National Geocacher

GeoCache. . . Build it and they will come

2013-03-15T11:49:00.002-06:00

Over the time I have been Geocaching I have found that I get just as much fun out of creating and placing caches as I do hunting for them. I never saw it coming, in fact, when I first started Geocaching I never gave any thought to placing caches. One winters day it was too cold to go caching I found myself checking out Google Earth and started thinking of interesting places caches could be placed. Well, it wasn't, long before placed my first Cache, a Camo taped pill bottle in a spruce tree. When Geocachers started finding it and leaving comments about their journey and find, I was hooked. I then started contemplating how I could make the Caches more interesting and fun.

The next thing I knew I created a James Bond 007, theme of caches. There are so many movies and characters that I have just scratched the surface and I have even drawn from a YouTube video called "the Duck does James Bonds dirty work" http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jH7HrsXf48k , yeah it's a duck, a decoy floating in a ditch in the country, I get lots of fun comments on this one. Another called Miss Money Penny, which is filled with pennies and while it is not too difficult too find I have been asked for hints.

All in all, the many facets of Geocaching make it a most rewarding hobby, so if you haven't already, start putting out some caches of your own and try being creative you'll love the comments.

James Bond - GOLD FINGER

The Duck is doing James Bond's Dirty Work

James Bond - Man with the Golden Gun

Miss Moneypenny

For Your Eyes Only

Keep Cachin'
Bill

Your Comments are Welcomed and Appreciated

3 Little Geocaching Letters that say “I Care"

2013-03-13T22:46:00.001-06:00

Log Your DNFs

You’ve looked. You really have. The geocache is not a container magnetized under the park bench. It’s not that funny looking rock, and of course it’s not under the lamp post cover. You’ve checked the previous logs and the hint. The geocache could be there, but you can’t seem to find it. You give up (for now). Geocaching doesn’t stop there though. Here’s what you do. You log a DNF on the geocache page. It’s “Did not find” and it means, “I care.”

When you log a DNF, you’re telling geocachers that the geocache may be more difficult to find than anticipated or may even be missing. You’re also letting the geocache owner know that they may need to double check that their geocache container can still be located at the posted coordinates.

If you’re a geocacher who logged any of the more than nine million DNF’s posted to Geocaching so far, thanks from the geocaching community. It’s a small way to help ensure the quality of geocaching. Plus, you can always go back and search again. Who knows, maybe this time you’ll catch a break and log a “Found it!”

Add a comment below and share your DNF strategy with other geocachers. When do you log a DNF?

* This is a Repost from Latitude 47

Your Comments are Welcomed and Appreciated

Sharing the Geocaching Hobby

2013-03-02T23:10:00.001-07:00

I have met a number of business people at a local business lunch group I attend each week to share ideas and business leads. At each luncheon someone takes a turn at doing a talk to the group about their business, they are always interesting and informative. I also take my turn at doing these 30 minute talks but I am not always talking about business, I also talk about my interests which never fail to introduce others to hobbies they had never considered.
Not long ago after hearing about my interest in GeoCaching one of he members asked for more information on how to get started, which as you can guess, I was more than happy to share. It's been a few months now and she has managed to get her daughter out GeoCaching and ding one more Geocacher to our hobby. Last Tuesday she was telling me that her parents had expressed an interest in GeoCaching and she was going down to visit them in Arizona, then they were taking a road trip to San Diego. She asked, if I would help here put together a pocket query with he caches along the route from Phoenix to San Diego. I was so pleased that the interest is still there and that she is introducing even more people to GeoCaching that of course I was glad to help. I have even loaned her my Garmin GPS for her trip since she was just using her iPhone. I am sure they are goig to have a blast and some great stories to share when she gets back.

Bill

Your Comments are Welcomed and Appreciated

5 years, 176 DNFs, 1 Find — A Real Challenge (GC1764C) Repost from Latitude 47

2013-02-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

In this week’s Geocaching Weekly Mailer, we talked about logging DNFs (did not find). While no one yearns to log a DNF, they’re a necessary part of the game. DNFs can mean all sorts of things: the geocache has been moved, needs maintenance, or in the case of A Real Challenge (GC1764C), it could mean that it’s incredibly hard to find.

