The Poodle Challenge (GC20B4E) West Jefferson, AL 2/21/2010

While we had the most beautiful pre-Spring weather this weekend, our plans seemed to change with the wind. Our Big Dogs biking excursion to Chattanooga was cancelled when obh was too sick to travel. Then mtn-man changed our plans to cache Guntersville with CaverScott today by publishing new caches close to home. The FTF fever caught all of us and we picked up 3!

Soon we found ourselves caching the West Jefferson area and this cache kept popping up. I tried several times to circumvent this cache. Remembering all too clearly my last experience trying to navigate my way across the trestle for our 900th find, I was clearly opposed to the idea. Even when the possibility of going to do this cache was mentioned, my heart started to race, my breathing became erratic and my palms started to sweat. Still, we were headed in the direction of this challenge. My companions were slowing building my confidence with each mile we drove. The drive in to this cache is amazing and fun and a first for CaverScott, since he came in the other way for the Tunnel Cache.

We soon arrive at the parking area and face the long and winding trestle. Already my pulse begins an erratic beat. I'm nervous and challenged at the same time. OCP (Old Clay Pigeon as he has become known in the geocaching world) and Caver walk out ahead of me still trying to coax me across; after all, oldboyhiker put this cache out for me to conquer my fear of heights. This is mind over matter; I should be able to do this. Right?



1,000 feet above a river!



I get a few feet into the crossing when the view to the bottom opens up. I freeze. I remember from the last time I tried this, the creek underneath is like a 1,000 feet below and if you fell through; it would surely be to your death! I tell them I can't do it. I can not make it across. Slowly, Scott makes his way back to me to have a little chat. His voice is low and calming. He asks would it help to hold hands. I debated quickly on this possibility of support and took it. He is slowly walking with me and telling me the most amazing story of a similar situation. All the while I am concentrating on the sound of his voice, his story and my footing. Before I realize it, we are across the trestle and on the other side!

Since we are here and I didn't get to see the tunnel on my previous visit, we all decide to walk to it and check out the other cache before attempting the cache in which we came for. The tunnel is spectacular and very much worth the visit. The original cache is in good shape and I signed the log to say I "officially" was here.

We return to the task of finding The Poodle Challenge - the Trestle II cache and this too takes on a new challenge! After about 30 minutes of hard searching, we resort to PAF for a better clue. If we would have read the previous logs better, we would have known the cache is about 134' from the coords. We expand our search and I soon spy the cache container! EUREKA! We have accomplished a very torturous (for me, anyway) cache placement.

Jim gets the grueling task of holding my hand and "helping" me back across the trestle. It's still one foot in front of the other, very carefully, but we are soon to the other side and on solid ground! I am VICTORIOUS!!! Thank you Steve for this incredible cache and accomplishment for me. I signed the log for us and took the "Courage" geocoin!

LCP I did it!!!