Maps-R-Us

Looks good!

Even though this picture is a replica, it clearly states it is illegal to remove survey markers and that there is a fine for doing so. I would hope we don't encourage more "theft" of markers for souvenir hunters! And if it is illegal to remove them, by association, they shouldn't be bought and sold either. Maybe a statement on the main page encouraging recovery and maintenance would be in order? JMHO

First off I like the new benchmark searches! Great job in setting this up. On the homepage you state: quote: What is a benchmark?Benchmarks, also called Survey control markers or disks, are disks (and other various items) that are permanenty affixed at locations all over the United States to help land surveying. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains a database of these locations, though much of the data is outdated. Just to clear up what seems to be a source of confusion - the benchmarks you have in this database are part of the geodetic control network maintained by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). The USGS (US Geological Survey) is the mapping agency that happens to show a lot of the benchmark locations on there topo maps but that is about it. You should change your link on the benchmark home page to National Geodetic Survey homepage. There are lots of brass caps/disks/survey markers and the NGS ones are very precise and provide a geodetic control for mapping and surveying in this country. But you will find lots of others! The US Army Corps of Engineers place lots of survey markers at their dams, dikes, flood control structures, etc. And the BLM and your county surveyor place them all over to reference land survey corners as part of the public land survey system. And your local highway department will have them along the highways, at major bridges, overpasses, etc. Explaining all this (better than I have!) in some sort of fact sheet would help with the confusion folks (see other threads already posted!) have whenever they find a survey marker that is not in your database!

At least that is what the overwhelming opinion is so far. What do you think Oregone? And when are you going down? Awhile back you were talking about a welcome to Portland/Oregon kind of cache for the Seattle folks - did anything ever come of that? For a price we could have the best route and hints and tips to PDX caches inside of the welcome cache. I think you were going to hide it behind the Barley Mill bar? Of course if you put off the trip to KFalls longer and Bufford places a new cache everyday in expectation, it will get easier to break the record!

We have been interested in doing it but of course need time to come north. With better weather and other reasons to come north (Mariners, Folklife, etc.) I would bet more folks will think about the trip. How long does it really take to complete if you are by yourself and from out-of-town?

Alright, not too long ago someone was wondering if Missnomer could actually get 25 caches in a day in KFalls. I think everybody finally accepted the feat, amazing as it was. Now I look and see the number one cacher in Oregon has just pulled off a KFalls weekend and managed to get 46 caches in two days- 32 one day and 14 the next. So how easy are those caches down there and can Oregone and Laurencat do better when they go down?

Well it is easy for me to say give him the find since he did climb the tree and get to the cache. What if he had pulled out the log and found the pencil broken or the pen dried up? No big deal. But you are the cache master and get to make the rules so if you say no - thats okay too!

quote:Originally posted by navdog: Maybe you could do a multi as Makaio suggested and have the final cache coords at a location neaby that has a connection to the Willamette Baseline. We have been thinking of either rehiding the cache, but in a new spot at the WS park, or doing just what you guys have both suggested - a multi-point to a different spot for the actual cache. But the actual spot of the cache should still be tied in with the carto/surveying theme. And on top of that, we really hate to send folks all over the place for half a day of driving. We thought of doing the final spot near a benchmark but then benchmarks have become very common lately so that is out. We actually like the tie in with the baseline. Either Baseline Road in Beaverton/Hillsboro or Stark St. in east Portland would work. Now we just need a spot along the baseline that doesn't have a cache yet! [This message was edited by Maps-R-Us on April 27, 2002 at 09:58 PM.]

quote:Originally posted by navdog: Maybe you could do a multi as Makaio suggested and have the final cache coords at a location neaby that has a connection to the Willamette Baseline. We have been thinking of either rehiding the cache, but in a new spot at the WS park, or doing just what you guys have both suggested - a multi-point to a different spot for the actual cache. But the actual spot of the cache should still be tied in with the carto/surveying theme. And on top of that, we really hate to send folks all over the place for half a day of driving. We thought of doing the final spot near a benchmark but then benchmarks have become very common lately so that is out. We actually like the tie in with the baseline. Either Baseline Road in Beaverton/Hillsboro or Stark St. in east Portland would work. Now we just need a spot along the baseline that doesn't have a cache yet! [This message was edited by Maps-R-Us on April 27, 2002 at 09:58 PM.]