With 176 DNFs and only one find, A Real Challenge lives up to its name. In fact, it took nearly four years for the FTF. This geocache was hidden near Peoria, Illinois, USA by geocacher Fuzzy B, who set out with the goal of creating something he’s never seen before, which, with nearly 46,000 finds, is hard to do. “I have felt a little guilty that so many people have spent so much time searching for it,” he said when asked how it felt to be the owner of such a difficult geocache.

In the geocache description, Fuzzy B writes, “Please, to hold down the level of frustration, anger, etc., just put this on your ignore list, it’s not very findable.” But he goes on to reassure us, “Yes, its there. It’s a shelter Cache, a log in a container. Cache is not in, on, or touching any part of the electrical equipment. It’s not on the roof, or under the shingles, nor the drip edge. Cache is exposed to light and air. Cache is within the footprint of the roof. There is NO reason to damage or destroy Park property.”

BransonAdventure after their find.

It’s there somewhere…

A Real Challenge has only one find so far by geocacher BransonAdventure. “We found at 8:07pm, but waited to log so we could confirm with owner it wasn’t a decoy or mistake. All the way from Nebraska on vacation we extended the Eastward travel just for this cache,” they said in their log, “I will say we spent just a little under 2 hours looking when my husband found it and then to unroll the log, being so excited and shaking felt like it took about as long. The husband and kids did a little jig.” After the find, Fuzzy B came to meet the lucky geocachers.

Even if it’s a little discouraging, DNFs are an important part of the game. Just think, if all the people that had searched for A Real Challenge hadn’t logged their DNFs, the FTF wouldn’t have been as special.

There’s only one way to find out where this geocache is located, but in the meantime, we can speculate. Where do you think it’s hidden?

Geocache owner Fuzzy B meets the only geocacher to find A Real Challenge, BransonAdventure.

Your Comments are Welcomed and Appreciated

Geocaching provides motivation, exercise

2012-07-21T08:32:00.002-06:00

Geocaching provides motivation, exercise Erin Allday Geocaching has taken off in the past decade or so among adventure seekers and treasure hunters. But it's also a pretty decent fitness tool, says Sam Drake, who took up the hobby nine years ago after reading a story about geocaching in The Chronicle. Since then, he's tracked down more than 1,000 geocaches around the world and walked thousands of miles, many of them on Bay Area trails. He also lost 40 pounds and developed a passion for hiking. Drake teaches classes on geocaching at Santa Teresa County Park in Santa Clara County. For more information, go to the Geocachers of the Bay Area's website, thegba.net, or geocaching.com. Name: Sam Drake Age: 52 Residence: San Jose Occupation: Software architect for Oracle Activity: Geocaching Describe geocaching: It's a game that's played with a handheld GPS. A geocache is a container that is hidden. The latitude and longitude of the geocache are recorded online at geocaching.com. You put the coordinates into your GPS, and it'll give you an arrow and a distance. But the GPS is only accurate to 15 or 20 feet, so then you have to open your eyes and think like a spy to find it. Getting started: The No. 1 thing you need is a GPS. If you have an iPhone or Android or any smart phone with GPS in it, there's actually a geocaching app you can download and install. If you want something a little sturdier, you can buy handheld units that are a little more rugged. You also need an account at geocaching.com, which is free. Geocaching for fitness: Anything that gets people outside is a good thing. Too many people spend all their time inside watching TV or playing on their computer. Geocaching is a nice bridge, because it's a computer-related thing, but then after fiddling around on your computer, you have to get up and go outside. For me and my wife, it was the hook to get us out there. We started hiking in the park next to our house. I also used to travel a lot on business, and every time I traveled, it was a good way to explore a new place. Geocaching for adventure: I did the Grand Canyon down to the bottom this summer, and I just did a 12-mile hike with some friends in the Sierra. When I was traveling, I used to go to Asia a lot, so I've gone geocaching in Japan and Korea and the Philippines. Once I took a subway in Seoul to a park and hiked to the top of a mountain by myself.

