WeeWillie

Everything you need to see in Sedona you can see in 1 day. Ditto for the Grand Canyon unless you are going to backpack into the canyon. I have a son attending Northern AZ University in Flagstaff so I am partial regarding Flag. Make Flag your base of operations. Cheaper tham, Sedona. One day to Sedona and another at Grand Canyon. You can meet your cache count goals by picking caches in Flag. There are over 100. Must see: Wupaki / Sunset Crater. Not cache heavy, but you will learn about Native Americans and Volcanos

Pay attention to your surroundings and not your GPS screen. Bring a hiking pole and use it to clear the area and not your hand. Make lots of noise and stomp the ground, Learn to walk away from a cache! Follow the peceeding rules and you won't sneak up on a snake. In 20 years in AZ including 8 as a Scoutmaster I have had only 2 snake encounters.

Stop off at Flagstaff on your way to the Grand Canyon (or back). Flag is home of Northern AZ University and host to over 100 caches in a small area. There is a series of caches Flg - Rt66 that follow Route 66. The 1st is GC1A2KV You will be taking US 89 from Flag to GC. There are two really neat earth caches GC10959 Elden Pueblo and GC12CZN Old Caves Crater. If you like beer, try the Lumberyard Brewery. My son is at NAU.

Maggie has done it again! Another defective release! Do not load Vantage Point 2.04 if you have a Triton 400. You will not be able to connect your GPS to Vantage Point if you do. I am not the only one with this problem. I am posting it here because more cachers read this topic area than Hardware.

B-24 Crash Site - GCGARV is a very unique cache! It is also a haul. Sunset Crater national Monument has several earth caches. Here is one GCZ5GD. There is a series Flg - Rte 66 that traces Route 66. Almost any in town will bring you to interesting sites. Flag is cache friendly.

I am a Scoutmaster and it does not surprise me that there are poorly maintained "Scout caches". How many of these Scout caches are owned by Scout units vs caches owned by an individual who somewhat is/was affiliated with Scouts? The attrition rate of 1st year Scouts and leaders is high in part because of the committment required. I've had several parents start projects and then for one reason of another they drop out (along with their son). Guess who picks up the slack and the grief? It is the cache owner's responsibility to maintain caches under their name. If you find a neglected cache, please do more than complain. Contact the owner, get is archived and if needed call the local Boy Scout Council. If you have the time, inclination and skills, consider becoming an adult Scout at the pack, troop, crew, district or council level. We hardly have a surplus of adults!

Micro Caches in rock piles. I don't care if it is a Difficulty 4. Totally lacks imagination.

Cachers should know enough about the areas they cache to make a sound decision about available in the winter. Read the logs. If nobody has been there since Nov that should be a clue as to availability. So is 6 DNFs in a row. If you are not familar with the area this forum has an entire section devoted to regional caching. Public land managers close roads and trails in the winter because they are generally impassable. Unless you are prepared to spend the night (or several nights) find somewhere else to cache. Is another find worth your life or more important, the lives of the rescue team looking for you?

Be prepared for rain. January is the Winter rainy season. Bring sun screen. It may seem a contradiction but this is AZ. If you plan on visiting the Grand Canyon expect snow.

If you are visiting Tucson two really great places to visit are the Sonoran Dessert Museum (SW Tucson) and Kartchner Caverns (I-10 E Exit 302). If you look for the topic AZ for 3 weeks I posted a list of "elder friendly" caches that included Kartchner Caverns, Tombstone and other less well known locales. That list should keep you busy for an entire day.

Try your local recruiter, ROTC detachment, and Reserve or National Guard center.

The satellites we use for geocaching are owned and operated by the Department of Defense. You purchased your GPS from a store where you used money created by the US Government. Some of that money was used to pay taxes to your local and state government. Your anachry only exists because a structure allows you to live the illusion that you are an anarchist. By the way, you are communicating to us via the internet. The internet was created by the US Army (not Al Gore).

You might want to stay overnight in Sierra Vista. Most of the major hotel chains have a hotel here.

Most Tucson area touristos visit Tombstone. Here is a loop you can take that includes Kartchner Caverns, Fairbanks, Tombstone and Benson. The loop route is I-10 to Exit 302 (Sierra Vista, Ft Huachuca) Hwy 90, Whetstone Hwy 82, Tombstone Hwy 80 and Benson back to I-10. All are easy and elder friendly. All have recent finds. I’ve been to many and know of the rest. There are plenty of others too! Hwy-90 GC1JZ8T – Kartchner Cavern Earth Cache – Must see! Reservations recommended. 2 hrs GC1JWRJ Hwy-82 - CG1N57C, CG1N57R, CG1N57H, CG1N57R, GC1165M, GC1THKY, CGHBHJ Tombstone - GC12FFC – Easy Puzzle, GC12763 – Easy Puzzle, GCF147 – Easy Virtual, GCK4MY OK Corral, GC12H32, GCKBYQ St David - GCMKWW Benson Do a query While in Tombstone, visit the Birdcage Theater. This is a full day

I plan on getting my son a mapping GPS for Christmas. In two years he is likely to wind up with the US Army in Europe. What are the compatable GPS brands / models to us both in the USA and Europe?

