G0ldNugget

Awhile back, I left a $10 movie pass at a local theatre for the FTF prize in a Star Wars themed cache. I usually leave a $1 bill or a recycled FTF wooden nickle.

If the OP is getting so many logs that it is crowding their Inbox, perhaps they could open a separate email account (like a gmail) just for geocaching and update in Settings/ Email Preferences. That way, the logs wont overflow their main inbox and they all will be available in one easy location.

Thank you for your excellent reply. I translated the Czech sections to English and commented them out. I'll replace the sections with the English translations and remove the comments. I will also mention in the AL description to look for the waypoints titled 'Cherokee Rd AL.' Again, thank you for your truly helpful response.

Sorry about that. I started getting DDoSed a while back (I have no idea why) and I had to put some location restrictions in place just to keep the site up. Thanks for your response. The map I previewed the file on showed the locations as pins. Here's the file via Google Drive. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e3KAjXXvmPtuksHvCyvjnver6LIutY6i/view?usp=sharing

Thank you for the reply. Re. #3, Can this non-sequential AL be started from either end using the gpx coords?

I have an AL that is 10 miles long. I know some players prefer to use a separate GPS device to navigate so I provided the coords in the location descriptions. Then I read some players wanted to download a .gpx file for the coords so I created one of those too. ( http://goldnuggetwebs.com/gpx-cherokee.GPX ) I use my smartphone to navigate (shame!) and I'm not familiar with using gpx files so I have several really dumb questions: 1. If coords are provided in the description, is the gpx file even necessary? 2. How does a player import the file into their device? 3. This is a non sequential AL but the locations are listed sequentially the gpx file. Can players begin at either end? 4. Should I just skip the gpx file completely? Thanks for your help!

Profile / Account Settings / Email Preferences

In my AL settings, I found a new option: Adventures / Hide completed Thanks!

Not around here. Theres only a few within a hundred miles. I just got awarded my second AL credit and according to the email, "We have randomly selected geocachers from those who made their first Adventure public by the stated deadline, and are in locations we are targeting. You were chosen as part of this process." Considering how few ALs are in this rural area, this made sense to me. I hope the next round of credits will focus on areas that don't have many existing ALs and limit the credits awarded in areas that are already saturated.

Apologies. My mistake.

Ouch. Not all ALs have bonus caches and it shouldn't be expected. Someone put a lot of work into that Adventure. Setting one up is literally five times more work than placing a single cache and doing it well takes even longer. The only feedback the CO may get is the Rating/Activity Log and if you enjoyed the experience, it would be nice to see a bit more than "Thanks for the tour" or "Got it".

I think the previous players who claimed a find on an empty jar are the ones that hinder our hobby. A bit of basic maintenance on a cache that has been in place for so long and provided so many smiles over the years seemed reasonable to me.

I found a "cache" recently that was nothing more than an empty camoed bottle. Previous logs for more than a year had mentioned that the top was gone and log was missing but numerous players had claimed the 'find'. Because it was in a scenic place and had been placed there in 2007 with hundreds of finds, I decided to do some maintenance when I visited. I brought my cache bag which contains spare containers, logs, swag and pencils. By chance, one of my spare containers' lids fit the cache perfectly. I added some swag and signed the fresh, new log. I don't always rescue neglected caches, but in this case, I felt this cache was worth saving, even with a non-responsive CO.

Thank you for explaining why these bother you. You make good points. I still think its fun idea and putting a geocaching sticker on the box makes sense.

Could you just hit the highlights for me? I've found a few of these, I thought they were fun. One one my all time favourite caches was a fake fire alarm on a fire station wall that you had to pull to open...I was working up the nerve to do it when a cop pulled up and said, "Go ahead, pull it. It's a fake."

Being you have permission of the parks dept, I would go with the fake utility box. Put it out of sight somewhere. If you are concerned about muggles, you could put a lock on it and include the combination in the hint. Let the maintenance folks at the park know it is there, what it is for and that you have permission to place it. They may enjoy being in on the secret. Sounds like fun. Good luck!

Reading these replies like, "I don't read them unless I get a DNF" or "They are unreliable" or "I've managed all these years without them" explains a lot of the complaints I get about my AL. I make clear in the description that this Adventure requires more effort and time than the standard walking city tour. What part of "its a very windy road" and "its 10 miles long and will take 1-2 hours to complete" did they not understand?

That was a really informative chat on putting together a creative AL. I even hit 'subscribe.' Thanks for sharing.

And how has it been received? Do players complain about the extra work or appreciate the challenge?

I recently published a non-traditional AL, requiring a 10 mile drive down a windy country road, visiting historic mining towns and pioneer cemeteries. The reviews have been very positive but a recent player found the road a bit too windy and "couldn't believe people actually live along this route." She followed up with another local AL, a standard city walking tour and found it "so nice after what I experienced before." Lol. She stepped outside her comfort zone and completed it solo (she mentioned this several times). And I'm glad she was able to complete a "nice" one afterward to soothe her rattled nerves. I was wondering about other COs of non-standard, adventurous ALs. How have they been received? Any griping that they aren't quick and easy as most other ALs seem to be?

Yes. Create a journey that truly is an adventure. The description should include the aprox distance and how long it should take to complete. Mine is a 10 mile drive down an old historic road, visiting ghost towns, pioneer cemeteries and a nature reserve. I was surprised at the good cell service in most of my preferred locations.

That sounds like a good balance. Almost every AL around here is a city walking tour, covering just a few blocks. The emphasis is mostly on quick and walkable.

I guess its the same reason you can do a power trail and get dozens of finds or a handful of urban LPCs and pill bottles and get +1 for each. For some, the emphasis is on the numbers rather than the "Adventure". I blame the AL guidelines, which says ALs should be "ideally walkable. and visited within 2 hours." Groundspeak should drop the "walkable" and time restraints to encourage more actual Adventures in the AL project.

Have you received any notifications from the AL app?

Very appreciated change to coord updates. I made this mistake myself when I was a new CO and recently walked a new CO through the process via the Message Center. The new process is much clearer and less prone to mistakes. Thanks for that. As for the new List feature, I'm looking forward to trying it.