TopangaHiker

I'm the proud dad of 14 year old fraternal twins so I understand your situation. What you're being required to do is called community service. It's quite common nowadays even in college. Being a geocacher you obviously have a love for the outdoors but besides just picking trash up off the ground I don't see much in the way a GPS unit is going to help you unless you do something like teach a basic beginner course in the sport of geocaching or orienteering to kids. The thing about picking up trash is that it leaves no legacy. And I believe they want you to leave something. By that I mean people in the community probably won't see the fruits of your labor by picking up trash. Don't get me wrong. The principles of CITO and Leave No Trace are important but the results are basically invisible. Take that love of the outdoors and find a park ranger or forest ranger who can use some help on a project. Is there a food bank in your town? They're usually run by volunteers. Do you have a community center where classes are taught to kids or they hold special events for the elderly on a regular basis? You did something for the Girl Scouts before. Do it again. Twenty hours isn't much. Include a couple hours of instruction one time and a hike on another. Anyway, good luck and remember to try and have some fun doing it. The rules say nothing against having fun while performing community service!

Yeah, but the PCT is a major trail.

The softaware I got was: Garmin Mapsource Citi Navigator North America NT v8 Garmin Mapsource Topo US 2008 I got a package deal from an online e-tailer which included the following as well as the aforementioned software. The package consisted of: Garmin 60Csx GPSr Garmin Cigarette Lighter 12V Adapter Car charger Kingston 1 GB micro SD memory card If you want to know who I got it from and how much send me a private message.

I just went through the same thing: selecting my first GPSr unit. Spend extra money and get the Garmin 60CSx and software. Don't get anything from Magellan. The learning curve is steep and tech support is horrible. That said, the 60CSx is great for both GCing and navigating. I just took a 1700 mile road trip through 5 states and it really performed. As for GCing: Garmin products and software integrates seamlessly with this very web site. What does that tell you?

We just returned on July 3 from a 1700 mile road trip from Cali, NV, Utah, Colo, NM and AZ that involved hunting a few GC's as well. The GPSr we used was a 60CSx. It worked great and I'm not sure that I would want to hear some canned voice coming out of it anyway.

Which way would you go? Jon Heder or Matt Damon? For the ladies I say Jeananne Garafalo or Natalie Portman.

If you get to the Moab area and like to do virtuals, there are quite a few in the two national parks by Moab, and virtuals plus regular ones around Moab. One I think you would really enjoy is "Hole N The Rock" which is a few miles south of Moab. The state of Utah is also putting caches in their state parks this year. We did the one in Dead Horse State Park when we were there in May. I was just outside of St George camping in Snow Canyon State Park. We hunted and found one of the official state park caches. They even have GPSr's to loan out. Here's the brochure. http://stateparks.utah.gov/docs/utwk_geocache_guide.pdf

Another way to look at it is this: The appearance of ads can be an indication of a healthy business.

Well, on that topic the state of Utah couldn't make it any easier to get people involved since you don't even have to own a GPSr to play. They have Magellan units to loan out. The only way it could be easier would be if the GPSr's were from Garmin!

Actually, I'll share the info with everyone. Here's the PDF: http://stateparks.utah.gov/docs/utwk_geocache_guide.pdf The one we went to was in Snow Canyon SP near St George. Utah sure has some beautiful places.

I just came home from a 10 day trip beginning in California and going through Utah, Colorado, Arizona and back home to California. While camping in a Utah State Park one night a park ranger told me about the official GC's they are placing. They even have GPSr's that they loan out! The datum was different than what's used here but after some adjustments to my 60CSx I found it. Would anyone like me to share to coords? Also, I think that the nine boys we had with us on the trip will be future cachers.

Well then, I guessed pretty good. Huh? You'll really like the cachin' in that area. Some of the best cachin' in the world from my limited experience in 24 states an 3 countries. I'll be totally bummed if you don't try for at least one of my caches while you're there. They range from real easy to extra hard. The best ones of mine are near Lee Vining though. A Claustrophobic's Nightmare & The Fortress of Solitude get stellar reviews. Here's a guy with ONLY 22,000+ finds that really enjoyed it: Yeah, very good guess but then it's not like I didn't leave you a bunch of clues. Of course I'm going to hunt for some your caches. It's like you have a monopoly on ML. How many times a year do you go there anyway? We go 6 0r 7 times a year. I wish I had a place in ML. I love the entire area.

I wish I could help you personally. There some locals who are very cool that might be able to help if you contact them. Jessie Girl, Flatiron, & ATV Explorers to name a few. I've met them at event's I've hosted there. There's also Rockbyter who has found a bunch of my caches in the area. Mammoth/Crowly? Are you planning a hide along McGee Creek or Rock Creek? I'm just guessing based on your earlier posts. I'm not telling but let's just say it'll be somewhere between June Lake and Rovana. Anyway, thanks for the leads.

Actually a great idea. I left a cache in my parent's hometown even though I only visit 1 or 2 times a year but my folks do maintenance for me. Mom even visits once a month or so to add good swag and just to read the logs. She is having a blast with it. Thanks, I thought it could work. Any takers?