Keep Cachin'
Bill

Your Comments are Welcomed and Appreciated

Don’t have GPS? Try Letterboxing

2012-07-19T17:15:00.001-06:00

In 1854, rambling man, James Perrott, hid a bottle in a stone cairn beside a hard-to-reach pool in southern England. A guidebook mentioned the cache and soon people swarmed to the site, leaving messages behind for future visitors. The idea went viral and “letterboxes” popped up all over the surrounding moorland, their locations described in terms of natural landmarks, rather than geocaching’s numerical coordinates. With just 24 letterboxes hidden in the Edmonton area, the root of geocaching may not be as popular, but it is simply more accessible. Visit letterboxing.org to find one near you.

* This post is a portion of a complete article on AvenueEdmonton.com

FTF GEOCACHING MAGAZINE

2012-07-13T20:26:00.001-06:00

I just finished reading the last issue, of my first years subscription, of FTF GEOCACHER the magazine for Geocachers. If you haven't heard of this magazine yet, let me introduce you to it. FTF GEOCACHER Magazine published bi-monthly and contains a myriad of Geocaching stories, commentary by fellow Cachers and updates on national Geo-Events. While FTF GEOCACHER does have advertising it is not over bearing, most ads are small and are tastefully sprinlkled throughout the magazine. All of the ads are related to Geocaching you won't find ads that are off topics such as cars, make-up or swim wear. When you subscribe to FTF GEOCACHER magazine, you receive a really cool , Path Tag with your first issue. The cost per year is $24.00 USD or $36.00 CDN, you may be asking if you are in Canada why are we paying more? It's simple, I am located in Canada and my last issue came to me with USA Postage of $2.25, that's quite an additional cost and I sure don't mind paying less than it costs to send it to me for my years subscription. Now instead of describing each and every section of this terrific magazine to you, I want you to check it out for yourselves, Keith Petrus, the publisher of FTF GEOCACHER, has made available for Download the November/December issue right for the FTF GEOCACHER website. Follow this Link to get your Free Download of the Nov/Dec 2011 issue http://www.ftfgeocacher.com/ Then leave a comment here and let me know how you liked it. Bill Jones - Geocacher B&CJONES Email: NationalGeocacher@gmail.com

Winter is Here Again

2011-12-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Well here we are in December and Geocaching is taking a backseat to other things, because of cold weather, getting snow in my shoes, (I know, I should probably wear boots), I love Geocaching but the prospect of cold fingers ( I know I should probably wear some gloves)and having much more trouble finding things under a foot of snow than of course Geocaching in the summertime when it's pleasant and nice and bug bites and scratches from trees is all we have to be concerned with. I have decide to call quits and go to Hawaii departing Calgary December 24. We're heading off to The island paradise of Kauai, where there's numerous I must emphasize numerous, Geocaches to be found, one that I missed last time I was there is called the Kauai Cavern ( http://coord.info/GCJRWC ) is a wonderful site down a deserted beach that is a bit difficult to get to due to the rough road you need to navigate, I would recommend you need at least a SUV to get down the road it is pretty rough and red mud in the wet weather which is going to happen this time of year ( December), but when you get there you get to the hidden beach it's goes for miles, you need to walk down the sand at least half a mile where you will ford a small stream and go up a hill or you could walk around and take a bridge that was put there by Disney for parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and then walk up the hill a bit and you come across this gaping massive sink hole in the lime stone, in the wall of this sink is the cavern hole in the ground, it's good 20 to 25 feet down to the cave which has guided tours on Sundays, the cache you are looking for is right behind you if your looking at the Cave opening from above. we missed it last time but got some great photos you may remember seeing on my photo "everybody wear their hats" it's a picture of some mushrooms , I didn't try to eat one, I didn't want to know what the results might be. Here we go again for a full week of Geocaching, Photography , enjoying the sun or the rain as it may be and spending some quality time together, it's going to be a great Christmas. I am looking forward to sharing our adventures with you when we get back. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Free Loaner GPSr in Kimberly, British Columbia, Canada

2011-08-01T22:13:00.001-06:00

Geo what? You either know or don't have a clue what we are talking about. Geo-caching is the modern version of treasure hunting using a hand-held GPS and is so much fun. Don't have a GPS? Do not worry, we will lend you one....with all the treasures around Kimberley programmed in!

