First-to-find of the Fugads Farewell Ffff..tribute

In Wartburg, ready for adventure!

Couldn't get that alliteration working all the way. Two years ago we were moving from New Mexico to Tennessee. I had made a bunch of geocaching friends in Las Cruces, and the day we were moving a new cache was published called Good Luck Cache, wishing me, and another cacher who was also leaving the area good luck in our new endeavors. It's very touching to have someone place a tribute cache for you. Geocaches can live a long time, and years after I have been gone, folks may still be finding this cache and wondering about who it was placed for. I've found a fair number of tribute caches myself. They are cool to find. But even cooler is when someone thinks well enough of you to place a cache to celebrate you. So it was a bummer for me when I couldn't get away to sign that tribute cache in Las Cruces when we drove out of town.

One of the tunnels. Super cool!

Now, two years later, my family is moving back to New Mexico, although to Santa Fe this time. And once again, I have made some good geocaching friends here in Tennessee and was tickled when I got an email that a tribute cache was being placed for me. But like before it quickly became a source of anxiety for me as to whether I'd be able to actually go and find the cache. let me explain.

Levin reacts to my wonky log signature. Hey, I forgot a pen. But did have a knife.

Glowstick fun

The cache placed for me, GC6J5BR, is the kind of cache I adore. An adventurous hike, exploring one of the lesser known cool areas outside of Wartburg. It involves abandoned train tunnels, river crossings, a nice hike and nearby swimming holes. What is not to love. The one thing it wasn't was a close park-and-grab, and given our current getting-ready-to-move stresses, I seriously doubted I'd be able to get to the cache. I contemplated a night run of the cache, which might have been fun, but a better opportunity emerged. How about play hookie from work to take care of my sick daughter? My wife had actually stayed home with our daughter for the last few days, she was coughing at night and not sleeping well. But during the day she seemed pretty normal, so it probably was allergy related. So the claim of her being sick had some truth... sure... It was easy enough to convince myself of that. What sealed the deal in my mind was another small fact, that almost exactly a year ago, I had visited the same location with my kids and it was one of our most memorable geocaching adventures together. How cool would it be to take one more trip out to the Obed, find a cache, look for critters, frolic in the water. Might be our last chance to do this in Tennessee.

Splashy time

So off we went. I wrote about the trip already on my log, and don't feel like repeating myself here. But in summary, a good time was head. Just me and the kids, out exploring together. It doesn't get much better than that. And if my friends Lullabye and Kaput hadn't placed this tribute cache for me, I probably just would have spent the day at work. BORING! I'll miss them, and all the other great geocachers I've met here in Tennessee. Two years passes too quickly. Tennessee, thanks for all the fun.

Exit from Tennessee