Geocaching Misadventure in Oppelo

[BSA534]

This morning the wife suggested we head up to Petit Jean Mountain to have a family day and do some geocaching. So we loaded up the kids and the dog in the Aztek and headed to Morrilton.

After grabbing some breakfast and a few caches in Morrilton we headed across the river to go up the mountain. As we arrived in Oppelo I noticed the caches there so I thought we might as well grab some. The kids wanted to play in the park so we pulled in and they ran to the playground while my wife got the leash on the dog and I headed to the Oppelo Opry cache. I found the cache quickly.... but thats where this story goes terribly wrong!

After making the find I remembered I had a traveler that would fit in this cache so I headed back to the car to get it. Much to my surprise when I tried to open the door it was LOCKED! Apparently the dog had stopped on the door lock before he got out!

I walked over to the nearby gas station and found the number for a locksmith in Morrilton. I spent the next 2 hours calling his number! Apparently "24/7 service" doesn't include Sunday mornings!

It was pretty chilly and the wind was really blowing this morning and we spent about 2 hours in the Oppelo City Park. The nice lady at the gas station gave me the number to the Oppelo Police Chief, but she said he was at church and I probably couldn't contact him until after noon. I finally reached him about 12:15 and he was able to come back to town from Morrilton.

Luckily he was able to get my car unlocked quickly. We hopped in the car, turned up the heater and went and had lunch with the nice ladies at the gas station! This is a cache and a day we won't soon forget![/b]

[AR-HICK]

It is a good thing that you didn't call me, I was getting a manicure and I could not pick up the phone.


I was thinking about calling AR-Hick for a hint, but now that he's a big TV star he probably wouldn't take my calls [:D]

Yea thanks for the log on "Search and Entertain"

[mountainborn]

Great report, thanks. Bet you now have a key in your wallet or hidden on the car somewhere. Now that's service, the Chief himself unlocked for you. 8)

[cachemates]

We have some experience with keys locked in the truck. This happened to us twice. Once in mountainborn country looking for one of his caches. He sent one of his guys and a locksmith to our rescue. We sure were glad to see them drive up!

It happened again at Petit Jean at an event. We were looking for the Poker Run caches and was in a hurry. Jumped out and locked the door. We found the cache but when we tried to get into the truck, No keys in this pocket, no keys in that pocket, Oh No! Not Again!

We could see both sets of keys in the truck. Well, this was a good time to call On Star! I gave them a call and asked if they could unlock my truck. The lady asked me what my On Star number was. I did not remember it.

Here is what she told me to do. Sir push the On Star button on your mirror and that will give me the number. I told her, If I could push that button I would not need your help, I am locked out of the truck.

She called a locksmith for me, he came out of Greenbriar. Again I was glad to see him drive up.

[SJClimber]

Must show this to my wife who thinks I'm "silly" for leaving the window cracked and pick up the keys when we have the dog along.. Reinforces my thought that the animal could ruin an afternoon (unintentionally)..

[QuartzCachers]

Ironic, isn't it? We, who deal in hiding small, key sized items in thingies designed to go on our vehicles for just that purpose, and probably not one of us has one used for that. Well, I did, but.....it is now GC#...HAHA! I have an unreasonable fear of this very thing happening to me. Sorry it happened to you!

[BSA534]

Oh yeah, I had a magnetic keyholder in my caching stuff in the back of my Aztek... course there was no key in it... but there could have been!