Ladybug Kids

Our 2- (Mini-I Ladybug) and 4-(Mini-V Ladybug) year old daughters have cached in New York and Alaska. Mini V is so into "treasure hunting" that she keeps conning Mommy Ladybug into buying things at the store that she brings home to Daddy Ladybug to turn into travel bugs to launch toward our relatives scattered around the Lower 48. Caching with grandparents created a great 3-generation activity that brought out many wonderful stories as we traipsed through parks that the grandparents had played in as kids.

There are two YJTBs just waiting to be picked up from caches in Valdez Alaska : Valdez Hillside and The Time is Ours leads to The Heart of the City. They've been there since October. The caches are 4-season caches and actually may be more accessible with all the snow they've had there. Valdez is known for receiving an average of 350" (almost 30 feet) per year . Back on topic: Yes, release the jeep...there are still lots of people that would like to log one.

We competitively skijor and mush with each of our five dogs. They all finish strong back to the truck because they always get lots of treats and petting upon returning to the truck. During a race or training run we'll command "truck" one to two miles from the finish and they really pick up the pace regardless of which course the dogs are running on. Same goes when we're in the woods geocaching...when it's time to go back, we say "truck" and away they go, though the dogs are also loyal enough not to stray far out of sight. Treats and petting are the consistent reward for heading for the mobile kennel .

I agree...VERY LAME and guilty as charged . This cache owner was embarrassed and has since learned how to use the check box. We had submitted the cache for approval at about 11:39 p.m. local time and it was approved by 5:16 a.m. local time, less that six hours later!!! Talk about great service ! Other than the little detail that the cache wasn't placed yet . We dashed out of the house into a just slightly brisk -17° F morning to place the cache and met the FTF wannabes who had already been all over the location. I explained my situation and they decided to get another cup of hot coffee while I hid the cache. They later returned and snagged the FTF. I'll never put myself in that situation again. The check box is also handy if one has a cache placed but wants new snow to cover up the tracks made during the cache placement. I have used (rather, not checked) the box for three subsequent cache hides and fortunately the weather cooperated with a snow dump within three days each time.

The Ladybug Kids had a virtual in New York turned down by the New York Admin . We live in Alaska and the virtual would have been for the memorial of William H. Seward, who bought Alaska from Russia. We thought it was an interesting memorial that qualified under the guidelines for a virtual and would have been a great way to tie us in Alaska to the area where Mommy Ladybug was born and grew up. Placing a physical cache was impractical because of the distance involved (>3000 miles) for maintenance and the fact that we get back to see Grandma and Grandpa once a year or so. Where am I going with this??? It has a happy ending!!! After several swapped e-mails with the New York Admin., I saw his (her?) point about a large part of caching being a cache with a log to sign. The NY Admin spent a lot of time responding to my questions in detail and was always polite during the process . He pointed out that the location would support a micro cache or could be the first stage of a mulit- or offset cache using data from the memorial plaques to find the physical cache. I contacted a local New York cacher whose caches we had enjoyed finding during our October visit and asked if he/they would be willing to help set up a physical cache. It turns out that the cacher went to the school adjacent to the memorial and was very familiar with Seward's actual birthplace building (now a storage building) and he quickly agreed to help. I provided the html for the cache page and Alaska-themed trade goods, and he is working out the details of the multi-cache. In the end, we'll get the tie to New York that we wanted through a cache, got to meet (at least through e-mail and some of their caches) a top-notch caching family, and a physical cache will be placed in an area of relatively low cache density. As a result, I feel that we and the Orange County, New York, caching community came out ahead . Lesson learned: There is more than one way to place a cache at a neat location without going the virtual route. From what I've seen, the Approvers are being consistent across the country about approving (or not) virtual caches and it's consistency that's important . Stay tuned for the placement of "Seward's Folly!" --Daddy Ladybug

The Ladybug Kids have used a Nikon Coolpix 3100 (3.2 megapixels) for 18 months and nearly 4000 images. It's so easy to use that even 4-year old Mini-V Ladybug uses it to take photos of her favorite dog, stuffed animal and even scenes from "Dragon Tails" television shows . It takes AA NiMH rechargeables, AA alkalines, or lithium CV3s, and we have used it in the field at temperatures down to -20° F. It's been dropped, rained on, snowed on and licked by the dog and still keeps shooting. It also comes with nice software for viewing, editing and filing the images. I'm not getting paid for this, so I'll quit now, but we'll buy another Nikon when the time comes. We also have a nearly 20 year-old Nikon FE2 35 mm SLR that's shot close to 10,000 trouble-free frames, but that's a different forum topic.

