Jennifer&Dean

I noticed it a while back and wondered if EVERYONE else had gone to lunch. SO I went to lunch.... But now I am all alone at work, and still can't tell if anybody is here in the forums. And it is foggy out. Really foggy. Shouldn't have read The Fog the other night... -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Guess I shoulda answered the questions... 1- Yes, when the cache was set up in such a way it was allowed. Otherwise NO! 2-NO! 3-NO! 4-NO! 5-YES! when the previous searchers noted in their logs that they had had to contact the owner to get the correct formula. He still hasn't fixed this for the cache. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Why not have a virtual tour of the town? We've done Statues Times 10 in Bozeman, Mt and that takes you to ten nice pieces of art/history in Bozeman. You answer the questions and find the final location and a nice traditional cache. We drove for every location but 2, and it was nice to do it that way as Grandma (who doesn't walk much) could join us for most of the trip and enjoyed the fun as much as we did. We'd have no problem doing a 7 step virtual which gave us a history lesson at the same time. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

We haven't encountered any cheaters, we HAVE enocountered a cache stealer/hostage taker. My pet peeve is the irresponsive cache owner who has screwed up something, but doesn't respond to e-mails or fix the problem, making the cache impossible to solve unless you contact them....And/or who placed the cache on vacation and doesn't care if it is in a really dangerous/illegal spot. Every sport has it's wanna-be bigshots and quiet winners and the superstar who make a splash. Not to mention the support players who make it possible. For every cheater/thief/screwup, there are kind, polite, responsible people who also play. I personally know about 10 of the good, and only OF one of the cheaters. If that is a statistic, then I like this game. Don't let them get you down, if you worry about what THEY are doing, you will enjoy this ALOT less. On the other hand, if you go into every cache think positively that even without a find, you will enjoy the trip, you can't help but to have fun. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Of cOurse, if we called it Montana United Geocachers (MUG) then we could take lots of MUG shots and drink out of MUG mugs! Maybe start regionally, then expand until you have taken over the world. See Starbucks for an example! Good luck whichever way you end up organizing! -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Unless you are certain where the map you are using is coming from, the addressing is likely to be close, but not perfect. US Tiger files tend to round addresses to 100, so if you have a block with addresses between 201 and 231, in some files that block will show up as 201 to 299. And the direction that addresses run on some long courts may be reversed or switched from the main intersection to the end of the court. (hard to explain w/out diagram) I work with maps everyday to create decent maps that can route for our system. Our biggest problems are the rounding up of addresses and the lack of buffering to account for large complexes. Our system places addresses a minimum of 50 feet apart, and when a street segment is rounded up, the address shows up a lot closer to an intersection than it really is. Always ask yourself "Where did XXX Company get the map I am using, and did they have some poor schmuck check every street for accurate address info?" Then do a Mapquest search for your home address.... The Geocode site places my home address .20 of a mile from it's real location...it's not bad and is one of the better ones I've used. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

If I'm in a meditative state doing/seeing nothingness and this cache floats by.... Can I log it? Good way to put the "if you can't please ANYONE, just try pleasing EVERYONE" idea. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

6 for us, but give us time. We really want to drive across and to every state we can, and cache in each one. Just gotta hit the lotto first. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Just wanted to ask if there was going to be a forum/database of the different policies. It would be nice to have access to a bunch of different ones to scan through and examine. Searching for the info brings up lots of posts that all ask the same thing: "has anybody heard". Just wondering. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

No matter what I try to write here, I give away someone's cache idea. I give up. Check out niskibum's caches in Post Falls and Coeur D'Alene Idaho for some other ideas that will have you wandering for hours. I still am amazed at his creativity. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

I know this sounds crazy, but try googling under GPS Cement Trucks or GPS School Bus or GPS Police and you will find companies that sell the tracking technologies. They have people who do presentations about WHY you need their product and people who program their systems, Also, check out your nearest university's Geography teachers. You can get a degree in GIS technology and they would be able to help you find an expert. Geospatial Technologies in CA has some good stuff they sell for tracking. Another idea, call your county tax office or Office of Planning and Management, there are usually people who make GIS maps associated with those depts who can help you. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Wow! I want one of those systems. A new type of cache.... Find Jen's Car! (to log it, remove log book from gas tank cover. Please leave all tapes, CDs and geocaching equipment inside. I work with a company which does the tracking technology, it gets kinda scary when you think of how easily that will become in the future. I want a scanner to detect GPS transmissions near me. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

