Blackleach Country Park - 3 - GC2FZ0W

This was to be the fifth and final cache of the day.  By now there was quite a contrast between the sunny and shaded sides of the reservoir as can be seen from these two pictures.

As I walked away from the reservoir a small wall apeared with a bench on one side. After I've completed this cache , I'll sit and log my FTF's there using my phone there I thought.  But when I sat down on it was covered in frost and freezing cold, so I got up sharpish.

The cache was a cunning hide and could be easily missed - in fact I did at first and I only found it on my second inspection.  I knew it had to be there I just couldn't see it at first.

Blackleach Country Park really is a great place and one I've never been to before, so thanks for making me get up on frosty but sunny Monday morning and seeing it in all it's autumnal glory - I could have stayed in bed as I'm on holiday, but I'm so glad I didn't.

Mission accomplished with five caches under my belt including two FTF's, I skipped happily back to the car and breakfast.

Blackleach Country Park - 1 - GC2FZ0A

After the previous three successful finds I decided to pick up the remaining two caches here which I'd missed being released over the last couple of days. As I walked round the south-eastern corner of the reservoir a series of fishing platforms came in to close view.

Today the water was very serene as I looked out from the platforms, but I can imagine in the height of summer it gets very busy with families and children.  And perhaps even the buzz of model boats being whizzed over the water by some men in their later years - this type of activity seems to have died out with the screenagers of today who seem to want instant gratification without any effort. 

The sign at the end of the platform made me think of my dad who sadly died much too early in June 2008. He would have liked it here because he used to build radio-controlled boats and gliders. When he resurrected an old model he'd built of the German warship Scharnhorst about ten years ago, we looked around for somewhere to sail it and ended up going to Moses Gate a little further up the road in Bolton. I can't imagine that he didn't know about this place but maybe it wasn't set up for boating then.

This cache was well hidden and it took me a couple of goes to find even using the hint. I took the wonderful 10-10-10 geocoin (I just couldn't resist) but sorry, I had nothing to leave today.  It's going to be hard to part with this but I think I'll put it in one my own Birdwatch caches sometime soon.

With just one more cache to go I set off on a leisurely stroll back along the eastern bank of the reservoir, taking photos on the way and generally enjoying the peace and quiet.

Blackleach Country Park - 2 - GCFZ0G

After the previous two new finds I decided to pick up the remaining three caches here which I'd missed being released over the last couple of days.  It was quite light by now as I walked down the path to the reservoir.

The reservoir came into view as I walked up the bank from the path - it was stunning.  There was a mist over the water and a slight haze blurred the church in the distance - it could have been a watercolour painting.  The ducks, geese and swans added to the effect making a scene that would have graced any Christmas card.

I just stood for a while and took it all in - it looks like it could be a good place to come to for birdwatching, but that's another hobby and blog.  As I walked along the bank I could soon see somewhere which looked interesting form a caching point of view, and sure enough, that's where the GPSr was pointing. After a quick look at the hint I went down the steps and had the cache in hand shortly afterwards.

Blackleach Country Park really is a great place and one I've never been to before, so thanks for making me get up on frosty but sunny Monday morning and seeing it in all it's autumnal glory - I could have stayed in bed as I'm on holiday, but I'm so glad I didn't.

Blackleach Country Park - 5 - GCFZ15

Having been FTF at the previous cache, I walked optimistically to this one as if I knew where I was going. Obviously I didn't and after a good start along the main footpath I took a minor footpath (it was signposted) into a vegetated area. This made hard work of getting to GZ because of the wet, muddy ground and tree branches.

When I eventually did surface again I noticed that the original path I'd been on had turned a corner and would have been much easier to follow than the one I chose.  It had got much lighter by now but it was still cold - however that didn't seem to deter the frequent joggers and dog walkers who were starting to appear quite frequently on the path in front of the cache location.

Using the hint I found the cache quite easily (in between the muggles passing by) and I was very happy to see that it was another FTF for me today.  I signed the log and took a little plastic Stegasuarus dinosaur souvenir - I don't know why but I've started to collect dinosaurs from caches, so when there's one present in a cache I just have to take it.

After doing the admin I took a few photos and then headed off for the reservoir.  Things were looking good.

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

'Yay - My 2nd FTF of the day.
Checkout my blog for more details later.'

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.'