Though pale in skin color (we're almost up to five hours of daylight up here), the Ladybug Kids are a very diverse mix of Norwegian, Lithuanian, German, Polish, Scottish and Irish !

The Ladybug Kids take at least one dog with us when we cache for a variety of reasons: 1. On winter ski trips, the dog(s) have an uncanny ability to sense thin river and lake ice and skirt around it. 2. On packed snow trails, we can hook up to the dogs and skijor, thereby getting to and from the cache site more quickly. 3. When we arrive at the cache site, the dog(s) help leave all sorts of prints in the snow all over the area, thereby negating the number of "extra" circles we feel we should leave behind . 4. The dogs warn us when moose and bears are around. From our experience, moose are definitely more dangerous than bears . 5. And the dogs just have so much fun romping around in the outdoors, which is what this game is supposed to be all about (in our humble opinion) . With respect to the dogs helping to actually find caches, we haven't had much luck, though Corky did help me find a virtual cache . Here are some logs featuring our dogs: Ingrid, Corky, and Billie. Disclaimer: All local leash laws are abided by, dogs are not allowed on groomed ski trails unless expressly permitted, dogs are not allowed to chase, bark at, and otherwise harrass wildlife, and dogs are not allowed to "meet and greet" other people encountered unless the "greetee" expresses an interest in meeting the dog. (Not all folks consider dogs to be peoplekind's best friend).

After hearing a rumor that one of my hides may have been compromised after a truck knocked over a highway light pole which fell across the adjacent bike path, I did a cache maintenance trip at -48° F ambient (no wind chill) two nights ago . I'm not sure what I was thinking...why would any cacher be looking for a cache at that temperature ? Turned out that the cache was fine.

Louie Lobstah by Bird Nerd has a logbook in the blue zippered bag attached with the quick link you can see in the photos. The book is a 4.5"x3.25" "Composition" book, but any small notebook would do. Edit: Forgot to mention that the log book is in a snack-sized ziplock baggie inside the blue bag. The other purpose of the blue bag is for the bug to collect trinkets as it travels.

Elden Johnson, RLTW, and I (Daddy Ladybug of the Ladybug Kids) have had back to back backcountry ski treks to infrequently visited caches that are accessible only by canoe/raft in the summer and ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile in the winter. Both trips involved hard trail breaking due to the high snow year we're having, dodging open water, dealing with overflow frozen to our skis, and one member of our party getting partially wet in ice water. Once we found the cache at Between a Rock and Hard Place, one member of our party commented how nice it was to be in the backcountry and that "the cache provided a mission, even if it was a silly mission ." Here are the logs complete with photos for Mammoth Tusk and Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

There are additional thoughts on transferring travel bugs in this thread, too: TB Logging Question

I'd even go so far and don't call the "follow the light exercise" a geocache. I think "GPS Stash hunt" should have something to do with a GPSr. Here's an offset two-stage multi-cache we put out a few weeks ago as a night cache. A bearing and distance to the second cache are provided at the first cache where the last reflectors are located. Operation Arctic Knights

I agree that ultimately, pristine snow is ideal for the first and next cacher. Since we enjoy the luxury of somewhat regular snowfalls up here, I've hidden my caches and then waited for the next snow dump before activating them so at the FTF cacher has to work a bit. Another tactic I use in the snow is to approach the cache from the opposite direction other cachers might use. I know that doesn't work in a lot of locations due to briars, cliffs, poisoness plants, etc., but up here the forest floor is fairly open so one can get within 100 yards of the cache and then make a big sweeping circle to come in from the back side. Another approach would be to approach the cache head-on, log it (being careful not to leave a big, obvious snow depression as discussed above), and then keep on going for awhile before circling back. A lot of times, the ever increasing circles happen anyway . Alternatively, some local cachers and I have started pursuing infrequently visited caches. We logged "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," (GC4863) on Friday which hadn't been logged since February 2003. I doubt our three miles on ski tracks on a river full of open holes and overflow (documented with photos in the log if you are interested) will entice many folks to follow in our footsteps . Waiting for the snow to melt would mean to caching could happen until April around here .