There is a huge community of treasure hunters around the world and our beautiful surroundings is no different, lending itself to some great hiding places for these little caches. Enthusiasts hide their caches away and then upload the coordinates and clues onto the world wide web at geocaching.com for us all to go out and find them! It is as easy as that.

So all you need is a GPS (which we will lend you if required), a sense of adventure and as many willing friends and family of all ages you can must to help find the cache. When you find one you can take something out, leave a replacement item, sign the logbook and continue on to find some more because by now you will be hooked! The kids will love it, and of course they will be able to show you how to use the GPS properly!!

Make a good walk for the whole family a little more fun by finding a few of these on the way. A great way to get the kids away from their electronics on the sofa to making their electronics get them out in the great outdoors! Kimberley Nature Park is in easy walking distance from all of our condos and has a number of geo-caches hidden away waiting to be found.

We have a selection of Pet-Friendly units should you want to bring the whole family. Your pet will help hunt and can stay as a Free Guest but you must read and agree to our "Pet Friendly Guest Licence Agreement".

Rocky Mountain Accommodations: Call Anne 1.866.822.2666 or email: bookings@rockynow.com

2011-07-31T12:17:00.001-06:00

If you’ve got the time, they’ve got the cache

Mike Van Burik and the large ammo can at Coombs Wooden Shoe. It’s used for geocaching, he says.
Steven Heywood photo
By Steven Heywood - Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Published: July 29, 2011 9:00 AM
You could use your global positioning system to find Aranea and Mike Van Burik’s geocache in Coombs. Or, you could simply use your eyes. However, you might not believe them.

Outside the couple’s store, Coombs Wooden Shoe, sits what is being hailed as possibly the largest geocache in Canada (perhaps the world). It’s a large, metal ammo can.

Modeled after a typical storage bin used in the sport of geocaching (using a GPS to locate waypoints and hidden caches), the couple’s large ammo can is attracting a lot of attention.

“I love the big stuff,” said Aranea, who has been geocaching with her family for three years. “An ammo can is a typical cache and a good quality hide. I thought it would be cool to make it bigger.”

After toying with the idea of making a wooden one, the couple decided authentic and metal was the way to go. She and Mike engaged the services of the Kwalikum Secondary School metalwork class, after taking them a sample — and much smaller — ammo can from the Coombs military surplus store. After three weeks, they received their large can — four feet long, three feet tall and about 18 inches wide.

“They did an awesome job,” Aranea said of the workmanship. “There’s a lot of guys who stop and have a look at it and are impressed with the quality of work.”

It was so good, and the material used so authentic, that the Van Buriks had to modify the lid, so that people could actually lift it.

“It’s completely functional,” she explained. “It’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Aranea attended a recent geocaching event in Alberta, where she said a high-ranking geocacher indicated their can might be the largest cache in the world. Aranea’s only willing to go so far as to say it’s the largest in Canada — for now.

It’s size is attracting people and has quickly become a bit of a tourist draw. Aranea added people already come to Vancouver Island to geocache, this just adds a little something extra.

Since the large ammo can is functional as a cache, there are things inside to find. There’s a log book to record who was there, when, and where they are from, a smaller can for tradable items and other things for children. Geocachers generally take something and leave something behind for the next person to find.

One thing is for certain, they won’t have too much difficulty finding the Van Buriks’ great big can.

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Find this article at:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/parksville_qualicumbeachnews/lifestyles/126358248.html

Geocaching: Take Fringe Fest Adventure to the Outdoors

2011-07-27T21:55:00.001-06:00

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Michele

We’re introducing another new way to engage with Fringe Fest this year. First it was the summer double pass giveaway contest, and now this: Fringe Fest geocaching! If you aren’t familiar with geocaching yet, learn more about how it works.

We have currently set up a handful of locations throughout the Calgary area. Each geocache contains two Fringe Festival buttons and a note with details about how to redeem those buttons for free tickets to the Fringe show of your choice. In short, you treasure hunt with your friends or family, you find our geocache(s) with Fringe Fest buttons, and then you enjoy a Fringe Fest show.

I should also mention the best part: our buttons don’t expire. This means that if you discover a Fringe Fest geocache before August 6th this year, you’re welcome to use it to attend the 2011 Calgary Fringe Festival. But if you find a Fringe Fest geocache after that date – say, later this summer or even sometime next year – the buttons it contains will still be valid for two tickets to any Fringe show and good for next year’s Calgary Fringe Festival (and beyond).

