Ocotillo_Wells

Hello Everyone! The fifth annual Roughneck Rendezvous is right around the corner! On January 25th join us for a scavenger hunt with over 75 (new!) loggable caches within Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area! Visit the event page here to let us know your coming :Roughneck Rendezvous V And be sure to visit www.roughneckrendezvous.com to get your sweatshirts and premium registrations by the 15th! Thank you and see you there!, Roughneck Rendezvous Team

Ranger caches are not Geocaches. Hello, While some caches placed for the Ocotillo Wells SVRA Roughneck Rendezvous event are not loggable, there were over 70 permanent caches hidden (By Park Staff and Volunteers) for this year's event. Most of them are Letterbox Hybrid caches as well. We welcome you to come out and find them any time you like! Thank you, OWSVRA Roughneck Event Team

Hello everyone, Roughneck Rendezvous IV (GC41P3M) is just around the corner on Jan. 26th and 27th and we would like to remind everyone to give us your "Will Attend" log so that we have an idea of how many people to expect! This year is going to be great, with over 80 loggable caches and 35 caches that you can get to without a 4WD! What's even better? Most of the caches are Letterbox Hybrids! So come on out and enjoy a great event with some great people. And don't forget to check out our new website HERE to grab some great deals on event gear with pre-registration. There, you can also pick up our event geocoin, there are only 50 left as of today so get yours now! Thank you and see you there, Roughneck Rendezvous Event Team If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call 760-767-5772 or e-mail me at Jeff.Price@parks.ca.gov

Hello Roughnecks! Summer is almost over and Roughneck Rendezvous IV planning continues, but in cooler weather! We wanted to update you on a couple of opportunities some of you might be interested in. Opportunity #1: Roughneck Rendezvous III Cache Retrieval! Due to a decrease in our operating budget, we do not have the people-power to go out and effectively retrieve all of the old (archived) caches from last years event. If you are interested in going out in the desert in the next 2-3 weeks and helping us retrieve (and reuse for RRIV) our ammo cans please call 760-767-5772. Opportunity #2: Due to unfortunate financial circumstances our supporting foundation "Friends of Ocotillo Wells" is unable to fund the production of a geocoin for this year's event. The artwork and pricing have already been completed and we are just looking for someone to either: 1: Make a tax deductible donation to FOW to cover the cost of manufacturing 100 geocoins for the event. Or: #2: Fund the manufacturing yourself and sell the coins through our (almost finished) Roughneck Rendezvous website and at the event itself. In this option you would keep any profit that is made. If you would like more information, would like to participate in any of these opportunities or have have any other ideas please contact Jeff Price at 760-767-5772! Working together we will make RRIV an event to remember! Thank you, RRIV Planning Team

Hello, Planning is currently underway for the Ocotillo Wells SVRA Roughneck Rendezvous IV and we need your help! One of the cache types that quite a few cachers who took the RR4 planning survey said that they wanted was Puzzle and/or Mystery caches. Since we have never put together those types of caches, we are asking for some volunteers to help us out! We are looking for someone to help us put together some unique and interesting puzzle/mystery caches that will be available at the Roughneck Rendezvous on Jan. 26th 2013. If you are interested please contact: Jeff Price at 760-767-5772. Thank you! P.S. The poster for RR4 is almost done! See the sneak peek below!

Hello, As we all know, Roughneck Rendezvous III is fast approaching! This year, the official Roughneck Rendezvous sweatshirt will only be available by pre-order! The sweatshirts (all will be brown hoodies, same color as the t-shirts) will need to be pre-ordered and pre-paid at $30 each. As a reminder, a portion of each purchase goes towards next year’s Roughneck Rendezvous and helps support the Friends of Ocotillo Wells. If you are interested, please contact Gary at info@goprintworld.com with sizes and quantities by 5PM Monday January 23rd! You may also contact him with the sizes and quantities of t-shirts that you will be buying in order to make sure that they will have your size available at the event as quantities will be limited this year. Below is an example of what the logos will look like! Please pass this on to anyone that you think might be interested! Thank you, Jeff Price Interpreter I Ocotillo Wells SVRA 760-767-5772

Congratulations SKILLET!!! You have won a wonderful prize to be awarded during the raffle at Roughneck Rendezvous III! Just a reminder, we only have 19 more days until Roughneck Rendezvous kicks off! So check out our cache page: Roughneck Rendezvous III There, you will find event info and a link to reserve your very own RRIII Event Geocoin! Happy Caching and see you soon!

