Geocaching - the sport where YOU are the search engine.
Below are the caches I've placed. Some are easy to find, others not. Have fun looking and please let me know what you think. You'll find a legend at the bottom of the page. You can read a more about geocaching here.
Prospector's Post Office
Anza-Borrego State Park, CA
N33 15.266, W116 06.639
Elevation: 410 feet
Placed on March 3, 2004
So, just what is a Prospector's Post Office? Well, you'll just have to read the Park Service information sign to find out. It's all part of the fun.
Located at 17 Palms, this cache is suitable for everyone. I's just a short walk to the hiding place on level ground. I've rated it just 
, fun for the whole family. The cache container is placed about four feet above ground level, so it might be a bit of a reach for small children. Careful of the thorns on the palm fronds!
When I placed this cache with Durt and C22, we didn't realize there was another cache nearby. You get two for the price of one!
Having a 4WD isn't necessary to reach the parking area, but it might make you feel better if you do.
The
Short and the Long of It: Cookie Tin 2
Anza-Borrego
State Park, CA
N32 59.058,
W116 13.389
Elevation: 1390 feet
Placed on November 24, 2003
A
very challenging two-stage
cache in Sandstone Canyon. 
Only two stages, but that first one is going to be very hard! You can park just a few feet away. Now, how do you get to it? Cache container is in plane view once you are at the correct spot. 4WD is probably not needed to reach the first stage, but would be helpful. A sturdy 4WD IS needed to reach the parking area for the second stage. And it better be a good one, too. I could not get my 4WD Ranger to the parking area. Well, maybe I could, but I didn't want to! If you walk, take plenty of water. Second parking area is just 0.2 miles from cache.
The
actual cache, Stage Two, is much easier to find, rated 's.
Piepkorn
Slot
Anza-Borrego
State Park, CA
N32 47.003,
W116 08.567
Elevation: 1469
feet
Placed on October 25, 2003
Piepkorn
Slot is the site of a Memorial Plaque in honor of Mark Piepkorn who died
on that spot on November 1, 1996.
Approach
from the Mortero Wash road in southern Anza-Borrego. Follow road to RR
tracks and turn right. Take first right to near cache site.
By following these directions you should be able to get fairly close in a
high clearance 2WD vehicle. The road is sandy and rutted, but if you are
careful, you'll be fine. Be sure to visit the other caches in the area.
If
you have a 4WD, I HIGHLY recommend following the road on down and out,
back to S2. You will need a spotter, as the slot is very narrow. DO NOT
attempt
to do the route from the other end! This is a one way road.
DO NOT attemp to follow road without a 4WD. You won't make it.
Enjoy yourself and be careful!
Rated
at for
the drive. More if you walk.
Foreign
Telephone Booth
Anywhere in the
World
Visit the navicache.com
site to post your photos.
Placed on June 5, 2002
Locate
a foreign telephone booth and log that Bad Boy! 
Here's what to do. While you are traveling outside of the country in which you reside, take a photo of yourself with your GPS in front of a telephone booth/box. A resident of the US may not log a telephone in the US, but a resident of Canada (for example) may. Sorry fellow US Geocachers, but you have to travel outside of the United States to log this one.
All photos MUST have the GPS in the picture. Also please list the coordinates and location of the telephone you are logging as well as your nationality. Any logs not listing these items will be deleted. Yea, I know, I'm mean.
You MAY log this cache more than once, but only once from any particular country.
This
one is rated at
for FUN!
Santee
Saddle
Santee,
CA
N 32 52.861, W116 58.670
Elevation:396 feet
Placed on May 15, 2002
This
cache is the second offspring from my Third
Time's a Charm - BREEDER II geocache. Breeder caches are special caches
in that it contains a CACHE LARVA inside of it. If you find the cache and
you know of a good spot to hide another cache, but you just haven't got around
to it, you can take the CACHE LARVA container out of the BREEDER cache and
hide it. 
Finding
this cache shouldn't give you too much trouble. Parking is located at N32
52.398 by W116 58.670. I'm sure you can park closer if you tried, but why
would you? The cache is about .5 miles from the car. The area is dog friendly,
bike friendly (although you might have to push a bit) and seems to be people
friendly. The views from the cache site are nice, the hike not too bad. As
always, watch out for snakes. 
On-Belay, by Bianca, isn't too far away, so you might as well nab this cache too while you're in the area.