Pretty simple, pretty fun, and pretty fantastic.

If you want to give this high-tech scavenger hunt a try, why not make your debut with a search for Fringe Fest adventure? I will be regularly sharing Fringe Fest geocache IDs online, so make sure to “like” Calgary Fringe on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Happy hunting!

Rachelle
CFF Social Media Manager

1 Vote

Join The “Center of the Universe” Hosts Geocaching Block Party

2011-07-26T22:09:00.000-06:00

By Sean Keeley · July 26th, 2011 · REPOST

Geocaching.com is hosting a Geocaching Block Party in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood August 20, 2011. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting activity using GPS devices. The Block Party is a celebration of the activity for beginners and experts alike. Head to the “Center of the Universe” to:

There’s tons to do at the event. Test your treasure hunting skills with geocaching - a game that will have you searching high and low for containers hidden around Fremont. Accept the five Fremont Challenges - location-based missions that require a sense of adventure, a sense of direction and a sense of humor. Send Geocaching.com employees plunging into the dunk tank (yes, it’s cold!). Create your own zucchini vehicle and race it down the Zucchini 500 Track. Pin the antenna on Signal, the Geocaching.com mascot. Play a game of interactive bingo for the chance to win some great prizes.

If you already have a handheld GPS device, create a free membership onGeocaching.com and visit http://coord.info/GC2FYVM for instructions on downloading the coordinates for the geocaching and challenge courses. If you do not have a handheld GPS, don’t worry - devices will be available to borrow on site!

The Geocaching Block Party takes place August 20, 2011 from 11am – 3pm in Fremont in the Solstice Plaza (701 N 34^th St, Latitude 47.64864 Longitude 122.348927). For more information, visit GeocachingBlockParty.com.

Best of The Bad - Legacy Trail

2011-07-21T23:52:00.000-06:00

We went out Caching on the Legacy Trail in southern Alberta last Sunday, during the Best of the Bad Mega Event. We had lots of fun and found some interesting caches, during our travels through the Badlands. We also met up with other GeoCachers from all over North America and Europe, everyone was so friendly even those passing waved and honked or offering hints when we looked perplexed.

Rollling Hills and Canola Fields

*The Legacy Trail starts in Three Hills Alberta and winds its way over almost 100 miles of back country roads going through some of the most scenic and spectacular landscape in this part of the Canadian Badlands. A large number of caches in a variety of types, sizes and difficulty will be placed on the Trail. Every town, village and hamlet in the Canadian Badlands will have its own cache. Some caches will be named after local historic events and people, as well as celebrities who grew up in this area. Yes - there will be a Nickelback cache!

As part of building this legacy, we're offering some attendees at the Best of the Bad Mega Event had the opportunity to stake their claim in history by naming a cache they sponsor. It's a permanent testimony that they took part in this first Mega in the new WestCan series of Mega Events. A limited number of cachers can sponsor a cache on the Legacy Trail by selecting the "Best of a Bad Deal" event registration level.*

Old Homestead in the Badlands of Alberta

I took the time to take a few photos while we cached the Legacy Trail and saw some of the amazing views that each individual cache site offered. While the trail had lots of adventures to pursue we only found that there was a few reasons to be cautious. I lost my balance at the top of a drop off but fortunately didn't fall into the Horseshoe Canyon. Horseflies were plentiful but I only got one bite and the temperature was 29 C (84.2 F), but with plenty of water and a stop for Ice Tea we had no problem handling the heat of the day. So if you decide to take on the Legacy Trail , be sure to take bug spray, plenty of water, some good shoes and a good sense of balance :)

Keep on Caching

NG

Follow National Geocacher on

Sources:

* http://www.bestofthebad.ca/index.php/bad-news/164-legacy-trae

SOS Animal Rescue hosts "Geocaching with Canines" event at Midland City Forest Saturday