A mobile cache was being run around here. When it disappeared the owners deleted the last log (we had been warned) and posted a note with that final log copied into it. That way the last placement was still available, but the placer didn't get a log for it. It hasn't been replaced but was fun for the little while it lasted. I don't know if I'd go for yours, it would be too easy to get blamed for one going missing if someone wanted to screw with people. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

The day we did 17 was one of the neatest days we've ever had. We were doing a bunch of urban caches in a town we didn't know well. It was a ton of fun to find them and learn about the town. Most of them were thought provoking "Where could it be?" type caches that could only be found if you were in the right mindset. I.E. OUTSTANDING IN MY FIELD by Niskibum. And then, some were near enough to the others that it was worthwile to go get them while we were already in the park. Since most of the caches we haven't found in our home area are snowed in or otherwise inaccessiable for us currently (need truck) we made a special trip to Coeur D'Alene to find some awesome caches. We'd never have seen the creativity that some people put into their hides if we had limited ourselves to just 4 or 5. If you are ever in the C'DA area, try the Gnome one and the Camo series, and Tubbs Hill park is a blast to walk around with 5 caches on it now. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

I know this is kinda late in the thread, but I had to mention it. I work with street addressing every day, and SO many maps are off, wrong, incomplete, or just plain weird that I would never trust the addressing to bring up an accurate GPS address. Even County created GIS systems can be off by quite a bit. Not to mention 911 system maps not created by someone actually driving the roads. I worked for a company that rounded addressing on streets so that a court or block with #1 to #17 house numbers would be 1-99. Just in case new houses were added. And blocks were always rounded up, or buffered with 10-20 more numbers. Mapquest is almost as bad, and it's addressing can be as far off as 3-4 blocks. So if you can get it to work, fine, but don't depend on it. Just had to add my opinion on this subject. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

I voted but it didn't work. We've done 17 in a day and 33 in a weekend. It is easier to do when you are in/near a city with a lot of Caches. There are only about 100 within 100 miles of Missoula. But over 200 near Spokane, not to mention Denver or Seattle. *sigh* moving isn't an option and neither is unemployment...gotta strike the lotto soon. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Having recently done some of niskibums caches, I agree with him, HE could probably place a cache anywhere. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

We've found one that was shorter than the average pinkie finger and thinner than a bic pen. The log book was a thin roll of paper that gets changed regurly. Am thinking something similar can be done with brass from father-in-laws hunting rifle... -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

Lots of places seem that way. Las Cruces seems like a nice little town, another friend just moved there recently. It may be that the base there is really pulling people into it, but the locals don't stay. Unfortunately, a lot of small towns Montana and the Dakotas actually HAVE the negative population increases that happen when the locals move out. It is really weird to drive through an area the size of some Eastern states and NOT encounter anyone for 150 miles. I grew up in VA and it takes longer to cross MT from Lolo to North Dakota than it would take to go from DC to New York. That is kinda weird. Not to mention that those mile have ALOT fewer caches to find. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

If it helps... We did a multi cache in which the final step was missing, and we only had part of the info we needed to figure out the cache location. After sitting down and looking at an area map, we figured out everything but the last two digits of the Lat and that was down to either 78 or 87. Our arrival at the cache was about 65 feet off, but it was still findable. What I mean to explain is that the final digits help narrow the search area, and if you are off by a little there, it doesn't hurt too bad. You just end up searching a little harder. Good Luck Caching! -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

On a compass the degrees all the way around add up to 360. So if you have a compass and it shows the #s on it (180, 240, 360, 60, etc) you can figure out which direction you should be going. Make your needle and the North line up, then figure out from the compass which direction 270 is, and walk that way. I think I may have explained it more confusing than it actually is, but I can't think of any other way to explain it. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

ANd if you have already placed it, you can activate it at the time you wish, like midnight Friday. I'd still want to place the cache first, just to get the coordinates. Otherwise I'd have to make two trips up the mountain, one for the coordinates, one with the cache. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

*sigh* why don't people post more often? We are gonna have to start an "I'm waiting..." topic for those who lurk the board all day waiting for the next post. Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

A cache called Ride the Rat (GC6D54) is a 28 mile round trip bike ride up almost to the Rattlesnake wilderness area. The altitude gain is 1600 feet. It is on our list for next year. While you can get closer by forest service roads, the trail is the better option for the much more gradual incline. AND, up in the Bob Marshall area is a cache (GC121B) that was flown in to a grass landing strip, and has never been found. -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)

We are going shopping....and geocaching. Gonna shop for cache items, and things to make into caches. We got some good ideas last weekend and want to be the first to make caches like them around here. So we shop... but it is for caching...geoshopping? -Jennifer Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. (JM Barrie)