Jedi Mind Tricks and Mt Orient Overlook Caches

Having seen Star Wars just the day before, I took off yesterday in search of Jedi Mind Tricks , one of two caches located in or near the Amethyst Brook Conservation Area in Amherst.

Getting close was relatively easy, getting close enough not so much. The first part of this two-stage cache is under heavy tree cover where GPS signals tend to get lost. I get the impression that this is intentional. After criss-crossing the area for 40 minutes or so I decided to leave it for another day. (They're mostly evergreens, so I don't think leaving it for the autumn is going to help, but maybe a slightly cooler and less humid day will preserve my patience longer.)

Feeling thwarted, I set out for Mt. Orient Overlook with determination. It's mostly a cool, pleasant walk along Robert Frost Trail though there's been some logging near the top which leaves the landscape looking a bit shabby.

Logging

Pressed for time, I chose a somewhat more direct route than the trail markers indicated, so I reached the top more than a little winded from a steep ascent.

After a short rest, I was able to complete my quest.

Mt Orient Overlook Cache

The views from Mt. Orient are lovely.

Mt Orient View

I'd have stayed and enjoyed them longer, perhaps, had the crack of thunder not left me thinking that a rocky mountain top was probably not the safest place to be standing just at that moment.