Let me ask this: Does it ever happen that different people partner-up on maintaining a GC? I'm thinking that I could get to it once or twice a year and someone else who lives in the area could go to it as well. Is this considered bad taste? I'm willing to create a desirable cache in a great area. It's just not close enough to me to go to at the drop of a hat. Maybe we could have a reciprocity agreement. You help me and I help you. I'll put this out: Is there anyone in the Mammoth/Crowley area who wants to help maintain a GC with me? In return you plant one near me somewhere in the Santa Monica mountains and I help you maintain it.

I just got it but then I just got my first GPSr, a 60CSx so cannot review it because I have no basis for comparison. I'm just wondering what some of you veterans thought about it. It seems pretty easy to work.

RK raises a good point here. I have a few that I have to budget the time to check on. They're a bit far afield, but there were special reasons for those locations. Four DNFs, and I waste a day when I could be geocaching to travel the 35 miles each way to discover that the cache is exactly where I hid it! I hid two caches in Maine. Only 317 miles away! But, they're in my sister's name, and she maintains them. (Mainers have not yet forgiven me for them, but they're 317 miles away.) (Yes, my sister is a geocacher!) I (and my reviewer) know the area that I'm able to sustain for maintenance. Forty or fifty mile radius is it! (Some exemptions may exist.) If I can't find good place in that radius ... 150 miles away, visited once a year? That's a vacation cache. I like the way that sounds: A vacation cache. Very cool. Maine is awesome as well. Among other things Maine is famous for I like to visit the old cemeteries. Go ahead, call me weird.

Just in case the OP decides to place a cache closer to home - Topanga State Park is very cacher friendly - although some trails are beginning to get saturated so you might want to avoid these (and I'm not telling where the intermediate waypoints of my multi are ) The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy generally allows caches but be careful not to place them in closed areas or too far off the trails. Caches have been remove by rangers for being in sensitive area and there could be a fine for both the hider and anyone caught looking for the cache. National Park service administered areas are off limits to caches. Many areas are private land. Be sure to be aware of possible no tresspassing signs. Don't place caches off trail in private areas even where is an easement for the trail unless you can find out where to get permission. The OPs home area such a hodgepodge of permission needed or not that the reviewers often get confused. I appreciate the advice but Topanga SP is sort of, how would I say, pedestrian to me at this point. There's no shortage of caches there and I'm sure the number will grow. Don't get me wrong, I love TSP and am on a first name basis with some of the rangers there but that place is getting trampled on. However, I am aware of a lot Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy land which is ripe for cache placement.

Snoogans' sez: If you look in my profile, you'll see I own quite a few caches in the Eastern Sierra and one in the Western Seirra. ____ Wow It looks like you have 3 pages of caches and a whole lot more information than I need to know. But seriously, I appreciate the lead to the other cache web sites. Does anyone here like pie in the sky? ________________________ Edit by TopangaHiker I did some more searching Snoogans, and it looks like you and I go to a lot of the same places in the eastern Sierra.

Hmmm...good points, all. I'm compiling a list of cool stuff to put in it so maybe that'll help. That ammo can that you guys have talked me into getting is going be popular. A far as permission goes, the national forests are big enough to hold GC's without impacting it in any negative way. Besides, isn't it easier to ask forgiveness than to seek permission? I really consider myself a good steward of public lands. I practice principles of Leave No Trace practically everywhere I go. I think I'm grown up enough to get coord's right. Topanga is loaded with GC's but I guess a few more won't hurt.

Help me out here... What do you mean by "Your reviewer is the one you have to sell." The thing about the location I have in mind is that it's a place of natural beauty and although it's not a desolate location most people who go there range from dedicated hikers/back packers to day hikers and fisherfolk who really enjoy the area.

I'm planning my first major GC for sometime this August. It will be in the eastern Sierra Nevada on a somewhat well traveled and known hiking trail but would still be considered in the BC. I've checked and so far and the next nearest GC appears to be miles away. I plan on taking the great advice I received here and will use an ammo can so it will be sturdy enough to withstand some severe conditions. It will be well stocked with some whimsical as well as useful items appropriate to the location. The location is almost 300 miles from my home and several hours drive. Not exactly close but we have been going there every year for the past few years and we will continue to go there in the foreseeable future. Our visits are just for the day which involves a hike, a stop for lunch and some trout fishing Here's my question(s): How much maintenance am I expected to do? I'll only be able to get to once a year. Are seasonal GC's OK? Planting it in August leaves a smallish window of opportunity since the location is inaccessible in winter except to the most hardy XC skiers and even then they would need a shovel to get to it in the winter. This would really be accessible late spring to early fall.

OK, thanks everyone for the advice here and that was PM'd to me as well. I really appreciate it. There's another question I have but I think I'll begin a new topic.

See my avatar? That's Maggie, the miniature Aussie.

Hello... I'm new to CGing. I've found my first two just last week and I'm plotting and planning my first cache's right now. Ammo can's seem too big especially for lugging into the back country. Film cans are too small. What about Tupperware type containers with a good snap down lid? Say around 7X7X2? Those types of containers seem to stay sealed pretty well. This summer I'll plant a GC in the eastern Sierra Nevada. It'll only be accessible to the majority of people during summer. For that reason should I avoid locations on the ground and attempt to hide it in a rocky area where it will be less exposed to running water from the spring thaw? Also, how important is the color of the container? What's up with the camo duck tape? Cheers!