Hello Roughnecks! The Roughneck Rendezvous Off-Highway Geocaching Adventure is just a short time away! The poster is finally completed and we couldn't wait to show you! The theme this year centers around all of the Colorful Characters of Ocotillo Wells SVRA. We have several colorful characters featured on the poster, but everyone's favorite seems to be the man in the red shirt. He represents a true historical figure that did roam our desert looking for gold! He eventually found some, but back then there were no GPSr's and he lost his way in a dust storm, never finding the gold again though he searched and searched. The first person to post the correct identity of the Colorful Character on our poster will win a wonderful prize that will be given to you at Roughneck Rendezvous III, January 28th and 29th 2012! Good Luck! The event page will be up around November 1st, so keep your eyes peeled! And as always, if you would like to volunteer for RRIII then please feel free to call 760-767-5772! Thank you and see you soon!

Hello, Thank you Fossillady for posting this on the forums! Here are a few pictures of Tamarix/Tamarisk/Salt Cedar that might help you identify it while out in the field. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail @ JLPrice@parks.ca.gov . ~Jeff

Greetings! Here at Ocotillo Wells SVRA we are in the midst of planning for the Roughneck Rendezvous III happening on January 28th-29th 2012! We are very appreciative of the support that the geocaching community has shown us throughout the last two years and would like to give you the chance to give us your opinion on how we are serving your needs. We have sent out an e-mail to those e-mail addresses we had, but would like to give everyone else the opportunity for input as well. So if you are interested in helping shape this years Roughneck Rendezvous, please take 5 minutes of your time to follow the following link: RRIII Survey Thank you all for your continued support and keep your eyes peeled for more updates! Thank you, Jeff Price and the Ocotillo Wells Roughneck Rendezvous Team Please call 760-767-5772 with any questions or comments! We love to hear from you!

Hello Everyone! Just so you know, The event listing has been published today! Go to Roughneck Rendezvous II to sign up! Only 90 days away! Thank you, ~Jeff

Mark your calendars for Jan. 28th-30th 2011! Here at Ocotillo Wells SVRA we are nearing completion of the planning process for this years Roughneck Rendezvous and we would like to give you our first update on this year’s event. The theme for this years event is: “Putting the Pieces Together: Ocotillo Wells is a dynamic puzzle of many pieces, that when put together, transforms into a picture of the history, wildlife, recreation and conservation that have made Ocotillo Wells the destination it is today.” Those of you who have had the opportunity to visit Ocotillo Wells know the truth of this statement, and we hope that those of you who haven’t will make this years Roughneck Rendezvous an excuse to experience all that OWSVRA has to offer! Last years event was a stunning success! With over 200 registrants and ~600 people attending the evening raffle, it was a weekend to remember. This year will be even better! We already have over 100 cache sites and have plans for more. As was the case last year, 20 of these caches will be permanent, while the rest of the caches will be event only caches and retired after the event is over. We will even be unveiling some new Earth Caches for you to explore that weekend! More information will be available very soon, along with our Event Listing on Geocaching.com. So keep your eyes peeled for the schedule, rules and information on this years geocoin! If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call (760)-767-5772 or e-mail Jeff Price at JLPRICE@Parks.ca.gov . In the meantime, feel free to share some of your pictures and experiences from RR2010! Thank you and we look forward to your visit!

Sorry, I don't get it ... are the caches registered hides with a Geocaching.com web page per cache or not? I note that this question has been asked a couple of times before without being answered. Otherwise they aren't Geocaches, right? Nothing wrong with a park-system day in the desert using GPS receivers but it surely shouldn't be misrepresented. Geocaching.com finds or no finds? So what's the deal, really? Not trying to answer for Jeff, but reading the event page, the 100 caches placed for the weekend look to be "Event" style caches. Placed soley for the event's duration and then to be recovered afterwards. I would guess they are not being listed as official geocaches; so no, no smiley if all 100 are found {unless you log 100 finds on the event! :/}. Although he does infer that some of those 100 will be made permanent, but not all, so possibly those that go live can be logged as found once or if they do go live? Hello! I am sorry we have not been too clear on this. Due to many issues we have only made 20 of the event caches permanent caches. They are hidden within the 100 "event caches" that are out there. So not only will you be earning raffle tickets, you might also find/be FTF on an official geocache. They will be going live on Saturday afternoon so if found during the event they can be logged. I hope I have answered your question! Please call me if you have any questions or concerns! 760-767-5772. -Jeff

Good Morning! We have now made the registration process a little clearer on one point. One GPSr per person will get you one registration packet per person. So if you have 4 GPSr's you wil have to have 4 (different) bodies attached to them. We are sorry if this dissapoints anyone but we want to try and keep it fair. If you have any extra GPSr's, invite your non-geocacher friends and show them how fun this sport can be! We have also made the paper! The North County Times has run a story on the event. Please check it out here: http://www.nctimes.com/sports/columnists/c...html?mode=story

