[Your Ride]

Two for the price of one:

 

- Heidi, my '99 RAV4 with hydnsek license plate

- GeoRoo's red honda Civic (doesn't always have a boat and satellite dish on top )

 

Spotted near Camels Prairie Stash, the oldest cache in Idaho and Moun10Bike's first hide.

 

Hey, I didn't know I was on here. "gas guzzlers" I run in the 40's for mpg and the boat comes in handy on those water caches!.....When I hit the rough roads my 36" tires pop down and my satelite dish deploys to navigate by......

 

The only identifying marks on my car are the numerous Patudle dents along the right side and the dirt encrushed scratches.

 

Ok, I'll bite what does TPTB mean? Did anyone grab TNLNSL? I've yet to see one of the new Wildlife plates.

[Cach-cadian's Once A Month Club]

Can a wetsider be a member and are the requirements the same..... I thought I might have made it, but with 2 on the reservation that got killed and the one I put next to blindleaders I didn't make the minimum 12. I'll do better this year I promise.

[Leap Second !]

This is actually a void in time and if you were to leap at the right moment you could slip into another time continuum. My research puts that spot at the geographical center of the state. That so happens to be the listed cordinates to M10's Washington DeLorme Challenge geocache.

 

This location is just outside of Wenatchee....so close to the time riff that it explains many of the odd behaviors we see from there. Unbeknowing to me we went by this spot in Robinego's geocaching death vechicle. I remember one particular bad bump where we were airborn for a frightening amount of time before we touched down.

 

I know now that we were very close to getting sucked into the void. There's a large cliff/dropoff, so if everyone were to hold hands and then jump at the exact moment it would no doubt transport you all directly to M10's final cache location and complete your WA DeLorme Challenge run.

 

I've already finished the WDC, so I'll volunteer to photograph this historic event. If it doesn't work at least I'll have the picture proof how some crazy geocachers disappeared in the blink of an eye.

 

Bet that will make the front page of Todays Cacher!.......... Anyone up for the Time Travel Cache?

[Did You Lose A Cell Phone? In Calif. Near]

If there was a way to charge the battery you could look at the dialed calls. I've found 3 cell phones 2 had dead batteries. I have a multi charger with various plugs and recharged them. Called the first number and asked the person who's phone this was. I'm 3 for 3 on returning cell phones to owners.

[When The Cache Appears To Be Missing...]

I thought I was FTF on a new cache at a rest stop when the archived mag key holder migrated a good 250 ft. away. I wasn't able to log for 4 days and was surprised to see a FTF claim several days after my find.....HUH???? The new cache was placed very close to where I found the key holder. How it got way over there is a mystery.

 

I've replaced one micro. It was a 10 mile hike and hadn't been found yet after 8 months. The cache site was a helocopter landing pad and I knew they had been using it to airlift out a injured hiker earlier that Fall, so it was obvious that it had blown away. I did not log it as a find. I contacted the owner and told him what I did and he thanked me. As a cache owner I wouldn't have any problem with someone helping me out like that.

 

Every situation is different. I have one cache that is about a 7 mile hike that came up missing this summer. Muggles found it and moved it about 200 ft away. Geocacher found it sitting out in the open at a campsite no where near the cords or hint and left it sitting there. I rehide the cache exactly as I find it. but this is one time I wish the cacher had helped out. 7 mile hike and it took me over an hour to find my missing cache!.......

[Stump Explosions, Be Careful]

Has anyone had any close calls with stumps falling apart on them lately? I was caching today near Carnation and looking for a micro in a huge maple stump. There have been at least 30 that have done this cache. I looked in all the obvious spots and then saw the worn out spot where others had stepped up. I reached up and held on to the side and instantly let go as a large section of the stump started to come apart. Nothing fell, but it was just hanging there.

 

I jumped down and stood back thinking the cache couldn't be there. Not wanting to make a huge mess I was about to bag the cache. I started to think what will happen if the next cacher comes by and decides to step up in the same spot. I gave the side a slight pull and a large 3x6 foot section of the stump came crashing down right along with the cache!.......Large heavy chunks.

 

I found the cache, but what a mess. It broke apart and scattered all over the parking area. I hate to think about what would have happened if my daughters had been the ones looking and it had fallen on them. I've had this happen 3-4 other times while searching stumps, so be extra careful this time of year. I've also had alder trees blow apart nearby, so watch for those too. With all the rain we've had lately they are very dangerous.

[Anybody Up For A Wa Delorme Challenge Run?]

What a great cache to finish up the WDC!.....We walked out in the rain and you get to the edge and suck your breath in. Wow!.....LONG way down. I didn't like how dirty the water was below. I could see many areas of the cliff had been freshly sluffing off, so we didn't hang out on the edge too long. We saw many bald eagles flying along the bluffs and all kinds of sealife below. We hiked down to Lily Pt and did the cache down there and played on the beach for about a hour. Sun came out and it quit raining, so turned out to be a perfect caching day.