We take one or two of our dogs with us and they help make lots of extra tracks in the area in addition to our seemingly mindless wanderings. Another thing to do to avoid giving away the cache location is to retrieve the cache and then move some distance (perhaps walk some more circles ) before opening the cache and signing the log. I found a cache in Anchorage that was very well concealed under a rootball and snow, but still found it quickly because there was a packed depression right in front of the cache where the previous finder(s) had set down the ammo box and kneeled or sat on the ground while logging the cache. The depression was too small to have been left by a bedded down local moose, so I figured I was really close .

Briansnat is correct. I ran the concept by my local approver before proceeding and he concurred with the approach due to the total distance required (about 20 miles when done) to complete the series and the fact that I was mixing things up on the stand alone caches: puzzle, magnetic micro, small, ammo can, and who knows what's next, five gallon bucket???

Thanks, Kit Fox! Your cache reference helped confirm I'm on the right track for a "multi-mystery" bonus cache I'm putting together for cachers who finish a tour of the Fairbanks, AK, bike paths. Since I don't have the bonus cache placed yet, I've been putting code words in each of what will eventually be six stand-alone caches (four placed to date, three found so far) that will be used to determine the coordinates of the bonus cache similar to how you did "Fox Den Mystery Multi." Each cache page has a statement telling the cacher to be sure to record the code word for an upcoming bonus cache. I'll change the wording once the bonus cache is placed. Since bike season is relatively short up here, I've been placing the caches on the trail system so they can be accessed on nordic skis and on foot as well as placed so they won't be obliterated by heavy snowfall.

Sure, transferring bugs is acceptable, especially if it helps bugs move along toward their goal. Just make sure for the bug owner's sake that the transfers get properly logged (like your "Going East" transfer was) so the bug's current location/cacher is known. The "grab" function is especially useful up here in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the winter where there isn't very much activity or many accessible caches. Some of the active cachers will pick up bugs and hand them off to a cacher they know will be traveling soon to another part of the state or out of state to help the bug(s) keep moving.

Actually, it looks like Jeep5 grabbed the Goin' East TB bug from you on January 4. If you check your TB inventory on your "My Cache Page," in the right-hand column under "My Inventory," you should see that you no longer have the bug. Here's the link to the TB log showing the grab: Goin' East TB Log

Assuming that you have already logged the bug out of its last cache and the bug is now in your possession according to your travel bug inventory... The cacher who now has possession of the bug can go to the bug's page, click on "Found It, Log It!" and "Grab" the bug from you. The bug will then move from your TB inventory to the new possessor's. (The bug will still appear on your "User Stats" as a bug that you moved at one time.) Edit to add thought and fix typo...

Oh, I didn't know that. I'll search the site (gee, a lot of searching) to find the email facilty. Thanks for the heads up. To e-mail the cache owner, go to the cache page and click on the Profile link in the upper left-hand corner under the Cache Name. On the profile page is the "E-mail address" line. Click on the link there and an e-mail window will open for you.

You can also try: Microsoft Clip Art.

Have shovel, will cache. No need to limit oneself to 1/1 caches when the snow comes down. Check out the cache logs and photos from 1/2/05 for the Mammoth Tusk Cache. A team of three skiers and two geodogs liberated a travel bug that had been in the cache since August! The temperature was +15° F and we had to break trail all the way in. Mammoth Tusk is about 40 miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Don't forget to check the lid gasket in addition to the current state of rust when you are buying ammo cans. A good gasket will keep moisture out of the can under the worst conditions. Northern Trekker told me about the time he pulled an ammo can cache from under water under a frozen layer of ice and expected to find an internal ice cube. Instead, he found a completely dry interior. I learned to set the loaded cache outside to cool off before closing it after taking a new cache from an inside the house +70° F to an outside 0° F and then trying to open it to take a photo of the enclosed TB at the cache site. The resulting air shrinkage from the temperature drop created a vacuum inside the cache that made opening the lid very tough even though I'd actually gone up a couple of hundred feet in elevation. I can only imagine the explosive thunk an FTF experiences when opening a well-sealed ammo can that was loaded in an air conditioned house and then set to bake in the Arizona desert at +110° F ambient where the temperature in and enclosed car will rapidly go over +140° F . Of course, perhaps cachers quit going out when it gets that hot, but an opportunity to score an FTF can drive people to do crazy things .

1) 28 within 20 miles (7 are mine) 2) 41 within 50 miles 3) 56 within 100 miles 4) 476 spread out over the entire 571,000 square miles of Alaska which equals one cache every 1200 square miles. To put that in perspective, Rhode Island has a land area of 1054 square miles. So much land...so few caches...but I'm working on it.