Blackleach Country Park - 4 - GCFZ11

Having been beaten to the First to Find crown on the 'Blackleach Country Park 1' cache, I got up early this morning to attempt two further FTF's that had been activated yesterday. An additional two caches had also been placed this week making a nice total of five to aim at for a morning's geocaching.

I set off in the dark at about 7am and the almost full moon was still burning brightly in the sky when I got to this location.  It was -1.5 degrees C and the ground was crisp with frost as I found the public footpath that lead to cache.  When I saw where the GPSr was pointing my heart sank as I wondered how on earth I would find in the darkness.

With my thoughts also wondering if anyone had beaten me to it, I launched myself in amongst the trees and started looking for an item mentioned in the hint - there were lots of them.  I tried using my 'phone for light, but it wasn't much good, so I just had to resort to feeling my way through the branches.

And then, success! I can't believe how I found it in the dark. There were no other signatures in the log so it was a FTF - the first I've had for ages.  I did my best to sign the log, but I couldn't really see what I was doing and my fingers were freezing cold.  Sorry for the muddy, scruffy writing!

After I returned the cache to its home, I checked the GPSr for the next FTF on my planned route and set off with a spring in my step as the dawn was starting to break.  The path led alongside the M61 motorway which was now starting to buzz and hum with noise of the traffic starting the working day. There was a wonderful orange glow in the sky and some manmade objects created beautiful silhouettes against it.

The cache was originally logged on www.geocaching.com with this message from my phone whilst out in the field.

'Yay - FTF !!!  and my first cache of the day.
Checkout my blog for more details later.'