 

On the way to Pt Roberts I couldn't find my BC map and wasn't quite sure what hyway went to Pt Roberts, so we pulled off at Ladner (sp) I was only there a few seconds when a guy drove up and rolled his window down and asked if I was lost. He said to follow him and drove me all the way to the border crossing. That was awful kind of him.

 

My daughters were excited to cross the border into a foreign country..... Border crossings went fairly quickly except when we went back into Canada from Pt Roberts. I was asked to pull over and was searched. When I went into the office the gal behind the counter asked me why I was in Pt Roberts. I asked her if she knew about geocaching and she said no. I explained what it was and she seemed very interested. When we went back out she only took a quick look inside my car and sent me on my way. I was dreading the crossing back into the US at the Blaine crossing as I figured that would be the long one. There wasn't much lineup and when I told the border quard I was geocaching in Pt Roberts, he asked me how I did and said he recently bought a GPS and was going to start geocaching. We chatted a bit about geocaching and he sent me on my way.

 

Geocaching comes through in the clutch!......Enjoyable day and some great caches to finish up the WDC. 15 days of caching and about 2,800 miles of driving. Now I need to grab the finale and start planning for the OR or ID Challenge!.........

[Anybody Up For A Wa Delorme Challenge Run?]

I feel so safe knowing that all the legal citizens are being searched and detained, so we can have a secure border!.....What a joke. I used to ski at Whistler every weekend for years and have crossed the border hundreds of times and NEVER had a problem until recently. I have a friend in Burnaby that doesn't want to come down here now because of the hassle he gets crossing the border.

 

Article I read in the Times this summer said everyone including children would be required to have a passport to cross the border by 2007. In spite of the "problems" I'm still going to head up tomorrow and enjoy a day of geocaching. Now if I get stopped this time I'll go postal and I won't be Half Canadian.......I'll be Full Canadian!.......

[Anybody Up For A Wa Delorme Challenge Run?]

, .....ESP Saw you on here and just sent you a message. I think that's going to work better than the ferry. Save me $50. Weather isn't looking all that great for a ferry run anyway. I can grab the other 2 pages on the way up I-5, so that's the plan now. I know I'll have to have my daughters birth certificates. I'll have to check the border requirments and see if they require anything else. Thanks for the info. Pt Roberts here I come!.......

[Anybody Up For A Wa Delorme Challenge Run?]

Thanks, I've been trying to figure out the times on the ferry schedules and it's a real puzzle. I'd like to spend some time looking around, so may as well do some geocaching. I think the other islands will have to wait. I really only need 107. I see that page clips Pt Roberts. Hmmmmmm, maybe I'll skip the island and head there. Save me about $50, but then I'll have to hassle with the border crossing. Last time coming back into WA from Canada I was "detained" and it took 2.5 hrs. I guess I have that terrorist look!........

[Anybody Up For A Wa Delorme Challenge Run?]

Huh? I had to check page 107. I see the 2 that GG posted as being close to the Ferry terminal. Your logs say you did it while waiting in the ferry line???? I'm looking through my PQ and see quite a few on San Juan Is, so I might as well pay the extra and make a day of it.

 

Is it possible to drop off at any of the other islands and grab a few caches and then catch the next ferry? Do they charge for inter island hops?

[Anybody Up For A Wa Delorme Challenge Run?]

Thanks GG, great to see several on both ends. If it's only a 70 min ferry ride maybe I'll drive and do more caches then....... hmmmmmmm

[Anybody Up For A Wa Delorme Challenge Run?]

Did anyone do the San Juan pages 107-108?.....My daughters are out of school tomorrow and friday, so was thinking of heading that way with the girls and finish up the WDC. It's been about 20 plus years since I was at Friday Harbor and the car/driver/passenger cost would be over $50.....OUCH

 

Are there any walkable caches I can reach in Friday Harbor? If so, I'll walk on and not drive. The crossing time says 70 mins????? Is that right? Seems like I remember it taking several hours or more. I see Anacortes is just into page 108. Are there walkable caches to grab at the Ferry terminal there? I better run some PQ's. Thanks for any info.

[How To Weather Proof Seattle Ammobox]

"You know you're a die-hard geocacher when..." Your woodstove top has outlines of 30 and 50 cal ammo boxes. I just painted up 2 50 cal boxes a bit ago and they are baking next to the woodstove. I use Ace Rust Stop spray enamel in black and brown. Be sure to spray over the millitary codes and what they were used for. Surprising the number of ammo boxes I've found with bright orange millitary markings.