Cache was moved a bit from where Night Hunter put it, so the cooridinates might be off by 10 feet or so. Photos will give away the location.
I
rate this cache at
due to the 1 mile round trip hike and small elevation gain.
Spouting
Horn
Piopu,
Kauai, Hawaii
N21 53.083, W159 29.956
Elevation: 10 feet
Placed on April 24, 2002
This
is a smallish cache hidden near the Spouting Horn on southern Kauai. The cache
is just a few feet above high tide line and just a few minute's walk from
the car. You can see the Spouting Horn from the cache. Cache location is 2719
miles from my home in Tecate, Mexico.
I must apologize for the lack of photos/photo clues. I took several, but upon
reaching home I found all my digital files corrupted. So, finding the cache
might be a bit tricky at first, until someone posts a couple of photos.
To locate the cache, park at the end of the dirt road past the Spouting Horn. Make your way to the beach, through the thick growth, via a small trail. The cache is hidden in a small hole in the lava rock, which is covered by a rock. The hole is next to a very large succulent (an aloe type plant).
A
very family friendly cache, which I rate a just .
Trooper
Dennis "Dee" Lund Memorial I-70 Quick Cache
Near
Green River, Utah
N 38 55.367, W110 25.848
Elevation: 4451 feet
Placed on March 3, 2002
Rated
at
a short walk in
a desert setting.
Located
on Interstate 70 in eastern Utah, This cache is a quickie, just 0.12 miles
from the car at an elevation 4405 feet. Parking is at N38 55.266, W110 25.850.
The
drive through the Green River area of Utah is very beautiful. The red rock
desert is a massive area with a view point placed every few miles. The cache
should be an easy find, just a short walk from the car. The hike is almost
flat if you take the right way. There is no need to do any rock scrambling
or climbing. Cache is suitable for all ages and the area is a good place to
walk the ol’ dog if you brought him along.
Cache contains various items: toys for kids and some nice trinkets for the
more mature at heart. Have fun looking, but watch out for Snattlerakes!
For
information on Trooper Lund please visit this page.
Otay
Valley Vista
Otay
Lakes, CA
N32 36.131, W116 55.712
Elevation: 396 feet
Placed
on January 11, 2002
This cache is the first offspring of Third Time's a Charm - Breeder II. It makes the original Breeder Cache placed by Yrium a grandfather! The larva was taken from Breeder II by Iron Chef and hidden on December 15, 2002. I moved it a bit from his hiding location because (in Iron Chef's own words) "its location is painfully obvious". I didn't want any passersby finding the cache accidentally.
This
cache is an easy find in Otay Lakes park. The round trip should take less
the thirty minutes and is bike friendly. I'd recommend leaving small children
at home due to a nearby gorge, which I understand has claimed the lives of
undocumented aliens and Border Patrol. There is no need to be in any danger
while searching for the cache. There is some nice
scenery at the cache location and is worth the trip.
Rated
at
only because you can't park closer.
The
park closes early, so be sure to plan your visit before too late in the day.
Cache
Sin Nombre
Anza-Borrago Desert,
CA
N32 50.871, W116 09.297
Elevation: 895 feet
Placed on January 2, 2002
Cache
Sin Nombre can be found in the lower Anza Borrego Desert about a mile down
into Canyon Sin Nombre, just off California Highway S2. 
Your
trip down into Canyon Sin Nombre will take you into and through a wonderful
canyon, carved by flood waters many thousands of years ago. Cache is approachable
with a high clearance 2 WD drive, but only if you are careful and then continue
on out the other side of the canyon, then back to the pavement via Palm Spring
or one of the other hard-packed desert roads. I'd recommend a 4WD just for
some piece of 
mind,
though. If you are unfamiliar with this area then take a map and plenty of
water.
Parking is available at N32 50.860, W116 09.280. At this point you will be very near the cache, but you'll have to figure out how to get to it. The trip to the cache is one of my favorite hikes in this part if the desert.
Once
you arrive at the cache site, please be very careful. Also, please leave the
cache 
container
EXACTLY as you find it. There is no need to move the container at all to access
the contents.
Inside you'll find lots of goodies. The container is a number 10 can with a white lid and is almost full.
Hike up the slot canyon about 10 or 15 minutes. At approx. N32 50.664, W116 09.424 you can climb out of the canyon to the right. Backtrack along the canyon wall toward your car until you reach the cache.