Hello, Here is the next update! You can also view it on the main event cache page. This one is lengthy as well, but please bear with us! 1. This event has from the beginning been about providing a high quality recreational opportunity in a fun and safe arena, while learning about responsible geocaching and off-roading in Ocotillo Wells. To facilitate this we have gone to a tiered reward system based on the number of caches that you find. Tier #1 1-5 caches found= 5 Raffle tickets Tier #2 6-15 Caches Found= 10 Raffle tickets Tier #3 16-25 Caches Found= 15 Raffle Tickets Tier #4 26-40 Caches Found= 20 Raffle Tickets Tier #5 41+ Caches Found= 30 Raffle Tickets We will also have 10 “Golden Caches” placed randomly throughout the park. You will know that you have found a golden cache when you open it and find the inside painted a metallic gold. Log the cache in your cache booklet like you would any other and leave the cache there! Then make a tally mark for each one you find on the front of your booklet and we will give you the tickets when you turn your booklet in. Also, in an effort to increase safety for our visitors we are going to allow participants the opportunity to start the scavenger hunt as soon as you have registered and received your waypoints. 2. We have received quite a bit of rain in the last week. By the weekend of the event, it should have dried up a little, but expect some mud in the washes. Just a reminder, most areas require an off-road vehicle/rhino with moderate to high clearance, an ATV, or dirt bike to access them. 3. If you do not own an off road vehicle, you are still in luck! We have a great group of volunteers that are going to be running an orienteering course/walking scavenger hunt that anyone, with or without an off-road vehicle can participate in. 4. We are also setting caches in an area that is accessible only by walking. There are not as many caches in this small area, but it will still be a fun way to spend several hours if you do not own an off-road vehicle. 5. We are asking people to bring their GPSr data transfer cables. While we have a few generic ones, we cannot guarantee we will have one that fits your GPSr! For transferring data that morning, we will be using GSAK, Easy GPS, and for any DeLormes we will have a computer with TOPO 7.0. 6. We are also recommending that if you have a personal laptop to download coordinates from, bring it! We will have CDs available on Saturday morning loaded with the waypoint files that you will be able to borrow. This way you can use your favorite program to transfer your coordinates, and it will be both faster for you. Thank you for your enthusiasm and dedication to this brand new event. Please read the following event rules and guidelines. We will see you out there! Registration • Registration is dependent on having a GPSr unit. One (1) unit will get you one (1) registration packet to use out in the field to log your caches. • Once you have registered, or if you have pre-registered on Friday afternoon, then you can proceed with your event packet to the waypoint download station, where you will be able to download waypoints directly into your GPSr, or receive a CD with the waypoint file to download directly from your own laptop. • Once you have registered and downloaded your waypoints, you are allowed to go into the park and start hunting caches. Scavenger Hunt • After you have left the event area, remember that the speed limit is 15 mph within 50 feet of people or campsites. • Even when not near people and/or campsites always maintain a safe speed in order to insure yours and others safety. • Once you have found a cache there are several things you must do to claim that cache. 1. Open cache box and look on the inside cover of the lid, there will be a sticker with the cache name. Open your Cache Authentication Booklet, and find the corresponding cache that will be listed within. 2. Inside the cache, you will find a stamp and an ink pad. Ink the stamp, and stamp the box to the right of the cache name and coordinates in your cache booklet. Make sure that the stamp is legible as it will be compared to a master copy when it is turned in. 3. Take an interpretive trading card out of the cache, and write the answer to the question found in your Cache Authentication Booklet in the stamp box. One card per group please. 4. Replace the cache in the same location that you found it. 5. Re-hide the cache as well or better than you found it to make it an interesting find for the next cachers. 6. And as always, watch out for muggles! If caught, please take some time to explain geocaching and the event that is going on and direct them to the headquarters on Main Street if they have any more questions! • Remember, this event is not a race! We have a tiered reward system, so you can choose how many caches you would like to pursue throughout the day. The more caches you get, the more raffle tickets you receive, but there are golden caches hidden out there as well. If you find a few you can easily increase the number of raffle tickets you receive. Strategy and NOT speed will earn you the most rewards! Tier #1= 1-5 caches found= 5 Raffle Tickets Tier #2= 6-15 Caches Found= 10 Raffle Tickets Tier #3= 16-25 Caches Found= 15 Raffle Tickets Tier #4= 26-40 Caches Found= 20 Raffle Tickets Tier #5= 41+ Caches Found= 30 Raffle Tickets Golden Cache= 5 Raffle Tickets For Each One Logged • When you find a Golden Cache, you will know because the inside of the cache is painted in metallic gold. Please log this cache like any other normal cache you find during the event and leave it for the next person to find. You do not have to take the physical cache with you to receive your raffle tickets. The only thing we ask you to do is tally how many you find on the front of your booklet. Good Luck! When you have finished caching, please return to the event area to turn in your Cache Authentication Booklet. We will open the registration table to receive these booklets at 4:00 PM on Saturday afternoon. If you are not in line to return your event packet by 5:00 PM, you will not be able to turn in your numbers. • When you visit an event earth cache, you must answer the question that is asked on the event earth cache info page on the back of your booklet. Once you have done this, you may count that cache as logged. Since visiting earth caches are a great way to learn about your desert, if you complete all 7 event earth caches you will receive 5 extra raffle tickets. Good luck!

