20-Feb-2005 -- 40 N – 117 E Hebei, China

Visit Date: February 20, 2005

This is hunt during the Chinese Lunar New Year period, a tradition that we started last year. For Marika, this is her first successful line-hunting.

It has been a very cold period in Beijing, and we were getting restless staying indoor for the holiday. A line hunting would be a good cure for our cabin fever. This particular CP, done by Keith and Jeanette during the summer, seems like a good one to visit. It must not look the same during the winter. Using driving time as a measure, this CP most likely is the closest one from our home.

The lunar New Year period offered lighter than usual traffic. The drive to the CP took us exactly one hour – a new record. We could have driven to within 40 meters of this CP, but decided to walk when we were 180 meters away. This way, Oreo, the line-hunting dog, can get some exercise.

The CP located in a field with some corn stalks, and about 300 meters from a village called Xiao Tian Zong, which is part of the Shen He (three rivers) township.

In the middle of winter, the scenery is not most inspiring, but we were glad this was a sunny day, and the little snow on the ground made it a bit more interesting.

We made it home a little over an hour. By far, this is one of the quickest line-hunting trip. Too bad Sierra went skiing and missed the hunt. Whenever she came on a hunt, it took hours to walk to the point.

Rating of this Hunt:

Degree of Challenge: 1 – easy drive to the point (Scale: 1= very easy - drive to the point; to 5= a death march – glad it is over)

Scenery: 2– snow covered farmland (Scale: 1= not interesting at all; 5= take your breath away)

Culture-social factors: 2– typical northern China rural area (Scale: 1=dull; 5= most stimulating)