BpSnake

I like that idea, boulter! Hope that you continue with this. As a "non-competitive geocacher" (if such a person exists) who has both caching and NON-caching streaks, I'd like to see it on a historical graph. It'd be interesting to how certain events/trends, such as "marathon days" or my four months without caching (March '03-July '03) would look. Going back to being competitive, I think I was the first one to find the Bay Area Geocaching Leaderboard. I even emailed boulter about it -- a "verification email", if you will. Therefore, I'm claiming FTF!

Thanks as77 for your reply, but I ended up overwriting the gpx file when it didn't work with PMN Cacher. Therefore I have no gpx file to send to you, sorry! Since I often manipulate gpx files using Watcher and/or Spinner, It's likely that it was my "fault" and not your program's. Looking forward to the PocketPC version! I use a very-outdated Toshiba e740 for paperless caching and driving navigation. Hopefully Pocket PMN Cacher will work for those of us still using PPC2003.

So far I've used PMN Cacher v1.1 for two days and I like it! Only came across one "snag" when trying to convert a *.GPX file that I created using Watcher. It said that the file was in the wrong format. Weird, because it only happened once. Using another Watcher-created GPX file (basically the same file with a few less waypoints) worked perfectly. Haven't done too many caches during that time, found about half a dozen or so. Driving around Fremont (SF Bay Area, California) I can see that the entire area is just LITTERED with red hearts, practically every little city park there is! Thanks to PMN Cacher and PocketMap Navigator, I now have the ability to get to each park easily should I choose to do so.

Geez, I hope that wasn't directed at me! I posted to this forum as a courtesy. I wanted to give you all heads-up on availability, since reservations fill up quickly (that's the reason my cache has a 3* difficulty rating! ) I could care less about my actual cache. I care more about getting people to go out and hike! I enjoy hiking even if no geocaching were involved. The cache is just incentive for those who wouldn't otherwise go on an 8-mile non-caching hike. Fifield-Cahill Ridge has been closed off to the public for generations. Only since August 2003 has the ridge trail been opened, but on a limited basis mostly due to restrictions imposed by a recent Environmental Impact Report on the area, and the fact that there aren't enough trail leader volunteers. It's also an important missing link to the Bay Ridge Trail. I wanted to bring attention to this protected area, which was my main reason for 5-Field K-Hill. Others who know me well enough know of another reason... Glad you can make it, WalruZ. Hope others can too!

I didn't get to install/use your program yet but I, too, have PMN 2004. So I'll wait until your application can handle the newer files. Thanks for your efforts!

Those of you who've been waiting for months to hike the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail in the Peninsula Watershed, there is a 8-mile hike event that just posted this morning. Sign up at www.sfwater.org (click on the butterfly logo) to reserve one of the 17 spots for this Saturday, March 27 at 9 AM. Hurry, before they're all gone! While there you can find my multi, 5-Field K-Hill (GCHFP8) and TeamAlamo's micro, Hemlock Rules (GCHJ45). Have fun!

Hi as77! I also use PMN on my PPC, and want to say 'thanks!' for your work in creating the application. I visited your website and downloaded PMN Cacher. Hope to find time to install and use it. I'll post here to let you know when I have questions/comments. Thanks again.

Being that the East Bay is my stomping grounds, I'd like to help out R.haus, Hemlock, and other area cachers with their efforts. Hopefully I can find the time in my busy schedule... but if I were really THAT busy, then I would never be caching! Feel free to contact me via email (or via my profile). I think mjp303's idea is a great one! I'm attending a class the morning of Sat 4/17, but I'd definitely be up for a CITO event in the afternoon. Short of being the event organizer, let me know what else I can do. Hope to participate in the discussion further at the BADGES dinner in Pleasanton...

I frequently cache with others, not to say that I don't enjoy caching by myself. IMO, both are fun in their own ways. Even when I'm solo-caching, I never really feel TOTALLY alone... I've got up to 12 "birds" telling me and my Geeko where I'm supposed to go! Wacka, I'm interested in hiking to those caches on a weekend sometime. I'll let you know!

Rainy Day Virtual Cache Since this wet weather has put a damper on a lot of caching lately, I'd like to recommend doing A Day at SteinHart's (GCG0DD). Besides the cache, there are other neat exhibits to check out (helps to keep you out of the rain). This may be the last opportunity to log an easy virtual cache. Effective January 1, 2004, the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park will be closed while undergoing relocation/renovation. If interested, the Academy is open 9 am – 9 pm with FREE ADMISSION on December 29-31, which includes the Planetarium Sky Shows (on a first-come, first-serve basis). Oh, and of course, collect all of the smashed pennies designs while you're there.