This
cache is rated
due to the hike and.... well I don't want to spoil it.
Third
Time's a Charm - Breeder II
Tecate, CA
N32 34.970, W116 37.308
Elevation: 1845 feet
Placed on October 18, 2001
Located
in rural Tecate, CA, very near the Mexico border. Rated
because it could be a bit tricky.
This cache is the third offspring of the original Breeder geocache placed by Yrium on July 1, 2001. As far as I know, it's the first female offspring - the other two have yet to reproduce.
spacer
Breeder caches are special caches in that it contains a CACHE LARVA inside of it. If you find the cache and you know of a good spot to hide another cache, but you just haven't got around to it, you can take the CACHE LARVA container out of the BREEDER cache and hide it.
This cache has metamorphosed into a full BREEDER cache and is producing LARVA.
If you found the CACHE LARVA inside of the BREEDER cache you are allowed to take it and hide it. I have just a couple of requests.
1. Only take the CACHE LARVA if you know a prime spot to hide it in SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
2. Please e-mail me at jim@w9jim.com once you have hid the CACHE LARVA. Include in your e-mail the GPS coordinates of where you hid it and a good clue to help me find it. I will then visit the CACHE LARVA and replace it with a more permanent geocache container and then return the CACHE LARVA to the BREEDER cache.
Thanks for helping me find good spots for BREEDER II's offspring.
HINT:
The coordinates listed are for an abandoned store in Tecate, not to the
actual cache location. To locate the cache you'll have to descend
into the lower levels of this building. A spoiler can be seen here.
The
Box
El Cajon, CA
N32 48.336, W116 59.352
Elevation: 611 feet
Placed on October 17, 2001
An
easy find in El Cajon, perfect for families and kids.
Located
in a small city park, this cache is rated ,
suitable for all ages. It's less than two tenths mile from where you'll park
the car and is only slightly uphill.
The container is smallish, measuring about 3 1/2 by 3/1/2 inches and about five inches tall. It's pretty full and contains items for both kids and adults.
Not
much else to say about this one, so have fun looking and be safe.
Lions
and Tigers and Bears...Oh, My!
San Diego Zoo, CA
N32 44.025 W117 09.228
Elevation: 154 feet
Placed on August 31, 2001
There
isn't a yellow-bricked road, but you could follow a double-decker bus right
to cache. Or you could take a more adventurous route down into Tiger River.
Your route to the cache will take you past tigers, through the Ituri Forest, where you'll encounter hippos, then into Bongo Canyon. Watch out for birds of prey as you near the cache area.
As you walk toward the cache, be on the lookout for Homo Sapiens. They are everywhere here and have been known to be aggressive toward geocachers. You'll have to be extra careful as you reach for the cache, which is a small plastic container measuring 4 x 2.5 x 2 inches. You don't want one of these antisocial animals spotting you making your find, which might draw attention to yourself and may cause an unwanted reaction in this very dangerous species.
You'll
find the cache hidden in the ivy on the right side of the road, under the
birds of prey. It's tucked in behind a very
small tree which is about two feet to the right of a small cable which
runs down from above. You do not have to climb into the ivy to reach the cache.
Inside this small cache I've placed a log book and geocaching instructions, a Where's George dollar, a $1 gold coin, 1, 100, & 500 peso coins, a smoky quartz crystal from Brazil, a toggle, a "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" lapel pin, a small tin which contains a red humpy fishing fly (hand tied), 9 water balloons, a pencil sharpener, and a yellow triceratops.
Try as I might, I never did spot a Munchkin or the elusive Horse of a Different Color. Maybe you'll have better luck.
This
cache is rated just and
is suitable for the entire family.
Stonewalled
Cuyamaca State Park, CA
N32 57.639, W116 43.315
Elevation: 5730 feet
Placed on August 29, 2001
This
cache is located in beautiful Cuyamaca State Park in East County San Diego.
A $2 day use fee must be paid. 
Head up the 2.2 mile trail to the top of Stonewall (sorry, no dogs or bikes allowed). It's a pretty easy trail, well marked, but is all up hill. The last few hundred feet are steep and rocky, but the Park Service has installed steps and hand rails. Arriving at the top you'll have a wonderful 360 degree view of the Laguna Mountains. You can easily see Palomar Observatory many miles to the northwest and on a clear day you can see the ocean (Pacific, not Atlantic).
