Bob&TheGang

FYI I will be doing the California Geocoin distribution site on Sunday Feb. 15th in the Serra Mesa area (aka. just up the hill from Qualcomm Stadium) from about 1 to 3 pm. I will be giving about 130 away to the five people who ordered them. I will also make 21 available to to people on a first come first serve basis. More then likely, I am going to limit 3 to each person. Once I get all 1125 geocoins shipped out across the country, I might make another 40 available for sale but at later date. They will be 3 dollars each (cash only). Basically I plan to hide a pretty tough cache "Sierra Memories". I won't even post the cache until after Sunday, so anyone who shows up will get preview of a new cache (you can log it once its officially approved). I plan to distribute the Geocoins at the trailhead to this cache. I will also have the cache information sheet to give out. Also, from 1 to 3 pm, I will put 3 FTF Geocoins coupons in the cache. If you can find it during that time, I will give you a free California Geocoin. If I get real organized, I might also have some food and drink available. If any one esle want to come bring some to make it a little gathering Watch this thread on Friday (2/13), I will post the coordinates to where the distribution site will be.

I have received the Geocoin order. We plan to work deligently to over the weekend to work on gettting them shipped out. I plan to send the San Jose & Sacramento orders out on Monday, Feb 9th, along with a some individual orders. I hope to get everyone's order shipped out by no later then Feb. 20th. My Dad still needs a lot of TCL, so that is still taking up a lot of my time. I will send an email once your order is in the mail. I will ask everyone to send me an email reply once they received it. Marky is getting the tracking site up. Hopefully that will be up an running my the time peeple recieve their Geocoins.

I almost always leave something, but will not always take something (unless there is something unique).

A little off topic here, but does anyone know a Geocacher named Livinrgttoo? This person has had my Travel Bug Quoddy since 9/11/03. They have ignored my repeated emails about moving my TB on. This person also has some dubious stats. They have just 12 finds and 22 caches hidden. Of those 22, nine of them are disabled. This person has not logged onto Geocaching.com since Nov. 14, 2003. I am just wondering if anyone knows this person personally and could pass on a message for me: "MOVE MY TB QUODDY ON!!!!!!!"

I would not mind combining my Geocoin Distribution event with something Duscwe is thinking for Mount Etna Park. That park is in the area I was planning to do the distribution site anyway. I also can be totally flexible with the date of the distribution site. Only 7 people are doing the San Diego Distribution site. When I though up the San Diego Distribution Site, I had hope to make it a big event. However, my Dad has gotten sick and its taking up a lot of my time. He is doing better, but will need a lot of TLC for awhile. So I would like to join up with whatever Duscwe is planning. F.Y.I.: I did order about 60 extra Geocoins. I will make then available to local San Diego Geocachers first. As for the Geocaching weekend, most weekends are fine, but I think its best to stay away from Valentine's Day weekend. Also, March might be a little warmer.

Your point is well taken. No one likes too many rules. I just think its too easy for someone to place a cache and then forget about it. Its very frustrating to see so many caches that essentially are abandon. For example there is one cacher is San Diego that has just 12 finds and has hidden 22 caches. Of those 22, 13 of are disabled. My suggestions are aimed at people who getting Geocaching as a passing fad. When you hidding a cache, you are should committ to maintain it. Maybe there should be a guideline that you can not hide a cache until you have at least 25 finds. Someone with at least 25 finds, is more likely to be committed to Geocaching for the long haul. At the very least, maybe the Admins., when approving a new cache, should look at the an owner's history of maintaining their other caches. If someone has a bunch of disabled caches, the Admin. should think twice about approving any new caches for that person.

I would like to see a feature that would require a cache owner to have to post a note on their cache page once every 4 months saying that they checked on their cache and everything seems fine. If they go longer then four months without posting a "Cache OK" note, the cache is automatically archived. I know there is no way to actually prove that someone actually went to their cache, but if they have to least go through the process of logging on and saying they checked it, at least they are thinking about their cache. I live in San Diego, there are a bunch of caches that are not maintained or are flat out gone.,but they still show up on the search lists. I know you can post a note saying, "This cache should be Archived" and that will give a heads up to the Admin., but I really think the owners should be required to have more responsibility too. I would also like to see a feature that when a cache is "disabled" by an owner, they have up to 90 days to check and/or fix the cache and un-disable it. When I see a disabled cache, that suggests to me that there is something wrong with the cache, but the owner plans to fix it in the near future. Remember, a Disabled Cache still shows up on the search list. 90 days is more then enough adequate time for someone to have check and/or fix a cache. I know there maybe some exceptions to that rule, because a cache area maybe off limits for a time. For example, in San Diego County, since the end of Oct. 2003, there are a bunch of cache in the wild fire burn areas. Many of these areas are off limits due to fire restoration at least until April, 2004 (some areas likely much longer). So there is no way to find out if the cache even survived the fires. In cases like that (and cache can not be checked on within 90 days), the owner can just ask an Admin. for an extension. At the very least, require the owner to have to post a note as to why the cache is being disabled. I see a ton of caches that were disabled, but no note was posted as to why. An Archived Cache generally means the cache is no more and there are no plans to fix or replace it. Archived caches do not show up on any search list. I think a lot of people get confused of when to use the "Disabled" or "Archived" feature.