It could be worse - with a name like ours we gave up worrying about how folks spell it a long time ago! The capitals and hyphens are such a hassle we'll take the lower case unix variants or any of the common abreviations like Maps or just plain MRU! But I think we have always done phractil correct - all lower case?

It could be worse - with a name like ours we gave up worrying about how folks spell it a long time ago! The capitals and hyphens are such a hassle we'll take the lower case unix variants or any of the common abreviations like Maps or just plain MRU! But I think we have always done phractil correct - all lower case?

We had to make the Carto Cache - Oregon History Lesson #5 temporarily unavailable since it was stolen last month but are resisting archiving it. We really want to redo it some day. The location and cache idea were well received but the options for hiding a cache at the spot we chose are limited. Any ideas? Should we archive and start over? Redo it like before but just hide the cache better? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

So, Oregone, how long did it take you to search through all 300+ logs to come up with the county statistics? Is there an easy way to do this?

Or as fractal would say " That's where I left it!" We all wish we could find a GPS unit! Hope you get your first find soon and we know you will be hooked!

We plan on camping both nights as well. Not sure what we'll do for entertainment at night but maybe someone wants to dream up a temporary night cache just for the weekend?

We wondered about that when we first saw the other cache appear but then we had been to your puzzle cache! I think you have first right of refusal, or something like that, and should e-mail the new cache owner to see if they would move theirs? I am sure they have never completed your puzzle and found your cache, so it is pretty innocent but nonetheless, you folks were there first and with all the potential places in the world to hide a cache, they should be spread out just a little farther than 96 feet!

It looks like friends is the most popular way to hear about this great sport of ours and that is kinda what we figured. But with all the recent publicity it has been interesting to see just what people were reading and hearing. Thanks for all the replys! If you want a chance to share yor story in person with fellow geocachers, be sure to come to the Champoeg Rendezvous in June!

We have also booked an individual site for the weekend. Doing the group camp is a bigger investment and hassle. We want folks to come and help participate to make this a real group event but we don't want anyone to feel obligated to pay too much money. When the cache page gets approved we'll go into more details for volunteers! All of you who have volunteered so far, thanks and we will take you all up on your offers. Keep thinking of ideas to make this a great event! Kid games? Prizes? Cache themes?

quote:Originally posted by oregone: I should have a preliminary version of the W2PGCG up by that Friday. It will include a map of the area as well as my VERY biased ideas on where to eat and where to stay. And, of course, a varied list of the area geocaches. Both cache-and-dash, ultra-hard, and all the others. all rights reserved, all wrongs reversed Well, Oregone, as we recall from one of your earlier posts, you never use a map and don't even have any! So if you are going to include a map, do you need us to supply you with one? Unfortunately the Carto Cache has been stolen or we would stock it with lots of Portland maps for out of town guests! We might have it back in operation before Seth comes down but not sure. We think the best idea is a large cache, the Portland cache, which is stocked with info on Portland and every visitor from Portland can enter their favorite cache in the log. You could have separate logbooks for best caches to recommend, best restaurants, best pubs, best hotel, etc. No real need to put it in a store or pub to hand to people - make 'em find it. But make it easy to find near the freeway somewhere or close in. Makaio and pdxmaratonman could write about Hillsboro and Beaverton caches, we could cover the SW, DenaliNW and Ryan & Crystal could cover Vancouver, Oregone and LaurenCat could cover the SE, Matt and Laura get to write about Gresham, Joedohn can handle the river and obscure spots out of town, and Fractal would handle the tough mental challenges, etc., etc. What do you think?

N45 25.055 W122 27.518

Saw them this morning and it looks like I will get to know a lot more of Hillsboro! Noticed a typo in your hint: NAD27 is not equivalent to WGS84 at all. I believe you meant to say NAD83 is equivalent to GS84, since the sheets I looked at were all NAD83.????

Saw them this morning and it looks like I will get to know a lot more of Hillsboro! Noticed a typo in your hint: NAD27 is not equivalent to WGS84 at all. I believe you meant to say NAD83 is equivalent to GS84, since the sheets I looked at were all NAD83.????

By the way, it looks like the next cache in Oregon to go live will be the 600th one. Pretty good, makaio! I wonder how Oregon rates with other states?

By the way, it looks like the next cache in Oregon to go live will be the 600th one. Pretty good, makaio! I wonder how Oregon rates with other states?

I suppose tomorrow is your day off, right fractal? The rest of us will have to wait. By the way, I couldn't find them using the old method of looking for unapproved caches. What's up?