Tatanka49

I consider an 'active cacher' as someone who has signed on to the Geocaching website in the last 6 months. I will also occasionally look to see if they have hunted for caches and recorded a found, DNF or attended or whatever in the last 9-12 months. Very often you see CO's who haven't signed on in over a year. sometimes people do sign in but just to look around but have not done an active search in some time.

I have been caching for 15 years. Fortunately for the first 13 I have had no problems with this discussion. Then, in August 2015 I lost both of my feet. I have been wheelchair bound since (I have prosthesis, but that's another story) I am now very aware of of the difficulty. I filtered on T-1's assuming most were accessible. I have come across many that have the 1 terrain but are up a tree. Definitely not WC accessible. I live it each time I cache. I go with friends. sometimes I go for 1.5 because WC accessible ones are often mis-labeled. I look forward to D2 and 3 caches otherwise a true WC cache may be a 1.5/1 or a 1/1. I have sent CO's notes telling them that they should not be using a WC attribute. Six months ago I placed a nano on a utility pole across from where I live. It was on a sidewalk about a foot off the ground. I could reach from my wheelchair. I know its accessible because I placed it there. There was a driveway slope nearby and I figured it was still a 1/1 if you carefully navigate the slope. After the last snow storm, it disappeared and I had to place it about 6 feet up. As much as it bothered my, I raised the T/D and eliminated the WC symbol. I have another cache in n LPC in a shopping center. It fits all the criteria and reaching and its level, etc. But I decided not to enter the WC attribute because I know as a wheelchair user, I would not want to go spinning around in a parking lot. I know I'm babbling. But when I filter, I look for 1's and the WC attribute.

I've done that. Unfortunately this is a large boy scout event at Harvard and I don't know if they would appreciate ane event. But that's up to whoever takes the job of running it. Thanks for the tought though.

The biggest group on DNF's and NM/NA appears to come from all the newbie cachers who are only just discovering the GC app. Most of my NM's or GC Health reports show a string of DNF's by people with less than 25 caches found. If I get a couple of DNF's from experienced cachers I worry. Turning it into a reviewer seems like overkill. (although I will send a NA if the CO has not been on line for a year or more.)

A friend of mine who is not a geocacher is the Merit Badge University @ Harvard coordinator for the Spirit of Adventure BSA council (Boston Area) . He would really love to add Geocaching to his 2018 offerings. This would be a one to 2 hour workshop on basics of geocaching for the boy scout merit badge. He's looking for someone who can conduct this workshop and turned to me. I live in New York City. I tried using a filter to find geocaches by Boston Area cachers but didn't get very far. If you are a cacher who would like to do this or assist or if you know of someone he should contact, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Thanks

Whatever happened to the media reprints that were always available on the GC site? I remember newspaper articles, magazine features etc from all over the world. And more to the point, is there anyplace where I can see the Geocacher that was on Jeopardy on Tuesday, October 18th?

Apparently Firefox no longer supports it either.

I agree with a lot of this. I too am a long term cacher starting in 2004. I think my first indication of 'Things are changing' when there became a proliferation of very short logs such as SL, TFTC, Got it etc. I like to give longer logs and I enjoy reading about other's finds of my caches. These shortened caches all appeared when the App became very popular and most new cachers are posting through their phones and making to logs as brief as possible. Sometime ago someone suggested that you can't place a cache unless you have found X number of caches. Although that's a nice idea, it would also prevent museums and such for placing caches which are often better than other traditional caches. There is a proliferation of nano's. I cringed at the thought when I first started. I like a nice big cache in a park...rather than a nano in a parking lot. But as GC moved into the cities, caches got more and more urban. I still try to put out smalls and above but often it is difficult. Nanos are ok if it takes you to a nice spot and not just for placing a cache there because you can. Travel bugs are a thing of the past. I only launch traditional ones and even those disappear. Forget about the geocoins. They have priced themselves out of the drop off/pick up game since the collectors are sucking them all up. At Geoevents, people take down numbers just so they can have icons on their websites. that's not why I got into teh game. Even the idea of souvenirs on the website to me seems lame. Enough of a rant for today. John (an old fa** geocacher)

I have done at least a dozen of these. Contact me direct and I will send you some stuff and ideas. tatanka49@gmail.com John Tatanka49

I tried to place a cache on parkland near a high school. The cache was to highlight an Eagle Scout service project that was done on school property. I went back and forth with my reviewer over this. I was told that around schools, the MINIMUM approved district is a quarter mile, preferably a half mile. I couldn't win that one and gave up.