Here is an update on the California Geocoin Order: Pressed Metal just started today (1/21/04) with minting the Geocoins (all 1125 of them). There was a delay in getting the minting going because we wanted to be sure of the metal color wanted. Just be sure, I had to send Pressed Metal the sample color I wanted in the mail (hence the reason for the minting delay). The order will take 2 1/2 weeks to mint. They will then send me the order UPS next day service. Keeping that that in mind, I would think I would receive the order to my house on Feb. 9th (UPS does not deliver on the weekends). I figure I will need up to 10 days (maybe less) to get the orders shipped out to everyone. Processing 83 separate orders will not be easy. So people should start receiving their orders somewhere around the 20th of Feb. (maybe a little sooner). I now hope to have the San Diego Distribution Site on Sunday, February 15th from 11 am to 2 pm. I plan to make a little event out of it. I am not exactly sure of the site location, but it will likely be in the general vicinity of Qualcomm Stadium. I know that weekend is the long President's Day weekend, and some people might have conflicts. If that is the case, those people can just pick them up from my house on another day. (I live just two miles from the Stadium). I will have the Sacramento and San Jose people set their distribution dates soon. Some of you have emailed me noticing that their checks have not cleared. That is because I have yet to deposit them. My Dad has been very sick and that has taken up a bunch of my time. Depositing 83 checks and money orders is fairly time consuming. I do hope to get all the checks deposited by this Saturday, Jan. 24th. People for all over the country ordered these Geocoins. In addition to getting a bunch of orders from California, I also received orders from Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Michigan, Arizona, Washington, and Oregon. Also received an order from Slovakia. I will update this thread when I have any addtioinal information or know more exact dates.

I would like to see some criterion where a cache owner would have to post some type of update/note on the cache page once every 4 months. This update or note would say that the they checked on this cache and it appears to be OK. If they did not post some type of update, the cache would be automatically archived (i.e., it would not show up the search page). Of course there is no way to prove a person actually went and checked on their cache, but it would at least force then to go to their own cache page to post the update/note. This would a least require people to think about their cache. I think owners of caches need to be responsible. In the San Diego area, their are a bunch caches that owner just forget about. For example their is his cache really near my house. A few people reported that tin cache container has gotten too wet and rusted and it could not be opened any more. So the owner disabled the cache and posted a note saying he will replace it shortly. Well that was back in April, 2003. I went to the cache site about a month ago and I find that the rusted contain is still there. This guy only lives a few miles from the cache site. Since then this guy has hidden 4 other caches. Two of them have been disabled due to some problems. I also think that when an Approver is approving a cache, they should look at how well this person has maintained any previous cache hides. I am not sure if people know this, when you disable a cache (i.e., there is a line though it on the cache search page), it suggests that there is something wrong with cache, but the owner will fix it as soon as possible. A disabled cache still shows up on a search page. When you archive the a cache, you are saying the cache is no more and you don't plan on replacing it. Archived caches don't show up on a search page.

The ordering is complete. I have ordered 1100 Geocoins If all goes smoothly (e.g., orders don't get lost in the mail), there maybe about 60 to 70 extra Geocoins available for sale (to the first come first serve). Pressed Metal says that they can have the order to me by the first week in February. In the mean time, I will ready all those bubble envelops to ship out (approx. 60 of them). So once I receive the order, I hope to ship them out to people within a few days. I would think most people should have their Geocoins by Feb. 15th (maybe a few days earlier). Anyway, when I ship your order, I will send you an email saying its on the way. I will ask that you reply back saying you got it. As for the distribution sites in San Diego, Sacramento, and San Jose, I will leave that date to be set up by the people who will be distributing the Geocoins. For the San Diego Distribution site, I am going to aim for Sunday, February 8th. Note: If are are one of the very few people who wanted to pick their Geocoins up in L.A., Santa Cruz, San Bernanino, Eureka, or Fesno, those distribution sites did not get enough orders to make it worth while to set up. I will just send your order directly to your home address. Don't worry, I won't charge you any additional shipping fee.

