Geocaching - Mule Style!

Greeting Muleteers, this week I have been taking my humans treasure hunting!  Well to be precise we have been Geocaching which involves looking for hidden items and logging your finds on a global website designed for talented finders like me http://www.geocaching.com/.  The humans use a GPS thing and use clues to find boxes, bags and other hidden things which have little log books to record their names in, I of course had to ask the humans to sign for me as my hoof writing is a little untidy!  The humans are rubbish at finding things so I decided to lend them an ear...

We decided to carry out our treasure hunt on a lovely damp Dartmoor day and chose a route that took us up on to Dartmoor with steep climbs and descents, about 7 miles in total.  We had my Aunty along for the fun and as I can't carry both FH and Aunty I got to walk instead of carry.



Here we are ready to set off, looking energetic!

In total there were 16 hidden 'caches' on our route all of them hidden in sneaky places like tree stumps, under rocks, hung in tree branches or even disguised as rocks and logs.  Aunty Human (AH) is very experienced at finding these things in Canada where she comes from so gave me and FH a lesson.  Here I am learning about signing the log book.... whilst having a little snack....

Sign my geocache tag too AH!

Then it was time to head on to the moor, boy it was blustery and cold up there, we thought we were the only ones out there but no, there were some alien humans in the distance with huge fluorescent saddles on their backs, I DID NOT trust them and let FH know by refusing to turn my back on them, eventually I scared them off and we set off to find the next caches!

The next find was very tricky, it involved me searching a lot in the nice grassy undergrowth and telling FH that the cache really was hidden where the grass was greener..... AH eventually sussed out my tactics and looked in the rocky bit, darn and there was I thinking that this cache wouldn't be found and we'd have to stay a while longer, the humans could look while I sampled the moorland delicacies surely?

The next cache was much more Mule Style!  We met a kind ranger on our way to this one who shook her head and said that this 'bridleway' was not passable by a horse (hmmmph I AM NOT a horse!) particularly as there was a tree down across the path and even she could hardly get through.  AH and FH were worried for a split second but FH came to her senses and remembered that I AM A MULE!

So off we went to investigate this mere stick across the path.  Pah!  AH went one side, FH dropped my leading rein for her (she'd have to cope on her own folks, I can't always lead her everywhere, this was a time for her to be brave!) and I sized up the problem, hopped, skipped, jumped, ducked and mulificently negotiated the twig in my path.  FH and AH were suitably impressed, I think AH hadn't really seen a mule in 'action' before this and I reckon I impressed her!

Just a small twig - no match for this mule!

As was only fitting whilst AH found the next cache I had a victory snack on the local trees.  The humans took a while to find this one but that was fine by me ;-)

After a quick snack stop I negotiated the steep descent like a Grand Canyon Mule, hmmm impassable I don't think!  And just imagine what I found at the end of the track, my very favourite boypony Salty!  I had to stop and have a little snuffle and we had a good neck scratch.  The humans were glad of the breather I think so didn't hurry me along..... He is sooo handsome!

Quick stop for some kissing with my boypony!

Never mind the smooching though folks, we have still got a couple of miles to go and we haven't even picniced yet.... well maybe I have but the humans are getting narky and hungry.  While they were getting cache number 12 I stopped by to say hi to some of the other neighbours, they are a little errmmm bovine?  

Cow V's Mule - no eating contest here!

Finally we are going downhill and I can stop by my favourite ford, this is a clapper bridge where some of my Dartmoor Pixie pals live, just stopping by to say hi!

Hello Dartmoor Pixies!

Wow would you look at that Muleteers!  This water is making some great patterns, it really is quite mesmerising, I stood here for quite a while, FH thought it very funny, strange human.

We found this cache (after some nudging from me) and then it was time to picnic!  Yippee!  FH's saddle bag opened and out came yummy snacks for humans and look AH has even got an apple for me!

Picnic apples for good mulettas!

When the apple was finished I quite liked the look of AH's lunch too, Cornish pasty, yum, apparently it's not healthy for humans so I really wanted to help them out with the eating, I don't want FH to get too plump, I have to carry her you know!

This mule would also like a pasty please!

Nearly home muleteers, we're on the last half mile.  But would you believe it some genius has made this cache inaccessible to my beautiful mule hooves, I think this sign should say Hoofpath not Footpath! Off AH went to find the cache while FH and I stood and snacked on the hedge.

Should read Hoofpath not footpath.

Last cache done!  I am a mulificent Mule Cacher, bet there aren't many of those.

Geocache number 16 - and now for home.

Well folks here we are after 5 hours, a good few miles, many hedge snacks, 2 pasties, 1 muddy bum (FHs!), a few rain showers, many cows, 1 boypony, some walking aliens, a few Dartmoor Pixies, an appley treat, 16 found caches, 7 miles of fine mule terrain, 1 pathetic oak tree and buckets of fun later!

A bit muddier and the humans look tired but mulificent fun was had by all!

If you feel like enjoying the great outdoors on two or four legs anywhere in the world and want to discover some of the prettiest walks and interesting places then have a go at Geocaching, it's free and great fun! http://www.geocaching.com/