There's nothing that size within a half mile of it and most of those are higher D's. The fact that it lasted 6 years must mean its a pretty decent hide. I always prefer smalls and larger in urban areas. It brings us back to what the original game was all about. I'm sure you can find another spot within that park or within that half mile radius. I say leave it where it is and let everyone enjoy...newbees and old timers alike.

Unless things have changed, the event date IS the date shown. It also has an "add to calendar" link.

I have the Etrex 20 and I like it very much. Looking at the difference between it and the 30, I don't think the 30 is worth it. It was the first time I used paperless caching and that opened new worlds to me. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is very difficult to delete caches. On others I would just hit delete after finding a cache, but on this I have to plug into a computer and go through a bunch of steps. I've only done it once and I am not looking forward to the next time. It does hold 5000 caches though so it takes a while to reach the maximum if you do selective downloading.

I'm the Get in the Game coordinator for Greater NY Councils. I was appointed in October but we are off to a very slow start. Very few scouters in GNYC are geocachers so I'm basically starting with GC 101 each time I open my mouth. However, now that I've had time to work on it and think about it, this is a modified posting that I put on the MetroGC forum last week.. 1. On January 9 at BMCC there is a big Scouting training event (members only) and I am doing an Intro to GC workshop. This is my main kick-off. I have done a number of GC101's in the scout camps, camporees, etc, but now I'm official. I hope this is where I can really get unit leaders motivated and excited. 2. Within the next month, I will be placing a series of medium to large caches that will contain information cards. When these are mailed back, they will be in a drawing for custom geocoins (unactivated) I'm placing three of the themed caches in my scout camps and one at a round table location ("adults") The last theme is "Venturing" and I am at a loss as to where to place it to make it meaningful. Most places suggested by Venturing won't support a large cache. I'm ready to go with two of them -- but am sitting on my hands waiting for the council to print the reply cards 3. I have in my possession 5 unique dog tags that have their own GC logo. There are only 1500 in circulation (although less than 100 have been released so far). They will be dropped in the new caches going on line in the next few weeks. The Pillars of Scouting travel bugs are registered to National..not the individual councils. So to individualize by council, it has to be as a log..so I am doing that and fastening laminated info sheets/patches on them 4. I hope to put out at least 36 micro/small caches in the next 3 months on what is called the Cache to Eagle series. There will be 12 in Manhattan, at least 12 in Queens and 12 scattered around the rest of the city. They will highlight eagle scout service projects. All will have code words in them and when you find all 12 in the series, you can have a special patch mailed to you. As stated previosuly in someone else's posting, getting information on projects is like pulling teeth. I gave up asking for GC specific sites, now just send me ANYTHING, and I will sort it out latert. We have 8 districts--I got response from 3..and I'm on the council advancement committee--talk about apathy! 5. I am planning a BIG Intro to GC day on April 10 and I will need the Society's help to pull it off. There is one in Trenton NJ on January 2. I think Jan 2 is nuts for this type of event but I am going to lend a hand. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... 5a570c81f5 (they had about 40 scouts out -- temp was 28 degrees with windchill of 2. Kids learned basics but I think the spring is the better way to go. 6. I hope to introduce the game to of kids and leaders in the next few months and am encouraging them to set their own caches. On fellow from College Point talked to me about putting a historic trail in College Point. 7. There may be a big CITO on April 24. (I hear it's the nationwide service day) Not my event but I will try to piggy back with it. 8. There will be a new Geocaching merit badge out in April. Looks like I will be the first counselor in the city for it and I expect one of my scouts in Troop 70 to be one of the first earners in the nation. I have 2 or 3 kids that I call Geocaching Hounds as they can really sniff out cache locations. 9. There will be a Travel Bug 'race' in the spring (kicks off nationally on March 6 I believe) that will carry a Pinewood Derby car 10. I am in the process of putting together a GC Committee of GCing scout leaders. Very few out there. I may also want some non-scouting GCers on the committee as advisers.