Hi Everyone! Thank you for all of your interest in the coin! We are working out shipping prices to the UK right now. I just talked with our manufacturer and yes, the coin will have a custom icon wich will be aprroved shortly and it will also have an official Groundspeak name. I am also looking into how much shipping will be for multiple coins. Thank you all for your patience and I will get back to you soon! Thank you, ~Jeff

Hello, Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area in Southern California is happy to announce the production of the first Geocoin featuring the California State Parks OHV Logo! This coin is a 2" round coin in either gold or silver finish, is trackable at geocaching.com and features some unique artwork. The face of the coin features original artwork by Sara Young and is surrounded by the words "Roughneck Rendezvous 4X4 Geocaching Adventure." The artwork as you can see below is stunning and celebrates the off-road experience blended with Ocotillo Wells' oil well history. The reverse has the OHV logo surrounded by the words "Ocotillo Wells SVRA Trackable At Geocaching.com" This coin will be a great collectors item as it is the ONLY ONE with the approved and official California State Parks OHV Logo! We are offering this coin for sale through our supporting foundation, Friends Of Ocotillo Wells, and all proceeds go towards funding future education in our park focusing on promoting safe, responsible, sustainable and ethical geocaching and off-road recreation. If you would like to purchase this coin and support our event and our park, please visit this link: Friends Of Ocotillo Wells Please visit our Event Cache page as well!: GC1Y5D2 Thank you! Jeff Price State park Interpreter I Ocotillo Wells SVRA JLPrice@parks.ca.gov

Hello Everyone! Just a small reminder, our geocoin is for sale and we are quickly running low! All proceeds from the sale of this coin go to support educational efforts at Ocotillo Wells SVRA, and to help fund next years Roughneck Rendezvous! Here is a picture if you havn't seen it before: One other important update that will be added to the event page shortly! On the morning of the event we are expecting a bottleneck at the waypoint download booth. We are asking everyone who is attending to help relieve this possible bottleneck by bringing your GPSr's data transfer cable with you to the event! We will have a few cables for the more popular GPSr's out there, but we cannot garantee we will have yours. The waypoint download booth will have at least 10 laptops for you to use and we will be using easygps and GSAK as the transfer programs. If you would like to curcumvent the data booth altogether, you can bring your own laptop with your favorite software and we will provide you with the waypoint data on a CD!Thank you all for your understanding and cooperation! Together we can make this a great event for all! Jeff Price State Park Interpreter 1 Ocotillo Wells SVRA 760-767-5772

Hello everyone! Just a note, we have updated the event cache page and our geocoin is now for sale! So go and take a look and reserve your coin today! Thank you! Jeff Price

Hello everyone! First of all, it was great to meet some of you at SKILLET's event last Saturday! I wish I had been able to stay longer and partake of the chili, from what I hear I really missed out! I will say that your dedication and enthusiasm for this sport is inspiring so keep up the good work! So, some new information! I have been getting a lot of e-mails asking questions about what type of terrain the caches will be situated on, and if any specialized vehicles will be required. Well, the answer is both simple and complex. Yes, if you have a 2WD SUV type vehicle, depending on how adventurous you are, you can probably make it to about 50% of the caches with relative ease. The only problem would be getting stuck in some deep sand in the washes. If you have a stock 4WD vehicle you can make it to 100% of the caches, and if you have a built-up 4WD you can get to 100% of the caches but you can take the more exciting routes to get there. We have picked the sites for the caches based on the fact that we want everyone to enjoy themselves, and be able to safely and responsibly have a great time! So there are caches out there for every 4WD and skill level. If you have a dirt-bike or atv/rhino/rail or buggy then you need not worry about getting everywhere that you need to. If you would like to attend this event, or know someone that would like to attend, and you/they do not have access to an appropriate vehicle, maybe we can set up a thread to look into sharing rides? Also, we will soon be unveiling or event geocoin! We are waiting on the physical samples to come in, but as soon as they do we will set up a way for everyone to pre-order. Just a hint, this geocoin is has something on it that will make it a very cool and unique part of your collection! More to come very soon on this one! Ok, thats all for now! The main event cache page will be updated sometime in the next week or so, so keep your eyes peeled! And if you have any questions, please feel free to call or e-mail me! Jeff Price State Park Interpreter I Ocotillo Wells SVRA 760-767-5772 JLPrice@parks.ca.gov