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Thread: Skating to Caches

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Augusta, Maine
    Posts
    815

    Default Skating to Caches

    I was driving by Togus Pond today and noticed the nice glare of ice that was on parts of it. So, I get this thought.... I'd like to skate to some caches. There are three in the capital area that I don't have:

    GC1A7BX (Three Mile Pond....) New one that is winter friendly.

    GCZ5M6 (Paddling on Branch Pond) Found on January 27th and there's another one at the landing.

    GCKM6Y (North Island) Winter Friendly

    This would mean lacing on the skates three times, but I am flexible. Maybe only do two caches and some in between. Is there anyone out there that might be interested in doing them this weekend? I am not guarenteeing great skating, but it would be an adventure and/or a good laugh.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Brewer, Maine
    Posts
    1,832

    Default

    Be careful on the ice. There are plenty of spots of open water from Bangor to Skowhegan, not sure about south of here. We don't need to lose any cachers

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    So. China Maine
    Posts
    1,597

    Smile 3 Mile Pond

    Skating here is spectacular at this time, although still rather windy this morning. There's over 3 feet of good ice and no open spots except at the inlet stream at the sourthernmost part of the lake. They're still driving pickup trucks all over the lake, which I neither condone or recommend but that is a good indication of how much ice there is. 2 coins in the cache here at our place. Happy Caching everyone and dress warm!
    Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Bangor, Maine
    Posts
    757

    Unhappy sick at home

    Sorry, KK. I would have loved to do something like this, thanks for posting a great idea! However, 1) I don't own skates, though snowshoeing may have worked, but been slower, and 2) I'm sick with a sinus infection.
    I hope you have/had fun!
    "Given a chance, a child will bring the confusion of the world to the woods, wash it in the creek, turn it over to see what lives on the unseen side of that confusion." --Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Augusta, Maine
    Posts
    815

    Default What a great day!

    Tat and I decided to set out on skates this morning and tackle three caches on three ponds (four caches for tat). We started at Lovejoy Pond and skated to North Island Cache. The ice was very close to perfect! It's the best I've seen in years. It was the first time tat was on skates in 40 years and he did great. Ski poles are the secret to staying upright.

    We then headed to the landing at Three Mile Pond and started on choppy ice, but then it became about a mile of glaze. The wind was a great asset when it was on our back, but certainly wasn't unbearable when it was in our face.

    The third cache was Paddling on Branch Pond. We walked to that, but then I put on my skates and tat had on his stabilizers and we headed for the cache at the end of the lake. There was some open water at the inlets and outlets, but it was easy to go around.

    We headed to Unity and grabbed a couple more caches. I highly recommend that you get out there and skate while the conditions are so good. Fun, fun, fun!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Auburn
    Posts
    2,134

    Default

    I don't know what made me think I could skate. I did try to skate once. When I was 10 or 12 Dad took us to the Mr. Benson's pond in Maryland. It was one of those rare winters when it froze enough to skate. I had my older brother's old skates. They were about two sizes too big and simply rolled over as soon as I stood up.

    Two years ago, I was paddling on small lake in southern Maine and stopped to check out an island. It looked like a nice possible cache spot. Even though it was late summer, there were a pair of ice skates on the ground. They would probably just sit there and rot. So, I tried them on and they fit!!

    Fast forward to last week. I wanted to go kayak camping. The weather was supposed to be clear and beautiful. Good thing we didn't go because the wind was 45 mph and gusting!! Karen had the idea of skating to get caches. I had to admit, that did sound better than high winds and high seas. And, how hard could it be to learn to skate?

    We took off at nicely protected Lovejoy Pond. I used my ski poles to help stay up. We found the cache and made it back. Not bad, a little less than a mile of skating and no injuries!

    So we took off for Three Mile Pond. Like Karen said, the beginning was a bit rough, but soon the ice was perfect. Karen had a great time skating down wind. I couldn't believe I was skating about 8 mph, and wondered what I'd do if there was open water and just how does one stop! We made it 1.6 miles to the cache and I got to take off the skates, which felt good. The cache was a bit hard to find, but not too bad, especially without those skates! I think going back against the wind must be an advanced lesson. I decided to change into boots and stabilizers for the last mile back.

    That's when I noticed FrankenGPS was no longer in my pocket. Fortunately, Karen was very willing to go back and look for it. She had to skate an extra mile, but at least she seemed to enjoy it. I had left the gps at the cache!!

    I was more than happy to use hike into Branch Pond!

    Thanks to Karen, I now know yet another great Maine winter activity. I can't wait to get back out again.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    So. China Maine
    Posts
    1,597

    Default 3 Mile pond

    Quote Originally Posted by tat View Post
    I don't know what made me think I could skate. I did try to skate once. When I was 10 or 12 Dad took us to the Mr. Benson's pond in Maryland. It was one of those rare winters when it froze enough to skate. I had my older brother's old skates. They were about two sizes too big and simply rolled over as soon as I stood up.

    Two years ago, I was paddling on small lake in southern Maine and stopped to check out an island. It looked like a nice possible cache spot. Even though it was late summer, there were a pair of ice skates on the ground. They would probably just sit there and rot. So, I tried them on and they fit!!

    Fast forward to last week. I wanted to go kayak camping. The weather was supposed to be clear and beautiful. Good thing we didn't go because the wind was 45 mph and gusting!! Karen had the idea of skating to get caches. I had to admit, that did sound better than high winds and high seas. And, how hard could it be to learn to skate?

    We took off at nicely protected Lovejoy Pond. I used my ski poles to help stay up. We found the cache and made it back. Not bad, a little less than a mile of skating and no injuries!

    So we took off for Three Mile Pond. Like Karen said, the beginning was a bit rough, but soon the ice was perfect. Karen had a great time skating down wind. I couldn't believe I was skating about 8 mph, and wondered what I'd do if there was open water and just how does one stop! We made it 1.6 miles to the cache and I got to take off the skates, which felt good. The cache was a bit hard to find, but not too bad, especially without those skates! I think going back against the wind must be an advanced lesson. I decided to change into boots and stabilizers for the last mile back.

    That's when I noticed FrankenGPS was no longer in my pocket. Fortunately, Karen was very willing to go back and look for it. She had to skate an extra mile, but at least she seemed to enjoy it. I had left the gps at the cache!!

    I was more than happy to use hike into Branch Pond!

    Thanks to Karen, I now know yet another great Maine winter activity. I can't wait to get back out again.
    Sorry we were out and missed all the "fun." As promised, when we're home we'll provide the refreshments. Hope to see you both and other cachers at the "compound" soon.
    Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Niskayuna, NY
    Posts
    607

    Default

    I am disappointed

    I expected to hear a story about the Tale of Two Skates.

    Seriously It sounds like you had a good time.




    A house is not a home without a cat.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    abbot me
    Posts
    754

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sabby View Post
    I am disappointed

    I expected to hear a story about the Tale of Two Skates.
    Skis are rascally little devils,always trying to run away the minute you're not looking. Where as skates are much more subdued creatures, set them down and they will just sit and wait for you to put them back on again. Much better suited for TAT.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Niskayuna, NY
    Posts
    607

    Default

    Skis are rascally little devils,always trying to run away the minute you're not looking. Where as skates are much more subdued creatures, set them down and they will just sit and wait for you to put them back on again. Much better suited for TAT.
    True but let us not forget this is TAT we are talking about. He did leave his GPS behind.




    A house is not a home without a cat.

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