2011-07-21T21:24:00.000-06:00

SOS Animal Rescue hosts "Geocaching with Canines" event at Midland City Forest
By the Midland Daily News
SOS Animal Rescue is hosting "Geocaching with Canines" Saturday at Midland City Forest, 2840 E. Monroe Road. This interactive event will allow participants to enjoy the wilderness with their dog while using clue maps and/or coordinates to find geocaches around the forest.
"Geocaching has become very popular," said Joann Taylor, SOS Animal Rescue president. "We thought this fundraiser was a perfect way for attendees to spend time with their pooch or family members while exploring one of Midland County's premier parks."
All proceeds from the event will benefit SOS Animal Rescue's Spay/Neuter Assistance Fund. The Fund is used to help offset the cost of spaying/neutering a loved pet for low- or fixed-income residents of Midland County.
"Anyone can participate, whether they have a dog or not," Taylor said. "Those who own a GPS or smartphone should bring them. However, we will provide clue maps to help everyone navigate to the geocaches."
Each geocache will have small items for those who find it. All participants will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a GPS. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and the geocaching begins at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $25 per person. For details, visit www.sosanimalrescue.org.
About SOS Animal Rescue
SOS Animal Rescue (www.sosanimalrescue.org) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, which places animals in need of homes, provides assistance to spay and neuter pets, advises pet owners about local resources for education and training, and participates in fundraising events to further our mission of reducing the number of unwanted pets in the Midland area.

Original post. http://bit.ly/MidlandDailyNews

Keep on Caching
NG

CITO - Cache in Trash Out

2011-07-14T07:16:00.000-06:00

I am always amazed by the amount of trash that litters our highways and byways, no matter where I go Geocaching it seems there is an amazing amount of trash, from recyclables like soda cans, milk cartons etc. to foil, paper, coffee cups, take out containers and the list goes on and on.

How much litter is out there, well according to Adopt-a-Highway, their volunteers picked up over 26,000 tons of litter in Minnesota alone, I am sure that the Province or State you live in isn't any cleaner. What can be done about this mess, Adopt-a-Highway has the right idea and the rest of us can do the same by pitching in and picking up trash where ever we see it.

Geocacher's have a unique tie with the environment, we are in nature more than the average citizen so we have the opportunity to make a difference. CITO (Cache In Trash Out) is one way we have to make that difference, many CITO, events are held every year all over the globe by Geocachers but we can take it further.

CITO can be an event, but even better CITO can be a Geocaching lifestyle. Here are some ideas to reduce trash while Geocaching; always carry some small kitchen catcher garbage bags and once at ground zero and have found your quarry, pickup the trash around the area, actually even if you have a DNF pickup trash anyway, that can equate to several Pounds of trash per year removed from those cache areas. Do you like hiding caches, then here is something I do, when I place a cache I clean up the area, then when I drop back to perform maintenance on my cache I clean up the area again. I made one exception to this I have an urban cache in a trashy area that is actually using the trash as camouflage, this is the only area I haven't cleaned up http://coord.info/GC2WAAM .

If we were all to spend just a few minutes a day picking up litter where we see it the impact could be huge. So make CITO a Geocaching life style.

Keep-on Caching

To DNF or not DNF that is the Question

2011-07-11T17:30:00.000-06:00

My philosophy is that if I really put an effort into finding your cache, and can't find it then I will post  a DNF, if I'm pressed for time and put a half donkey effort (did I mention that this is a family friendly blog) then I probably won't mark it as a DNF but I will go back and try again when I have time.

I heard from a Cacher the other day that they never mark DNF's as they think it makes them look inept.  I tried to explain that it was important to the CO (Cache Owner), if they are getting to many DNF,s then they will check on the cache to make sure it hasn't been Muggled.

Part keeping Geocaching fun is to keep the caches well maintained, if we don't mark our DNF's after an honest try at the find, then how is the CO (Cache Owner) to know when things have gone awry.

What is your opinion on DNF's ?
--
NATIONAL GEOCACHER

SO YOU WANT TO HIDE A CACHE

2011-07-08T00:38:00.000-06:00

I think a good rule of thumb which should allow you to get experience before hiding your own GeoCache is to use the 1% rule.  That means only hide 1% of the Caches you have found, so it would take 100 caches found before you would attempt to hide your one cache.  Now I'm a bit of of a hypocrite, since I started hiding caches at about 50 Caches.