It looks like we won't be needing a distribution site for the L.A. and Fresno areas. Of the 80 individual orders I received, only one person wanted to do it in Fresno and and only 2 people wanted to do it in the L.A. area. For it to be worth while and save on shipping costs, I really needed at least 5 people at a minimum for per distribution sight. So if you (of the very few) chose to pick your Geocoins up in Fresno or L.A., I will be contacting you. More then likely I will just mail your order directly to your home address. Don't worry, I won't charge you for any additional fee for shipping. Of all the distribution sites I offered around California. Only San Jose, Scamento, and San Diego looks like they will be happening. Virutally everyone esle requested that their orders be shipped to them in the mail.

How about "Eureka"? It means "Found It"!

Remember, Geocaching is just the thrill of the hunt and going to places you might not otherwise go if you were not Geocaching. Being FTF is cool, but you are still just finding a cache. I have over 70 finds, but only 1 FTF. That FTF was an extremely remote cache in the Central Sierra’s of California (it invovled driving over a one lane 10,000 foot mountain pass for 12 miles). Being a FTF in an urban area is really difficult. Every area seems to have those FTF specialists Geoachers. In the San Diego area, I discovered that to beat those people (and be FTF) you have to read the search logs around 4 AM when it’s posted and immediately go out. So if you really want a FTF, get a little more experience then go after one of those remote backcountry caches. Like: Gramps Nap This cache was hidden in September 2002. No one has even tried to go after it. It is just outside the boundaries of Sequoia National Park (in Central California). It involves a 3 mile hike (from the trail head where you park your car) and there is about 1000 feet of elevation gain. Though this area is likely not accessible during the winter months.

I remember one time when I was caching in the San Diego area is was 57 F. Boy, was that cold! Yes, I am gloting that San Diego has amazing weather year around. Though actually 57 F is considered a very cold day for San Diego, CA.

This person seems to have issues. If you are the owner of this cache, I would just delete the log.

I released my first Travel bug this past August (2003). One guy picked it up, held it for about a month, and then only moved it 7 miles. Then another person picked it up in mid September, 2003, and has not moved it since. Its now late Dec., 2003. I have emailed this person several times, but they go ignored. This person has some interesting stats. They have just 12 finds, but 23 hides. And have of those hides have been achived for one reason or another. MY TB has a mission to from San Diego to Maine and back to San Diego, by August 4, 2004. What should I do? Does anyone want to know this Geocacher's name?

I have a Sportstrak Color. I know what the backtrack feature does. In layman's terms, please explain to me how to make it work.

California has one. You can see the design at: Official California Geocoin Site About 900 will be distributed come early February, 2004.

It's Now Dec. 29, 2004. Time is really ticking away for all you procarstinators out there If you can get your order the mail and make sure it gets to my address in San Diego, CA. by January 5, 2004, I will still accept your order. They are $3 each. California Geocoin Site or California Geocoin Order Form in pdf format Be sure to email me at: Bobkat92@AOL.Com to let me know your order is coming.

It's Now Dec. 29, 2003 and timeis really ticking away for all you procarstinators out there If you can get your order the mail and make sure it gets to my address in San Diego, CA. by January 5, 2004, I will still accept your order. They are $3 each. California Geocoin Site or California Geocoin Order Form in pdf format

How log does an achived cache remain on a search page? When it remains on a search page, it suggest that the cache might be reactivated.

Bring you kids (if have some). If you don't, barrow some. If someone sees a kid poking & looking around, they will think its just a kid being a kid. If someone sees an adult poking & looking around, they are likely to call the police. For example, today I found a cache that was a 3 inch cylinder. The cache was placed out in the the middle of a dirt lot with a bunch of houses near by and there was no way to be stealthy when trying to retreive the cache. Fortunately, I had my 10 year old daughter with me today. When I say that container, I wanted to log it and get he hell our of there ASAP. It would have been difficult to explain that one to the Las Vegas Bomb Squade.

We placed our very cache in the canyon right behind our house. Our backyard happens to face city park that has a canyon. The cache is only 70 feet from my back door. Though its on public land and very easy to access. When people find our cache, they often report that they feel they are being watched. Which is true, we really enjoy watching people find our cache (though we try to be discrete about it). Its also real easy to keep tabs on this cache.

I am kind of mixed on this issue. One of my Geocaching buddy's has gotten into it. I really think it depends on the theme. For example, I saw one that you had to photograph a home with a dome roof. It is pretty rare to see a home like that, so that's a legidimate find. Though I saw another one that you had to find a flag pole flying an American Flag. How are is that to find? That one is definately a "just padding your stats" type cache. To date, I have not done a Locationless Cache. I will likely not do any in the future.

Do you post Did Not Find"? I know everyone is sure to post a "Found It", but does everyone do for "Did Not Find"? No one likes being skunked on a cache (including me), but I will always post a NDF. Being a owner of 3 caches, DNF's alert me that the cache might have a problem. It also gives vital information to other cachers. I alway look at the logs before I go after a cache. I am just curious to see what other Geocachers do with DNF's.