 

Check the rubber gasket and make sure it's clean all the way around. Applying a bit of vaseline will restore the seal if it's getting dried out. The only ammo boxes I've found with water are the ones that get put back on their sides. I always try and replace a ammobox in the upright position if possible. Same for my hides. I do have some sideways and they seem to be holding up ok, so much will depend on the hide. Finding a protected spot for the box will help.

 

Does anyone have a line on buying a bulk lot of ammo cans this year? Wasn't it about xmas time last year when we all went nuts on ammo cans? I bought 25 and still have 15 left, but those were 50 cal cans. The 50 cal cans are great, but so darn big!.....I'd sure like to buy some 30 cal cans.

[Washington Delorme Challenge]

All my caches came through and I'm over 500, so that limit is not a problem. The archived ones came through also. At least I think they did. When I opened up the file in GSAK they were all there. I'm still muddling through GSAK, so I'm lost when it comes to that program. I tried to run some filters and I see I need more time with GSAK.......

[Rimrock Landing Resort Near Yakima]

Darn, I've been over that way several times in the past few weeks. Very pretty country. Here's a link that might answer a few of your questions if you haven't found this one. Masters Resort I can't give you much more info. as I haven't stayed there. Being that it's resort propery I would think the campground is only open to guests, but I doubt anyone would care. You could write the Masters and see what they have to say. Sorry I can't be more help. Good luck with your TB.

[Washington Delorme Challenge]

 

What's going to happen to page 90 and 76 when the Virtuals are migrated to the Waymarking site???

 

Where did you get the idea that this is going to happen? This is the fate of locationless caches, but Jeremy has made no such decision about virtuals. Even if it were to happen in the future, the Challenge would simply adapt as it has so far.

 

I was under the impression that virtuals were all going to the Waymarking site. The numerous posts in the Waymarking threads seem to indicate that Jeremy has already stated his intentions with virtuals. I've enjoyed all the virtuals I've done and hope they stay. The 4 I did this past week were all excellent.

 

I'm sure caches will be placed and the WDC will adapt. I know I've been part of the problem. It's cost me at least an extra 500 miles of driving, so I didn't get off too easy. The timing of the cache may have contributed to the rush. I know I was only planning of grabbing the snowed in pages and then do the rest at my leisure.

 

I see on the news that the snow is starting to pile up on the higher passes and they are predicting 2 feet by this weekend. Page 112 is going fast.....

 

I see they have a new My Finds section on the PQ's. I haven't been able to run a dated PQ for my finds for 2 days, so I've had to wait till they iron out the bugs. I did a full finds PQ, so guess I'll mess with that on GSAK. Now if they could get a directional feature to the PQ and up the 5 PQs in one day to something like 20 I'd die a happy man........

[Washington Delorme Challenge]

I see there is a new change as of today that cache hides would no longer be allowed???? I'm wondering what brought this about? Too many negative comments about lame caches? If those throwing rocks are out actively doing this challenge then they would not be complaining. Get out in the SE part of E.WA and drive 150 miles for a cache and you will be thanking the few that were put out. What's going to happen to page 90 and 76 when the Virtuals are migrated to the Waymarking site???

 

It's nice to know you've driven 500 miles in a couple days and the one cache on that page is missing and you have the option to place a cache. There are a number of pages that will be unreachable now that it is snowing in the mountains. Additional caches will have to be placed or the WDC will be undoable till late spring.

 

This change won't affect me, but will certainly lengthen out anyone elses quest. I know it's M10Bikes cache and perogitive to do what he sees fit. I see the Barnbirdy's are out on the road now. Hope they didn't place any caches!......

[Tracking 2005 Wa Geocoins?]

 

 

Greed? What business is out there strictly for charity? Groundspeak is a privately owned business out to make a profit. If you want to be able to use certain services, they have every right to charge you for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm all for Groundspeak making a profit. That means all those promised improvements and fixes will someday happen. I think my membership is grossly undercharged. I would gladly pay double or triple what I pay now.

 

Go Groundspeak! Charge those coin collectors. Make Waymarking a chargable site just like Geocaching. Geocaching.com has been around long enough to start charging the free loaders too. Imagine what could be done with all that money......We might even get the much talked about pocket query improvements.

[Tracking 2005 Wa Geocoins?]

 

If you don't want to collect coins, don't. But don't judge those who do - it's just another way to have fun. Besides, the person with the best geocoin collection I know is...Moun10Bike!  I don't think any of the hundred or so coins in his binder are going into caches. 

I'm not judging those that collect, but I think it's wrong to make those coins trackable and a icon on their stats just to have the icon!........Especially to make money on it just to satisfy someones greed to make more money. I know it's all about making money and all, but I would hope it's more than that, but it doesn't appear to be that way on GC now days.

