Got Out Caching On The New High Family Nature Preserve

Molly is off this weekend, so she was home. I received an email notification that new geocaches had been published close to home. I looked at the location, and it was easy enough to get to and appeared to be the type of cache we enjoy going to find.

The new one and some others new to us were located on a brand new Lancaster Conservancy property that had only opened this fall. Normally, their properties don’t have much parking available. This one was across the street from a park, so they had a nice large lot, and that settled it. We loaded up the Garmins and headed out. At the brand-new cache’s location, we met some other geocachers and joined the search. It was a tricky hide, but properly rated, and we did eventually make the find. I had personally checked within a foot or two of the cache’s actual hiding spot but missed it.

The skies were blue with crisp fall air. We got a nice view of trees with some remaining leaves. It was such a great surprise! We chatted for a bit and met the cache owner and then left to continue down the trail.

We found the other geocaches that we searched for with no issues. I actually made the find on one of them!

Red And Yellow Trees

This picture shows mostly bare trees, but there are some red, and yellow leaves remaining.

Here is another picture from along the trail with some color still left on the trees.

Colorful Trees

This picture shows some trees that have some colorful leaves remaining even though we are past peak autumn color.

This park has a few areas with neat boulders along the trail.

Autumn Trail And Boulders

This picture shows a leaf-covered trail. There are large boulders on the left side. The trees are mostly bare, but there are some scattered colorful leaves remaining on them.

Have I mentioned that I love seeing boulders in the fall?

Autumn Boulder

This picture shows a large boulder outcropping. Behind it are some trees with orange and yellow leaves. In front of it is a sapling with yellow and a few green leaves.

My favorite spot was this peaceful spot with a small stream crossing the trail. It was very relaxing to hear the water and see the various colored remaining leaves. Smelling the dry leaves only made it more mind-settling.

Stream In The Fall

This picture shows a small stream. There are some trees and plants yellow to orange and even a few green leaves along it. It was a peaceful spot.

Days like this are the best in life. There is not much that brings me more inner peace than walking in the woods during the fall. The smell of the leaves as they are drying out takes me someplace special. Hearing the crunch of the leaves on the leaf-covered trail does the same for me.

It was a beautiful day to get outside and clear my mind. I have been in a funk because the fall is when both of my fathers died, and one of their birthdays was in the fall.

This preserve is a gem with the nice trails and neat diabase outcroppings in areas. It some ways it reminds me of a mini Governer Dick. Smaller hills. Smaller rocks and smaller property, but it is also much closer to home.

The preserve is close enough to home that I can imagine us going there just to get a little woods therapy. The caches were located on High Family Nature Preserve. I can not express how grateful I am that we have the Lancaster County Conservancy near us. They have a number of outstanding properties!