In retrospect I should have waited, as there was no creative thought in my initial caches since I only imitated those I had found, which at that point were mostly hidden in coniferous trees.  I now dislike caches in coniferous trees,  they don't offer any adventure, the reward at the end doesn't make you go Ahhh! They don't leave you with any lasting memory other than the scratches you received from digging around in the tree.

I realized after about 100 cache finds I had experienced some genuinely innovative caches such as; Chronicles of Narnia  http://coord.info/GC2FF1Z and now was able to start thinking out of the box or tree as it were.

I am still not practicing what I preach and with almost 200 notches in my GPS (Caches Found) I have 9 caches hidden, but then my Dad always said, "Do as I say, not as I do!" well it worked for him.  I would just suggest finding lots of variety before hiding your own Geocaches.  You will be rewarded many times over by the truly interesting logs fellow Geocachers leave for you.

KEEP ON CACHIN'
   BILL
B&CJones on Geocaching.com

GEOPET SMARTS

2011-07-07T15:59:00.000-06:00

I was reading an article in WESTWORLD the other day and it got me thinking that maybe we don't always consider what is best for our Geopets.

For instance we all know what happens to us when we go to Mexico and drink some of the local water, sometimes it's a small amount like on a salad. That's right, Montezuma's Revenge. Well our GeoPets can go through the same thing traveling from Province to Province or State to State. A change in drinking water can give small and medium sized dogs diarrhea or cause stomach discomfort and vomiting.

This should help; you should always take at least 2 Litres or 2 Quarts of water from home for your pet. The first couple of days give your pet water from home and then over the next few days dilute it with local

water. After that your GEOPET should become accustom to the local water.

Follow these simple steps and you and your GEOPET should enjoy your Geocaching trip.

Learn more about Handi-Drink

Keep-on Caching!

Bill

B&CJones - On Geocaching.com

Geocaching is it a Game, Sport, or an Addiction?

2011-07-06T23:45:00.000-06:00

Geocaching is it a Game, Sport, or an Addiction?

Everyone has their own personal take on Geocaching.

Let's take a look at each; first Geocaching as a game. Games are fun and include playing pieces, the whole family can be involved, as well as, friends. Normally games have a way of keeping score and can be played anytime day or night. Hmmm, sounds familiar, Geocaching is fun and includes playing pieces, such as, Tupperware containers filled with SWAG and a log book, it is also a great way to get together with family and friends, specially if those people have never geocacher before and to see their faces when they find their first cache, OMG!

Is Geocaching a Sport? A Sport usually includes a physical activity, a competitive element and a certain amount of skill. How does Geocaching compare? Starting with physical activity, simply try a terrain level 5, plenty of physical activity there! Many people take up Geocaching for it's physical activity component and many have lost weight and gained endurance because of the sport. Competition, well Geocaching allows you to compete with yourself, friends for numbers, puzzle solving or challenges such as http://coord.info/GC2BV7F, a challenge to find a geocache every day for 99 days (see our previous post on Challenge Caches). Now it comes down to Skill; in Geocaching circles we call it GeoSense, at first finding even easy caches can seem monumental, but the more you GeoCache you build up an awareness of where caches might be hidden or what in the area is different than it should be so you might say you are building your Geocaching Skill just as a Basketball player gets better through repetition. Hmmm, sounds like Geocaching is both a Game and a Sport doesn't it?

How about an Addiction; Wow! That's sounds a bit far fetched, but let's look at it anyway. An addiction can be classified in a number of ways but let's use this one for now. An addiction is the seeking out of a pleasurable feeling or experience resulting from a substance or ACTIVITY. i'm sure no one will disagree that Geocaching is an Activity, but does it cause enough pleasure to have one seek the experience over and over again. sure looks like it to me when folks are eager enough to repeatedly go out and find thousands of Caches individually. I must also confess I am a Geocaching Addict, the other day I had to go over to the hospital to get a portable Heart monitor, I'd had a few heart hiccups, on the way home I scored 4 more Caches. Does the pleasure of searching for and finding Geocaches warrant being labelled an Addiction, you bet it does.

In summation I think you will all agree Geocaching is and Game, Sport and Addiction!