Our summer camp is already making murmurings about it. They all know NOTHING of GC except what I've told them and when I became the elad for Get in the Game, they STILL don't GET it. While I am excited of the possibility, I am also concerned that it will be treated as 'just another badge' and that muggles will be teaching and signing off on it. Members of my own troop will get it from me...I have already notified the district MB coordinator to put me in for it.

I'm leaving on my first cruise next week to the Caribbean. Who needs shore excursions when you have your trusty GPS? (I get to see the local color that most people never will.)

The New York City Metropolitan Area has a new up and coming organization-- METRO NY GEOCACHING SOCIETY. We started in February 2008 and have an active forum, a logo (which I haven't a clue how to post here) and about 80 members from the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester County and Long Island. In the short time that we have been around, we have held 3 gatherings, 1 CITO, Geocaching 101 events and one WWFM and will have another in the fall. We areworking on a banner and a coin that we hope to unveil shortly. We have started a series of caches in the NYC with movie location themes, expanded on the SPARE US another Urban Micro series and many of our members are actively involved in puzzle caching and are working on the new Mid-Atlantic Puzzle Challenge. Stop by our forum website at METROGC.org.

A number of folks have been asking why there isn't a Geocaching Organization for New York City. We have LIGO on Long Island but it's not really us. How does one go about starting an 'official' GC organization, if there is such a thing or do you just get some people together, get a logo and you're it. For those involved with existing GC organizations, what is is your structure? What do you do? Do you have a mission statement? Dues/ a board of directors? Do you meet regularly or not at all? Any help would be appreciated.

One of my favorite past times (besides GC of course) is answering surveys. 1. How did you first hear about geocaching? GC was an experimental event on the 2004 Science Olymipiad competition. I teach Earth Science so the coach assumed that I could mentor the team. Sure no problem. (what the H??? is Geocaching) Needless to say, my team came in first place that year. 2. Tell me about your first cache? Before I could mentor I had to try it. I bought a GPS and on a cold January day set off to find my first cache in Gerrissten Beach Brooklyn NY. I didn't know about the 'Go To' feature so I was trying to find the spot by watching the changes in lat and long. I eventually found may way there. I had no idea what I was looking for. The hint said "You'll find the cache in my arms." Arms? A person?? Oh, a tree with multiple arms and the cache was in the center. 3. Have you had any bad/scary experiences caching? We've all had our ups and downs. The one that comes to mind is last summer. I was caching in Nova Scotia. I drove out to the end of a long farm road and pulled into the clearing on the side of the road. Instead of marking the car location, I saw that I had a clear shot less than .1 miles away down a nice clear path. Little did I know that the path ended just beyound the trees. Found the cache but where the heck am I? It took almost an hour to find my way back out again going through thorns and apple orchards. I finally found the road and was about 200 feet from the car...but I was on the road. I have learned my lesson! The clearest paths are probably the worst way to gaina ccess to a cache. Mark the car! 4. What is the #1 reason you geocache? For the thrill of the hunt....and to get opff myy duff and do something once in a while. 5. Do you prefer to hunt or hide? Both. I like to hide, but I hate micros. Urban caching is mostly micros. I alo don't like the maintaining part. My twenty or so urban cachcs (some micros) have to be serviced 3-4 times a year. My country few I don't visit for over a year and they are still going strong. 6. What was your favorite cache place? Why? Nova Scoptia -- the beauty of the area and the variety of cache types. 7. What was your worst cache? Why? Again many. One that comes to mind is one that is less than 2 miles from my house. In a phone booth. 5 visits, no cache. I have over 1,000 caches and kept getting DNF's. Newbies with 4 caches were finding it regularly. Finally found it last week. Whew! 8. Have you ever attended a cache event? Yes...20 at last count. I've run 4 or 5 personally--mostly meet and greets. I went to one in Michigan and one in Nova Scotia. Each over 600 miles from home. 9. Tell me your best caching story? I call myself the "Geocaching Evangelist" I personally own 19 GPSr's--mostly Etrex-100's. To build the sport we need to get the word out. I have run several geocaching workshops for scout leaders, school teachers and even an association of gold prospectors. I'm ready the moment some one says..."Can you maybe run a workshop?"