Hi, Team Lyons!

It didn’t turn out as warm or as sunny this Sunday as the forecast had promised, but we wanted to spend some time outdoors anyway. Our goal for the day was to complete an easy cache hunt somewhere in the area and then search for the Smiths Gap Reset triangulation station just off the A-T at Smith Gap. After some difficulty finding the right exit off Route 33, we navigated through back roads to the Smith Gap A-T parking area. From here we trekked down the long, winding and steep road toward the cache. Cutting into the woods on a dim trail not far from houses seemed to be the easiest route, terrain-wise. Then, trouble. From the yard of one of the nearby homes I heard a bark, and then a large black dog came toward us through the woods. Neither of us being a fan of strange dogs allowed to run free, we were ready for anything, including giving up the hunt if the dog refused to let us pass. He stayed silent while he sniffed us and trotted around, sizing us up. Rich reached out tentatively to let the dog sniff his hand, and the dog flopped on the ground! This dog was ready to play. There was no danger and we continued on our way. Our new friend accompanied us for the rest of the journey, trotting alongside us, and occasionally running ahead to take a drink and play in the little streams that crossed our path. He was eager to look for the cache, as well! He went looking here, sniffing there as we poked under rocks and examined fallen trees. He and I found the cache after a few minutes of looking, and Rich found it himself just a minute later. Our trading and logging in was complicated by the dog bounding all around us, wondering what was going on and wanting to play. Though there were some nice goodies in the cache, I took nothing and left a laptop cord. The dog eventually settled down for a few photos before walking us back out to the road. It might be a while before he has such an adventure again! I’ve never been a fan of dogs, particularly big ones, but after meeting this sweetheart I can understand how people become so attached to these creatures. Thanks so much for the cache and the adventure!

Zhanna

Howdy, Team Lyons! This very pleasant late-Winter Sunday was filled with lots of little adventures and memorable stories. After getting an early morning start I detoured over to Scranton to meet with Zhanna who would be accompanying me on today’s quest. There were a number of caching options to choose from. Back when this particular cache first appeared on the Website I did a quick search for nearby benchmarks and came across an old triangulation station that had an interesting history and sounded very intriguing to me. (See: KV3628.) And it was only a short walk on the A-T. So, it was decided that the primary goal for the day would be to attempt to satisfy our deep curiosity about this benchmark, which appropriately is named Smith Gap Reset, and to take in a quick cache hunt as well.

From the parking area at the A-T crossing we hiked down Smith Gap Road and east onto Skunk Road where we bushwhacked along the SGL boundary directly toward the cache site. As we approached one of the private homes out from the backyard comes this large black dog who seemed determined to check us out and ascertain our intentions. Fortunately, this canine inquisitor was docile and friendly enough, and it wasn’t long before we realized it wanted only to play. Our new-found companion now joined us on the hunt and seemed anxious to lead us to our goal. We even had to wonder if this was the “Sasha” in the cache title! I finally located the cache at around 10:45am. Actually, Zhanna and our furry friend discovered it first but neither of them would tell me where it was until I could snag it on my own, just a few minutes later. Everything was in excellent condition. I didn’t take anything, but after signing the logbook and doing the usual photo session, I left a Geo-Logo magnet and one of my cyclist’s key-“chains.” As we headed back up the long, steep roadway to the parking area, we bade farewell to our four-legged guide when it became obvious he had no intentions of taking us all the way back to the car.

After a successful recovery of Smith Gap Reset and both of its reference marks, we snacked on lemon and apple Tastykake pies, and began the drive home with the threat of showers in the air, increased wind, falling temps, and darkening clouds. Thanks for a terrific cache. ~Rich in NEPA~