Hawk-eye

OK ... First of all thanks for the "ton" of email I've received last night. Like I've always found ... there are a lot of nice folks in geocaching. I really and truly don't want to start a geobashing event. I didn't mention the approver's name and deleted his logs to prevent this from being a bashing of him/her. As the sport grows it needs guidelines and they have to adapt for the conditions of the day. I understand this and accept it. But it does seem that there needs to be better guidelines for "approver status". Again only a personal opinion. Thanks Jim for the points ... I'm aware of them ... I have enough battles to deal with in doing my job ... just the thoughts of having to wage battle on my hobbies ... well, left a bad taste in my mouth. I've put a lot into this next cache I was working on ... with the complexities of bringing all the points together ... so this issue just knocked the wind out of it. Sort of took the "shine" off the idea. I also didn't want to wind up posting the complaint and going through that mess. I just wanted to explain that there are no hard feelings ... a million thanks for all my friends out there and for their supporting my caches in the past ... and just explain instead of disappearing and yanking the caches in case someone was working on some of them. And to answer the one question in most of the emails I've received ... yes I'll miss it and yes I'll probably regret it. But I think I'd do more damage to the activity fighting it than not. HEY ... it's been fun ... shoot where else can you design a key ring and have it travel completely around the world ... and come home? El Diablo is still holding it hostage till I can get time to buy him a beer! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

I’ve come to a point in my participation with Geocaching that I feel it’s time to make a hard decision. I will be archiving all “Hawk” series caches in the next month or two. I will leave them open for this period of time so that my friends and people that are planning to visit some of them will have the opportunity to log a find before I take them out of service. This … very hard decision has been sparked by an unusual experience with the powers to be at Geocaching.com … and I’d like to explain why this is effecting the decision I feel I need to make. I apologize for the long winded statement that follows but I have made so many friends and had so much fun with geocaching … virtually from the start of this sport … that I felt I owed an explanation for my decision. THIS IS NOT A CALL TO ARMS or negative commentary on Geocaching … Please don’t take it as such. This is just intended as an explanation to my friends and associates in geocaching as to why I have made this decision. If I had planned to make an issue of it … I would have taken the matter directly to Jeremy … but I did not. First of all … let me say Jeremy has done a heck of a job and in moving the sport forward … there are necessary changes that need to be made to keep the sport focused and growing. I don’t always agree with some of the decisions made … but after all it’s just a difference of opinion on my part. What has sparked the decision I have made is in the period of one day … two of my original caches … both in Bolivia were archived for the reason of “converting an existing cache into a virtual” … seems to now be a bad thing. This was done by a representative that has been a member since April of this year. When questioned I was told I could resubmit … with no explanation of how to do this. Do I create a whole new cache … and resubmit under a new name? I have no idea. But now … it’s a mute point. The cache in question … Hawk 10 … took a lot of work and was only converted to a virtual when the physical cache box was misplaced by the person at the end of the multistage trip. The cache takes you from the heights of the mountains around La Paz to the lower regions of the Yungas … along what is considered by National Geographic Magazine as the “most dangerous road in the world”. Since it was still viable and has been visited with a lot of enthusiasm … and this has been done for over a year now. My other cache Hawk 2 … was the first cache in Bolivia … so when it was stolen … I left the cache in place as a virtual … so if someone wanted to log the “First in Bolivia” cache … well they could … it’s been a virtual for over two years. So, I would really have liked to see it stay … but so be it. This I can see more than the archival of Hawk 10 but this is only my opinion. It’s a bit irritating to have these caches kicked out by someone that has not been caching even as long as the cache has been in place. Was I notified that there may be a question about these caches … no. They were just archived. What was good a year ago … two years ago … is now deemed no good by someone who hasn’t been caching a half year yet … yes that irritates me personally. It’s not like I’ve created something recently that now no longer fits the guidelines or new standards … these are existing caches. The Hawk 2 cache is nearly as old as geocaching itself … I was in email contact with Jeremy personally while I set it up in La Paz. There are a lot of good memories from setting this one up. Yes, maybe I’m being a bit petty … but that’s OK … I been working on a new cache event along the lines of the 100th cache events El Diablo and I have done in the past for this fall. It was to be a “Thank You” cache to all the friends I’ve met since 2001 and anyone else that wanted to participate … up to the first 40 to sign up. This was to be an all day cache covering 60 miles and a cook-out at the end. I’ve been working on individual clues to submit to all that signed up for it bringing everyone in from multiple directions. It’s been a lot of fun setting up. But, this has taken the wind out of my sails … so to speak. I’ve thought about it over night and well … I think it’s time to move on. If I can’t contribute positively to the sport … maybe it is time to move on. Again … please don’t use this string to start a series of complaints against Geocaching … please only see it as it was intended … an explanation to my friends and associates in Geocaching as to why I am leaving. It’s a great sport … so keep enjoying it. And I appreciate the emails that I get periodically asking for assistance or advice … especially a year or so ago when I was laid off. It meant a lot to me … I owe all of you a lot. It’s been great fun. Please stay in touch … you’re a great bunch! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