Warning: During inclement weather the summit of Stonewall can be a dangerous place. Do not attempt if there is a chance of lightening. People have been killed by lightening strikes on Stonewall!
Look for the cache in the rocks to the south of the summit. This cache is not suitable for young children as there is a lot of rock scrambling involved at the end. A fall here could cause severe injury.
Inside
you'll find the usual assortment of goodies. The container is a smallish cookie
tin which measures about 3.5 x 3.5 x 10 inches. Plan your trade items accordingly.
After you find the cache, why not head off to Julian for some lunch and apple pie for desert?
Parking is available at N32 57.611 W116 34.815.
I've
rated the cache at
because of the uphill hike and the necessary rock scrambling at the end.
Tool
Time
Perris, CA
N33 50.281, W117010.477
Elevation: 1775 feet
Placed on July 13, 2001
A
short uphill hike and a bit of scrambling will take you to the cache location
which offers a great view of Lake
Perris and the dam.
This
cache is located in the Big
Rock area of the Lake Perris Recreation Area. There is plenty to do here
to round out your day of geocaching. The lake sports great fishing, swimming,
boating, and even hunting in season. There are also some great trails for
hiking and biking. The area is also know as a pretty good rock climbing area
with many beginner routes ranging in difficulty from 5.5 to 5.11. Almost all
climbing routes are bolt protected and can be also be top-roped. To find the
cache hike up the trail near the base of Big Rock until you see a large
rock formation. The cache is well hidden in a hole in the rocks on the
other side of this hill, facing the dam.
This cache is a theme cache, meaning everything in the cache is a tool of some kind. I didn't skimp on the quantity of tools and almost all are new. Please try to keep up the theme by swapping tool for tool. Some items included are adjustable wrenches, pliers, razor knives, bungee cords, a carpenter's square, etc. There is also some emergency water.
This cache is rated
for the scramble at the end.
Tombstone
Ruins
Joshua Tree National Park, CA
N33 59.088, W116 08.919
Elevation: 4459 feet
Placed May 5, 2001
Here's
a challenge for you. This cache is just sitting out in the open, but it's
on top on a 100 foot high rock formation, and is rated a whopping !
Warning: Rock climbing skills are required to reach this cache. If you cannot climb at least 5.4 do not attempt to scale the formation. Rock climbing is an inherently dangerous sport and the owners of this web site will not take responsibility for you killing or hurting yourself.
To
locate this cache, make your way to Ryan campground in Joshua Tree National
Park. From there find the Tombstone.
You can't miss it. Walk past this landmark toward the ruins,
then over to the rock formation. Scramble, then climb to the top. That's it.
That's all there is to it. Piece of cake. Way, way easy.
Inside the cache is, among other things, a Where's George dollar. If you take the bill, please log the serial number on the web site stamped on the bill before you spend it. Or better yet, after you log the bill, put George in the next cache you find to keep him moving around.
Joshua
Tree is a very beautiful place. Even if you can't climb it's well worth the
trip out. This area is very hot in the summer so take plenty of water.
Rainie
Falls
Galice, OR
N42 39.022 W123 36.938
Elevation: 1375 feet
Placed April 26, 2001
This
cache is located on the Rogue River right at Rainie Falls, a short drive from
Merlin. The relatively flat trail will take you 
on
an easy two mile hike to the falls, which is more of a drop in the river than
an actual water fall. My Etrex could not get a fix at the actual cache site
due to the trees. The coordinates are for the falls. Again, due to trees the
coordinates are probably off quite a bit, but the falls are easy to find.
Important: Be sure to hike down the left side of the river!
To
find the cache, stand on the rocks overlooking the falls and turn around.
The cache is up the hill a hundred
feet or so. The scramble up is a bit challenging due to the incline. You'll
find the cache hidden on the uphill side of the only stump in the area, covered
over with leaves.
Inside you will find the usual assortment of goodies.
This
cache is rated at
for the length of the hike and the scramble at the end.
Valley
of the Rogue
Rogue River, OR
N42 24.503, W123 09.032
Elevation: 995 feet
Placed April 26, 2001
Located along the Rogue River in Valley of the Rogue State Park, this cache is a great one for beginners or those wanting to include children. A short walk from the parking area will take you to the river where you'll follow a well marked trail to the cache.
