GC5C633 Swimming with Selkies
Type: Traditional | Size: Micro | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: Pohka @ | Hide Date: 09/02/2014 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 53.388 W104° 42.665 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
         

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Selkies are a bred of fee who love the water and historically don't get along with humans or even other fey very well (historical note: I've placed 2 other caches in this area and either selkies, trolls or muggles have "moved them").

Now instead of tempting the selkies I decided to join my fellow fey in their environment.  Be gentle my cachers, this is marsh land and not something you beat the brush through.  Do a little clean up as you go (you were good to through the plastic into one area beating the brush for the last container, keep the fey happy!!!).  Enjoy the cache and the chance to enter the territory of the selkie...

Note: 31/10/17 - I took a little time from Samhain to check the general location of this cache and have to say the selkies have modified the environment (to be expected given selkies). Because I'm pohka and both benevolent and malevolent I give my human cachers the benefit of increasing the difficult and terrain. My malevolent nature, to log the cache you need to post a picture of yourself with the cache container to log this one.

09/22/2018 By ColoradoSmith
A few weeks ago I was sure I found the cache. The problem was that there was a decent sized Selkie (snake) sitting right on the cache. I tried getting it to move, but was just making it madder, and I figured getting bit would not feel good. The snake was there two or three other times when I came back. Finally, on 9/22, the snake was gone. Unfortunately, the thing that I thought was the cache was also gone :(

08/21/2018 By Kerewin0430
This is my week of geocaching misadventures!! Claudey had mentioned this cache to me quite some time ago, as she knew I'm a fan of anything water-related. After seeing that this one was back in play, we coordinated to go tonight. As the rain came down harder and harder, we debated the decision a bit, but then figured that we were going to get wet anyway, so we might as well try for it! Thus emboldened, we set out on our quest. Our two apps were giving us different coordinates (old and new), but we figured out which was correct and forded the river to begin the search.

As claudey mentioned in her log, we had zeroed in on GZ and she was confidently diving in when she quickly drew back and let out a cry of surprise. There was a huge selkie (I mean SNAKE!!) right where her sandal'd foot was about to have stepped! I was trying to keep my cool and knew that we only have 2 venomous snakes in Colorado (rattlesnakes and something that only live in the SE part of the state), and was trying to rationalize whether rattlers liked water or not...I hoped not, like in the way that we tell ourselves that snakes don't live at higher altitudes because there's nothing for them to eat. Sounds plausible, not sure if it's true, but I've also never seen a snake above about 8,000'. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Google tells me I was wrong, and that rattlesnakes have been known to swim!

Anyway, we didn't hear a rattle, but as bold claudey poked the area around the snake (ever the persistent geocacher), it started hissing and rearranging itself. As it moved, claudey pointed out that it looked like he was right on top of the cache. Wouldn't you know it?! While she continued to poke, I took several pictures (sent to the CO) as proof of having seen the container. We never did see his tail, but he was at least 2" thick in places...big enough that I didn't quite want to just catapult him off the cache.

Some may not consider it a find without signing the log, but I appreciate the CO's allowing us to log our adventure! I may try to actually sign the log in the future, but for now, I'm happy letting this guy claim the cache. Thanks for the fun!

08/21/2018 By claudey
Ok, once I knew that the cache had been replaced, I knew I had to try again before MORE weeds grew up and really did upped the camo factor. This time, I dragged Kerewin0430 along for the ride (or rather, she dragged me since she drove us, lol). In the rain. LOL We made our way down to GZ and began searching. Not 30 seconds into the hunt, I was about to step through some plants to take a look and almost stepped on a Big, Fat, SNAKE. Holy crap. Kerewin informed me that it wasn't a rattlesnake, since they don't like water. No rattling was heard, either. Whew. Once I got over my fright, we took a closer look (and many pics) and discovered that of course, the snake was lying RIGHT ON TOP OF THE CACHE. Many Nopes later, we decided to appeal to the kind CO to let us log the cache, even though the Selkie's Guardian wouldn't allow us to sign the log. He graciously agreed, and here we are. Thanks for the fun (albeit slightly terrifying) cache hunt!

On the way back to the car, we found this snake's skin (or another equally terrifying cousin). Gives you an idea of how big the snake was!

08/19/2018 By Pohka
N38° 53.388 W104° 42.665
Coordinates changed from:
N 38° 53.395 W 104° 42.653

Coordinates changed to:
N 38° 53.388 W 104° 42.665

Distance from original: 71.1 feet or 21.7 meters.

Updated

08/18/2018 By Pohka
Decided to check this one after talking with the last searcher, decided not to ask some Tommyknockers to come help since I doubt the selkies buried the container. Brought a replacement container that the selkies shouldn’t be able to move but a troll or Muggle might .

07/02/2018 By claudey
No joy today, even with a couple of TAGs.