My bug Hawk-eye Uno just made it's trip around the world ... total of 23,882.76 miles. Just over a year and it came back to a Hawk-eye cache. I was overseas and a friend EL DIABLO picked it up for me and is holding it. I'm going to retire it ... corny probably ... but hey, that's a little Signature item I sent out and it went completely around the world ... going to frame it and hang over my desk. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Yeah, I know ... par for the course. It has happened before on my bugs ... but not quite as radical as this one. One bug Hawk-eye Uno has completely circled the globe and several people have worked hard to move it back to a Hawk-eye cache in NC. Should be there this weekend as a matter of fact. But then as in other things some folks pay attention to detail ... and some don't ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

I have a travel bug that has a simple goal of visiting rev.war sites and returning to Greensboro, NC by this fourth of July ... SURPRISE ... it shows up in England but on a subsequent drop off. Yes this is a gripe! OK I feel better now. Anyone else had this happen? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Absolutely a Vista fan ... had mine since they were first available. Have had it in some of the God awful spots in the world ... from the mountains and valleys of South America to mainland China ... never had a problem ... till now ... a display problem. So for about $150 sending back to Garmin for a rebirth. Can't do without it. I did however just purchase it's big brother ... the 76S. Something I've wanted since last year. I LOVE IT TOO. The reception is much faster and cleaner than my little vista under tree cover ... but it is bigger. So ... I'll keep using the vista for travel and backpacking but probably use the 76S more for geocaching and some traveling. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

My old bud El Diablo .... makes me feel guilty ... and I do miss desparately seeking your nasty little cache tricks! Last year was the worst year ... and the best year of my life. Of course I spent a wonderful 9 months unemployed because I didn't trust the people I worked for enough to move my family to Bolivia (if you read the reports this past month you'll see I made the right choice). But I did have a lot of moral support from a bunch of great folks in geocaching ... that really helped! I did find a job ... actually changed after 3 months ... to an even better job for some fantastic people that are treating me very well. Unfortunately I've had very little time for anything much less geocaching ... but spring is coming and I feel the need to "navigate". Thanks guys is nice to be missed ... as Arnold so nicely put it ... "I'll be back" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Hey El Diablo ... I'll leave Beijing on the 25th of Sept. and be in the US until the last week in October ... Furniture market is the only thing that will screw up my schedule .. it's about a week starting the 17th and ending the 24th. Sounds like a fun event. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Hey El Diablo ... I'll leave Beijing on the 25th of Sept. and be in the US until the last week in October ... Furniture market is the only thing that will screw up my schedule .. it's about a week starting the 17th and ending the 24th. Sounds like a fun event. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