To find the cache, first find a large fallen tree right on the river. Walk on the tree to a fork in the branches. The cache is hidden under one of the topmost forks in the tree. Be careful of sticker bushes.
Included are the usual assortment of goodies with an emphases on children's items.
An
easy find rated at just one .
That
Dam Cache
Lake Morena, CA
N32 41.120 W116 32.782
Elevation: 3077 feet
Placed
February 21, 2001
This cache is located in Lake Morena Regional Park, just a few miles from Campo, CA. This is a very nice area with plenty to do. There is camping, either tent or trailer, great fishing (the lake record for bass is a 19 lb. 3 oz. largemouth and the record trout weighed 10 lb. 3 oz.), hiking and biking. You can rent a boat or bring your own. Nearby is Corral Canyon USFS Off Road Vehicle Area.
As the name implies, the cache is hidden near the dam. Follow the road (by foot or bike, no cars allowed) from the boat launch area around the lake as far as you can go. Do not go into the restricted area, You'll have to drop down to lake level to continue your journey. Pass through the area strewn with quartz, pass a few boulders, and then on to the cache. Be careful in the cache area. A fall could get you wet (or worse, hurt).
Once
in the area, you'll find the cache directly under the power line that runs
out to the pump in the middle of the lake by the dam. It's hidden under the
highest of the two holly bushes, next to a rock ledge. Careful, holly bushes
bite!
Be sure to stop at the Ranger station at N32 41.155, W116 31.317 and pay your $2 day use fee. You will get a ticket if you don't pay. Don't forget your map.
Inside the cache you'll find things like a movie on VHS tape, 12 bottle rockets, a piece of petrified wood from Wyoming, a quartz crystal from Brazil, 6 pencils, a booklet, a Lucky Charms coin, and more!
I
rate this cache
or
stars, depending on lake level and your fear of heights.
Border
Cache Stash
Campo, CA
N32 35.405, W116 27.839
Elevation: 2890 feet
Placed February 17, 2001
This
stash is rated star. It is
located near the southern most end of the Pacific Crest Trail. To find the
cache, just find the PCT and walk south. Depending where you start will determine
how long it will take you to reach the end. If you're beginning at the northern
end of the PCT, you better plan on a solid five or six months! Those of you
beginning in East County San Diego will have a much easier time. The stash
is in a plastic shoe box with a purple lid. Inside you'll find lots of good
stuff like:
10 pence coin from England, a 10, 100, & 1000 peso coin from Mexico, the movie "Against a Crocked Sky" on VHS tape, Magic Color pens, 2 candy canes, Star Wars lip balm, bug toy, a real quartz crystal from Brazil, a New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, toothbrush with holder, 1 roll wild cherry Life Savers, 4 toggles, mini compass, scented candle, a book light, 2 packs of Advil, and a cassette taped recording from my pastor.
The cache is hidden in some rocks about 200-300 yards east of the end of the PCT, under a small bush and covered over with a couple of cow pies. Please hide this cache well to keep passersby from spotting it accidentally.
One
more thing, you'll get into big trouble if the Border Patrol catch you crossing
over into Mexico.
Mud
Cave Cookie Tin
Anza-Borrago Desert, CA
N32 55.830, W116 11.754
Elevation: 1051 feet
Placed
February 14, 2001 
This was my first cache placed. I was out in the desert with my friend Curt looking for a hiding place, when he remembered this location. It is a great place for a stash and won't be easy to get to. You have to drive (4WD recommended), hike a short distance through some mud caves, do a belly crawl up a 35 degree slope through a hole in the side of the canyon, and then some more hiking to finally reach the cache, which is a cookie tin hidden under an ocotillo. The hike alone is worth it, the view is spectacular!
Please
be very careful if you decide to descend the ridge instead of retracing your
steps via the belly crawl. There is a spot where a fall might prove fatal.
Also, please be careful of the countryside in this area. It's very fragile.
Staying on established trails will help. Hide the tin well after digging it
up (that's right, it's buried) to keep it safe for other geohunters.
I
rate this cache at stars
due to the belly crawl and possible fall potential.
Easy. You can almost drive to this cache.
Moderate. A good hike with some ups and downs.
Getting hard. Terrain could be steep or rocky.
Hard. Not for the faint of heart. Hike could be very long or steep.
Dude! I'm looking for a climbing partner. Give me a call!
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copyright © 2004 James B. Doss