IowaAdmin

Merry Christmas to all! May peace, hope and love be your most cherished gifts.

That's got it! Thank you!

I've been searching the forums for an answer to this question but I keep finding this same tip. However, it doesn't work on my newer (purchased 12/06) 60CSx. (Did Garmin change the operating software?) Here's what happens when I follow the above-quoted advice: I do find>find[recent finds]>select waypoint>goto> But at that point it automatically goes to the "Calculating..." box without giving me the option to switch to offroad, so I'm still in Follow Road mode. Can anyone help?

If you leave a post in the WGA forums, you'll get many more responses from local Milwaukee cachers.

When I see a useless hint in a new cache that I am reviewing, before I publish it I send post this as a "note to the reviewer" which in these instances is actually a note to the cache owner: "The only other recommendation I will make is that you delete the text you placed in the hint field, since you're not actually giving a hint. It can be frustrating for some geocachers who spend the time at ground zero to decrypt a hint only to find there is no hint." In fact, I blogged about this just yesterday.

Our reviewer in Iowa checks new caches multiple times each day. He is very concientious. How do I know all this?

Feel free to use whatever parts of my presentation you would like to use. I "appropriated" some of the visuals from other presentations. As long as it's for good, not evil.

Here's one I created. Go to the following page and click on the top link: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/links.html

Oops, I thought I was posting that post under my admin log-in. Now I am.

I just started a blog. Check it out at: http://iowaadmin.blogspot.com/

I recently turned down a new geocache listing because the cache was on or near electrical equipment. That owner then wrote to me to tell me about 4 other similar geocaches that were approved. So I looked at each listing and archived each of them. This policy is endorsed by Groundspeak and most approvers. It's unsafe to make a geocache look like part of electrical equipment, whether or not the nearby equipment is actually "live." It may encourage some geocachers -- including children -- to open "live" equipment. So even though you can buy these types of containers on eBay sites, please don't submit them for approval. They are simply not a good idea and may lead to tragic consequences in the future

I'll be away from the computer for the next week, so Iowa geocachers will notice some other volunteer admins helping out with approvals for their geocaches. Be nice to them.

Sounds like a great time. I wouldn't be able to attend because we have our annual family reunion at Okoboji every Memorial Day weekend.

OK, tried to change the avatar, but screwed it up. Oh well, you get the idea.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to all! And keep your jingle bells warm this weekend.

Congratulations to all the geocaching couples! I'll add our story here. Mary and I didn't meet through geocaching, but on our second date we went geocaching together for about 7 hours and she brought along a gourmet picnic lunch. I knew by the end of the day that I had found a very special woman. That was in March of 2003. We got engaged one year later near this geocache in Italy and we're getting married in March of 2005.

Just a reminder that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released a draft of their Geocaching Policy. This policy is being implemented by DNR on an interim basis. Therefore, before a new geocache in an Iowa state park will be listed with geocaching.com , you must first obtain permission from the park manager. Please submit any questions or comments about this policy to the DNR or contact Great Plains Geocaching. You can download a copy by going to this link. You can also check for known geocaching policies of other governing bodies in Iowa at that same link.

We will be in the Bloomington area Oct. 16 & 17 for the Hilly Hundred bike ride. Might be fun to stop by if you have a camping event in that area.

I used to live just a few miles from Woolstock when I was the editor of the newspaper in Eagle Grove many, MANY years ago. What kind of people live there? From my experience they are the salt of the earth.

Since Keystone made such a thorough reply I can't add much except minor details. One is to make sure all non-virtual caches have a log book. If you received permission from the land manager, be sure to mention that in the description or in a note to the reviewer. Such a note will go a very long way to getting your cache approved. I also must add that I feel very lucky to work with such a great group of geocachers in Iowa and in surrounding states when I pinch hit for vacationing reviewers. I've heard war stories from other approvers that make me appreciate the fine people I've had the pleasure to work with.

Wait a minute. Let's not be so quick to dismiss this noble idea.

I don't spend nearly as much time approving as some of the other admins apparently do. I probably spend 30 minutes to 1 hour per day in the spring and summer. Less in the winter. I deny only 10 to 20 percent of submitted caches. Most of those are either virtuals or placed in state parks without permission. And on many of those the owner and I work together to alter the geocache to find a way to get it approved. As far as how much time I spend geocaching, it varies greatly, from 0 hours per week to 5 or 6. Rarely more than that. I've been at it since Feb. 2001. I have found more than 500 geocaches but I don't have an accurate count (I know, that's unbelievable to some) because I logged many alone for the first couple of years and for the past year I've been logging them under a new team name with my fiance.

Lately there have been a number of new geocaches submitted for Jester Park north of Des Moines. However, you must first obtain permission from the park managers there before placing a new geocaches. Last fall a geocache had to be removed from the park because the manager felt it was in an environmentally sensitive area. Since then we need to make sure that any new geocaches in this park are first approved by park management there. Thanks for your cooperation.

Looks good. Thanks for pointing this out. BTW, it looks like they must have done a cut-n-paste from Story County's policy. Their on-line permit form still stays "Story County". You may want to call that to their attention.

Just a note to Iowa geocachers that I'll be away from the keyboard March 26 - April 4. Other admin approvers have been lined up and are ready to review your cache submissions while I'm away. Happy caching!