I don't post very often in the forums, but I'm glad that Fizzymagic has replied on behalf of us "distracted" SF Bay Area cachers. I agree w/ Fizzy. East Bay Parks are great! I've done a bunch of hikes there, though I admit most of my hikes were BEFORE getting into geocaching. Now, I have a very good reason to go back and revisit them. Lefse Team, if you'd like to try a night hike, there's a nighttime-only cache called Wait Until Dark - a favorite among some Bay Area cachers. It's one of many caches located in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, though you should park off of Hemme Ave in the city of Alamo. Be prepared for the conditions though; when The Robot Family and I went two nights ago, the temperature was in the 30's and the trail was a bit muddy from the recent rains. Still, it was well-worth the trip to drive all the way out there for just that ONE cache. Hope you'll enjoy your visit to Northern California. Happy Holidays to you as well

quote:Originally posted by Kealia:(Now if anybody has some Sharks tickets and they find themselves in the same boat, I'll gladly send you the coords to my house/office ) Funny you should mention Sharks! Last night I went to Sharks Opening Night with fellow cachers, Squints and Kablooey. It ended scoreless, but was still a fun game to watch. I have 4 SharkPak tickets (Plan A) this season, plus I can buy group tickets for a few select games through work. If you (or any other local cacher, for that matter) are interested, let me know! Sorry - I don't make enough to offer up tickets for free. At least not yet!

quote:Originally posted by Hemlock:If it meets the http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx, yes. Pay particular attention to point #1 under Virtual Cache Posting Guidelines. Take your GPS and camera with you and see what you can find. Feel free to run any ideas past me before you submit a virtual. I will be happy to work with you to determine what is approvable. quote:Originally posted by Marky:...Be nice to your fellow geocachers, they might be Hemlock... Ha ha I like that! Hemlock Hemlock - Thanks for the info! I'll keep it all in mind (or on my PDA ) during the hike. Marky - Love the new sig too!

Whoo hoo! I finally got reservations to hike the newly-opened Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail in Crystal Springs area of the peninsula watershed. Details are on SFWater.org's website: http://sfwater.org/detail.cfm/MSC_ID/68/MTO_ID/121/MC_ID/4/C_ID/1558 My first trip will be a 5-8 mile hike this Saturday (10/18). Really looking forward to it; I just hope I don't go into "withdrawals" when going on a non-caching hike. Land managers being as strict as they are, it's obvious that no regular caches will be allowed. My question is, would the approvers allow virtual caches there?

quote:Originally posted by Tachometer:Anyway...just wanted to say hello to all the other East Bay people (Walnut Creek here) and look forward to getting into this. Some of my friends are pretty interested too...so we shall see! Crawford Hi Tachmeter! I'm also a newbie in the East Bay. I'm more in the south -- Fremont/Newark/Union City area. So far, I've found only a dozen caches or so. I wish I could say that my friends are "pretty interested" but most of them were not. I hope to find more time for geocaching. Seems like a lot of Bay Area 'cachers have plenty of time to do this. I'm jealous! :-) BpSnake

quote:Originally posted by The Rat:Let's hear from the newer geocachers - how did you get interested in this hobby? What are your most & least favorite caches - and why? I'm still a newbie, having learned about geocaching probably thru a google search (could be that I was just searching for GPS software for my PocketPC). Geocaching seemed perfect for me - I love hiking and I love geeky tech stuff! I've only done a dozen or so caches so far, and I can't really say for sure what my most/least favorite is. I have my like's and dislike's. I do like United 615, not just because it's in my hometown, but because it's a rather large container full of cool stuff. Even the cache description/logs was an interesting history lesson on such a tragic event. I probably would never have found such a location so close to home if not for geocaching. Generally, I don't like those *%*#* micros! I have a difficult time finding them. Even the plain ol' 35mm film canisters stump me. I've read about other non-traditional 'evil' micros (placed by individuals who shall remain nameless! ), so I'm wary about even ATTEMPTING those! I know I still have a lot to learn and experience. Though this is only my first posting, I have been reading the forums to sort of "catch up" on what's going on with other SF Bay Area cachers. Thanks, everyone, for all the interesting reading.