 

You know my view and you don't like it, but thats just me. I get a pretty coin, collectable or not and I pass it on. Why rat hole it in my bag of junk when it can be shared with someone else. I feel the same way with the 2 M10 coins I've found. I hope the last one will be passed on and another geocacher will enjoy the thrill of finding it like I did and it won't go in someones collection.........What better way to share geocaching than passing on the thrill. I hope it continues, but I don't see that happening now with the coins and TB's.

 

I was really surprised by what I read on the collecting pages of the forum and the direction and scope that collecting has gone. GC took advantage of that and are reaping the rewards. If they take that money and better GC then great. I've yet to see that. Maybe there are big plans, but it's slow coming and a little work on the PQ's would be a start....hint hint

[Tracking 2005 Wa Geocoins?]

I am too!....I was curious how all the state and personal coins were showing up all over the place on cache stats. I see that if you order a large quanity of coins and pay the extra $1.50 each you can have them tracked on GC. Hmmm, wasn't that a big discussion last year and this year on our WA Geocoin and the powers that be said it wasn't possible????? I guess now if you pony up the bucks you can do anything.

 

What is the purpose of tracking these coins when the majority of them are grabbed for personal collections and never see the light of day? As you can tell I'm not a coin collector, but I think if it's trackable then it should travel. The 5 WA coins I bought last year have disappeared. The 2 I found that I passed along have also disappeared. Can someone tell me of 1 WA 2004 that is still active?

 

I made a TB out of one of my 2005 coins and received several e-mails from geocachers thanking me for doing that. I enjoy finding a nice coin in a cache be it a USA geocoin or one of the few trackable ones. The M10 coin is the ultimate find and one that has been very special. It's ashame that it's become just another pass around coin and one that I could have sold on E-bay for $$$$$.

 

Are we selling out geocaching?.......IMHO it looks like that's the direction we are going. Different strokes for different folks, but please don't cheapen geocaching too much or I might just take a serious look at Terracaching!.....oh no

[Washington Delorme Challenge]

I made it back late Friday night and from my count I have only 3 pages left. 107-109 Hopefully I haven't missed any pages in E.WA, but that is all done. I went out on another trip this week to finish up the pages I missed in E.WA and the 2 that had caches denied.

Enjoyed doing some of the caches that you and Mr Gadget did out on the coast. Nylunds Grave and Moving Time virtuals were cool. Had a heard of elk on the grass in front of the ranger station on the way to Moving Time. Nice 5x5 bull was standing there.

 

My second trip out and I'm amazed at the awesome country I've seen the past 2 weeks. I've been very lucky with the weather. Out of 10 days of caching I only had one nasty day of rain and that was friday on the way home. I've put about 2500 miles on my Honda, so it's been a long haul.

 

Minor panic when I saw that I hadn't colored off page 33 when I was about 50 miles west of that page. I did that one on my first trip, so a big sigh of relief. All in all an incredible experience that has been one of my geocaching highlites so far.

[Tracking 2005 Wa Geocoins?]

How many coins did you order? If you send me $1.50 I'll activate them for you.....

[Washington Delorme Challenge]

lucky that you don't have to go all out to Asotin again. 29A is not so bad especially since you still have some pages to pick up in that area.

 

Your DNF on the Overlook cache was the same day I drove the Glenwood Hyway and placed the rejected GRM35. That must have been about 5pm. What time were you there? The air was clear and dry at that time with only high stratus clouds. Tuesday was  a more typical NW autumn day.

WTG Blindleader! That is quite the accomplishment or should I say certifiable proof to have you committed!...... I still have 26 pages to go, so I'm not anywhere close to finishing up. My initial plan last week was to grab the pages in E.WA that would be snowed in soon and do some hunting and fishing. You know a leisurely geo/camping trip. You look at the map and think....."oh that cache doesn't look that far away"....if I go that way I can grab that page and I only have to drive over to this page and then double back and grab this page. It gets addictive once you get started.

 

I was at the Overlook cache about 1pm or so. If you go .9 miles west from there, there's another overlook viewpoint with a 150 ft. waterfall dropping down to a large pool. Looks like something you would see in Maui. I wish I could have had my cache approved there. It's a beautiful spot.

 

I'll have to check out the Idaho and OR challenges. To finish any of these is amazing. I bet the Idaho one would be tough. M10Bike might have a leg up on the Idaho one with all his caches over there. Hmmmm, I'd love to do a tour of Idaho......no no no!......

[Multi-cache Hiking Route Suggestions...?]

Classic loop trip going in thru Lake Dorothy off Hy 2 and over to the Foss Lakes and back out at Trout Lake will nab you 5 caches. 6 if you bring a lightweight raft. That is incredible scenic country with a dozen or more lakes.