better! When you walk between a group of the trees, the snow is only a few inches. I walk down through some trees following my GPSr towards ground zero. I get to 40 ft away and here's this open path. Looks like it could have been a shallow creek. Of course now frozen over and covered with snow. The wind has actually formed what looks like dunes on a beach so I can't really tell how deep it is.
I see what looks to be a fallen tree on the other side. Of course most of it is buried in snow as well. Well I can't get this close and turn back, so I start forward. YEP, it's just above the kneecaps deep! I get across and can feel my ankles getting cold with the snow that has gotten in around the boot tops. I get to the tree and that seems to be where the cache is hidden.
This Geocache is a large sized ammo box, slightly larger than a shoe box. But it's also under a bunch of snow. I start at one end of the fallen tree and begin digging out the snow along one side. As it turns out, I started at the wrong end! After digging 6-7 feet down the side of this fallen tree trunk, I find the hollowed out end with the large ammo box inside. Success!
After covering the one end back up with snow, I make my way back to the main path. By then, quite a bit of snow has gotten into my boots and my feet are getting pretty cold. And I've only gotten less than a 1/4 of the way around the lake. There's no way I'm going to make it completely around. I gotta head back. Trying to follow into my same footsteps, I trudge on back through the snow. All the while trying to wiggle my toes within the boots to make sure they're still moving. With the exception of my feet and toes, the rest of me feels pretty good. I actually though about taking off my jacket because I was getting too warm.
Anyway, I make it back to my truck and quickly remove my soaked boots and socks, dry my feet and put on clean socks and sneakers to warm my feet. Then I grabbed my bath kit and some clean clothes and headed inside for a shower. The hot water felt good to my toes!
BUT THE WORST PART OF ALL, I STILL NEVER MADE IT OUT ONTO THE FROZEN LAKE! That will just have to wait for another time.