Keep on Caching!
Bill
B&CJones on Geocaching.com

Challenge Caches

2011-06-30T23:34:00.000-06:00

Tonight was the monthly get together (Meetup) (Mashup) (Event) called "Pizza and Beer",tonight was themed Challenge Caches. Unfortunately, Ricki's Restaurant in Northhill Shopping Centre, Calgary, our usual haunt was renovating and although they expected to be ready for us they weren't and an emergency plan to move to a nearby Denny's Restaurant was put into effect. All went well thanks to our Host OBA ( One Bad Ant), who is the unexpected author of this blog post since I have utilized some of her material.

Challenge Caches, have requirements that have to be met before you can log the cache as found; we have a number of them in Calgary, Alberta.

99-day challenge - Calgary, Alberta
Alberta Alphanumeric Title Challenge
Alberta Alphanumeric Hider Challenge
100 Alberta Cachers Challenge
Alberta Lonely Cache Challenge
The Bingo! Challenge
The "Cache Every Day of the Year" Challenge
Unknown Baker's Dozen Challenge
2010 Monthly Challenge

Here's a bookmark of other types Challenge caches, there are as many types as there are creative cachers! Email me your favorites and I'll update the list.Challenge Cache Examples

So ...
Do you love them or hate them? Do they go on your ignore list?
Do they add to or detract from your caching experience?
What strategies have you found to meet the challenges?

How can we help each other meet the challenges?

By: One Bad Ant and B&CJones

Keep on Cachin'

My Journey To Jurassic Bush

2011-06-29T23:27:00.000-06:00

Started my trek to Jurassic Bush from what seemed to be a normal paved road even though it seemed at bit muddy. When my GPSr indicated an easterly direction, I dismounted my sturdy ride Murano and headed down a dirt road toward a large mountain to my right. Along the road I noticed large clumps of what I considered to be clumps of mud off some 4x4 or was this the giant feces of a long lost creature?

To my left was a fence area, I could not see inside and there seemed to be occasional loud noises of unknown origin coming from within. I was starting to get a bit spooked! When at the end of the fence I was almost over come, by one of the foulest odours, akin to Natural Gas. I forged on through the thicket of briar and bush, thinking I was getting close keeping one looking for denizens of the Jurassic era, I commenced to turning things over and looking under things and checking things above my head to no avail. I travelled further onward when I came upon some strange tracks it the mud. With mixed emotions I followed these tracks, as I came down a hill and around a corner I found to my dismay, a great orange Dinosaur. In awe an aprehension I approached carefully and managed to maneuver around unseen to my goal the Cache. Quietly I opened the cache, signed the log then replaced it in the exact position it had been found. I slowly backed away and scrambled through the mud, wood and briars to the safey of my trusty ride which waited patiently for my arrival.
http://coord.info/GC1YGJ8

Keep on Cachin'

GEOCACHING WHAT THE..... ?

2011-06-29T09:36:00.000-06:00

Are you just getting started in the activity of Geocaching? Perhaps you've just heard about Geocaching and have decided to do some research before getting involved. You are probably like most of us when we first heard about Geocaching, we thought what a strange thing to do look for little containers of stuff. I mean really, how many of these Cache things could possibly be out there anyway, the quick answer is over 1.4million according to Geocaching.com the Official Global GPS Cache Hunt site. Another comment by the non-initiated is, "It can't be very popular because I have never heard of Geocaching".

Geocaching is probably one of the worlds biggest secrets, even though nobody is trying to keep the secret. At the time of the writing of this post Geocaching.com reports have over 5 Million registered Geocachers worldwide, that's a lot of people busy at a secret activity.

Can you just imagine how many caches that many people could log as found each month? I will again use numbers from Geocaching.com; for example in the last 30 days 5,578,529 have been logged. I'm sure you are with me, when I say that it's amazing that 1.4 million people hunting around neighborhood parks, wilderness areas and even in the centers of some of our biggest cities go unnoticed.

If you have already found your first cache, then welcome to your new obsession! If you just doing you initial research on the subject of Geocaching then here are some links explaining Geocaching.

http://www.geocaching.com/guide/default.aspx

http://www.geocaching.com/videos/default.aspx

I look forward to seeing you out caching soon.

Happy Caching

Bill

B&CJones