This article might be helpful explaining military GPS http://www.gisdevelopment.net/technology/gps/techgp0048a.htm Mike Wilson

If you are going to purchase a mapping GPS then get one with a SD card. The on board memory generally isn't adequate for map coverage. I don't recommend Triton. Support, documentation and periodic updates are terrible. Tritons are battery hogs. They really stuck it to their customers when the line first went into production. Read Triton forum for more info.

Warning: Don't read this if you have a chip on your shoulder The fact that you did not enjoy the activities that Webelos offered is not a deficiency in Scouting. Not every boy enjoys Scouting. You could have passed this discussion by, but instead you joined in with an insult. During your limited experience in Scouting you missed out on one of the values Scouting fosters, namely courtesy. Webelos is a family oriented program, so what did you and your family do to contribute to its success? I have 11 years experience as an adult leader, including being a Webelos den leader. My experience is that the kids and parents that do the least, complain the most. BSA does not stand for Baby Sitters of America.

I still ocasionally use a Silva base plate compass (Boy Scout edition) that I got over 40 years ago to show my Scouts (I am a Scoutmaster) basic land navigation. You can get a basic Silva compass for under $20. I got my son a Silva Ranger ($50+) for Orienteering. I am not a fan of lensetic compasses. I am a retired soldier. I actually used my old Boy Scout compass more than the lensetic compasses I was issued. Go to a sporting goods store and look at what they have to offer. Read the numbers. Rotate the dial. Don't buy the $2.98 Walmart special. How much is your life worth?

Many tribes have very strict access rules for non-members. Indian guides are required for many outdoor activities. They are trying to preserve their environment, religion and culture; and don't want non-members romping and stomping through their home. It is also a source of income.

My son attends NAU in Flagstaff. Here are some caches. I haven't visited them all, but I am familar with the area. Sunset Crater National Monument. Sunset Crater GC6851 Cinder Lake history GCG7GW Trudge GCYKD3 Sunset Crater Lava Flow Trail GCZ5GD Bonito Lava Flow GCZ5H1 Cinder Hills Overlook GCZ5H4 C.O.D. - Spur of the Moment GC1G0HN Peak 7505 Cinder Cone GC1GA3J The Killing Moon GC1GJGE Walnut Canyon Nat Monument (Indian Ruins) Walnut Canyon National Monument GC6853 Walnut Canyon Geologic Sampling GCZ5H6 Walnut Canyon 0 GC1EV7Y Wupaki Nat Monument (Indian Ruins & Earth Caches. Off I40) Wupatki GC6852 Lomaki and Box Canyon Pueblo Earth Cracks GCZ5JD Wupatki Pueblo Blowhole GCZ5W1 Citadel Sink - Wupatki NM GCZ5W5 Wupatki Ripple Marks GCZ5W7 North of Flagstaff - GCGARV B-24 Crash Site (WWII crash site Strenuous hike)

Several years ago I had a Dad bring a gun on a Scout trip. He also wore a Border Patrol polo shirt. This guy was looking for trouble. When I told him firearms were not allowed, he left. Reality is that druggies are not out to rob private citizens in the woods. Bluntly, it is bad for business. Those that do, find themselves on the wrong side of the cartels. Not a healthy place to be as several found out years ago. I am not denying anyone's right to carry a firearm except as a Scoutmaster enforcing BSA policy. Over a million boys particpate in Scouting. That is a lot of outdoor time per year. When was the last time you saw or heard "Scout Killed or Mauled While Camping." If it makes you feel better to carry a gun while caching, go ahead. It is extremely unlikely you will need it. I have two pistols (my Dad was NYPD). I practice twice a year so that if I need to use it the rounds will go where I intend them. Many Scout Camps have Black Powder programs. Rifle Merit Badge has pellet rifle, 22, and black powder options.

I do not carry a firearm. I have two pistols. I live in South East Arizona. Besides the critters I have to contend with illegals. Besides caching I am a Scoutmaster for a local Boy Scout troop. (BSA policy prohibits firearms while on Scout events.) With all that outdoor exposure I have never had a critter problem and only two illegal bump ins. If you practice good outdoor skills (Bear Aware, Bobcat Aware, Illegal Aware), bring a paper map and compass (and know how to use them), water, ... the probability of an unfortunate incident is remote. When the Cochise County Search and Rescue Team is called out, it is to find idiots who went into the desert and mountains unprepared.

My son, who is now in college, is giving up his Matchbox car collection. Most of his cars are in very good to excellent condition. I use them for swag in locations that are likely to attract families with kids. Like any hobby or advocation, you need new members and to do that you need to get kids involved. Then again, I wouldn't put a Matchbox car in a cache that was in the woods.

From Flagstaff AZ you can visit the Grand Canyon, Sedona (art and scenary), Wupaki (Indian ruins) Lowell Observatory and a host of other accessable outdoor activities. Flagstaff is a college town and there are plenty of low cost good places to eat.