El Diablo old boy ... I leave the country and you go stirring up the pot ... going to have to tell the Princess of Darkness on you! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

El Diablo old boy ... I leave the country and you go stirring up the pot ... going to have to tell the Princess of Darkness on you! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:Originally posted by JoeyBob:A $25 fee to place a cache? A placard on the dash if you are searching for geocaches? I won't be placing any in Umstead anytime soon. Did they ask for input from geocachers? Hawk-eye may have more info. Hey JoeyBob! Yeah, if anyone's interested in my smart mouth comments check this link Hey Congrats again on your 100th ... really nice getting to actually put a face with the emails! Like the video tape by the way! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:Originally posted by JoeyBob:A $25 fee to place a cache? A placard on the dash if you are searching for geocaches? I won't be placing any in Umstead anytime soon. Did they ask for input from geocachers? Hawk-eye may have more info. Hey JoeyBob! Yeah, if anyone's interested in my smart mouth comments check this link Hey Congrats again on your 100th ... really nice getting to actually put a face with the emails! Like the video tape by the way! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Personally ... I choose not to participate ... the note on the dashboard for the searcher ... seems a bit over the top. I bet there's a real doozie of a reason for that little demand! If I'm just driving through the state park and decide to stop and use the facilities ... do I need to leave some toilet paper on the dash with my name on it! OK that's a little much ... but I hope you can see my point. I started trying to work with these folks over a year ago ... and gave up ... no returned letters or calls ... I'll stick to virtuals in the parks ... folks seem to like them anyway ... ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:Originally posted by Anders:Well, Lars (sounds Nordic, immigrant?), are you happy anyway, or do you want me to try to explain? Anders ROTFLMAO! Well I understand you Anders old friend ... but I've also been in China just a little too long this trip already ... Thanks for the chuckle! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:Originally posted by Anders:Well, Lars (sounds Nordic, immigrant?), are you happy anyway, or do you want me to try to explain? Anders ROTFLMAO! Well I understand you Anders old friend ... but I've also been in China just a little too long this trip already ... Thanks for the chuckle! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:... We've been watching you, Mr. Hawk-eye! Like I didn't know that already ... I see you sitting there glaring at me over that cup of coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:... We've been watching you, Mr. Hawk-eye! Like I didn't know that already ... I see you sitting there glaring at me over that cup of coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

OH SURE ... If you want the "offical" released to the public version ... go to the "About Geocaching" tab ... but not if you want to hear about the real story ... complete with the landing of the mother ship ... the black helicopters and the ... hey ... there's that buzzing again ... maybe my aluminum foil hat is on crooked ... Then again maybe I've been on this business trip a day or so too long ... sorry ... on second thought ... never mind ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

OH SURE ... If you want the "offical" released to the public version ... go to the "About Geocaching" tab ... but not if you want to hear about the real story ... complete with the landing of the mother ship ... the black helicopters and the ... hey ... there's that buzzing again ... maybe my aluminum foil hat is on crooked ... Then again maybe I've been on this business trip a day or so too long ... sorry ... on second thought ... never mind ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Check out a couple of these examples by El Diablo ... You'll understand why we named him "EL DIABLO" The fourth of July Cache The Devil's Cache They're member only caches ... due to some unfortunate abuse by a newbie ... but they are great puzzles to solve. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Hey guys ... don't sweat it ... the old El Diablo must be slipping ... no one's died looking for one of his caches in ... gosh, over two months! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

Hey guys ... don't sweat it ... the old El Diablo must be slipping ... no one's died looking for one of his caches in ... gosh, over two months! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:Originally posted by Whidbey Walk:By the way, this looks like a really cool place. Yeah, maybe so ... but keep it to yourself ... and don't look if you go there! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!

quote:Originally posted by Whidbey Walk:By the way, this looks like a really cool place. Yeah, maybe so ... but keep it to yourself ... and don't look if you go there! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first!