CoyoteTrust

I'm resurrecting an old topic again.... Thought some of you would be interested to see this. In October of 2007 while seeking a cache, I stumbled across this bearing tree sign. No tree exists, but the sign still remains. I didn't mark it or take pics at the time. Yesterday I returned to do all of that, except this time I found a USDA/Forestry disc nearby. I know the grasses were higher last year so maybe that's why I missed it; it sticks out like a sore thumb right now. This is located at N41 21.964, W088 01.112. I marked the waypoint while standing between the sign and the disc; GPS accuarcy was 5.4 ft. Looks pretty cool on the topo map. Note the near coincidence of the Old Indian Reservation Boundary Line which also runs thru the area. In each photo below, I am facing east except for the close up of the disc in which I am facing north.

Not all USGS marks are in the NGS database, but if you LOOK HERE, the USGS is also interested in found/recovery reports. They don't have the online reporting system like NGS, though. Good job finding it, whether by accident or not.

I can't really help you out, but the mark you found looks similar to what TeamFawlty found in our area of Illinois. I have also seen the same marker that he found, and others are in the general area. Pic is from TeamFawlty's waymark I'm not sure if there's a connection, but the area of the mark that T-Fawlty found is near an area used to be the highly-secretive Argonne Laboratory, as they had done work on the Manhattan Project (also see Geocaching site "Manhattan Project"). Maybe this was some type of survey marker for the lab grounds, maybe it is just an old county marker. The area now belongs to Cook County (IL) Forest Preserve, but remnants of the lab exist as well as memorial-type plaques engraved on granite boulders denoting the area's hidden history.

Thanks, Andy. As a side note to anyone reading: yes, I read the whole thread and have scanned thru it many times seeking answers to the questions I posed. I understand what the USGS requires for reporting, but wasn't sure if people are providing any types of updates or 'descriptive enhancements' to their reports.

I'm just wondering how many of you have undertaken this USGS mark recovery task. I requested & received datasheets for an area around home and an area that I somewhat frequent to the SW. In general, 99% of the marks in the home area have notes such as "reported destroyed, 1953" or "reported disturbed". I've sought 3 marks in the home area thus far and only found one; it is along what was once a road but now is "Old Country Lane", a multi-use trail. For those who are submitting reports, are you: 1: updating desriptions? 2: submitting coord data in NAD27, NAD 83, WGS84? 3: submitting in MS Word or Excel? I'd just like to get some ideas; right now my recovery write-ups are pretty much coords (WGS84). I haven't submitted anything yet to the USGS.

Whoa - I made a post and hadn't checked on it in a few days. Thanks for all the input, folks. I reported ME2996 (Orland2) but haven't done anything with ME2997 yet. Maybe I should go back out there first and dig around a little... only a little. I almost think I might be able to find the other reference posts, too. Speaking of that: based on the description and using my mapping software, I projected where the southern RP would be and it was a mere 6 feet off of where I marked it in the field. That kind of boosts confidence that I found the true RP and quite possibly the surface marker stone. I've reasoned with self a little more and, per the pic, the surface stone seems a little out of place -- as in shifted, but maybe it settled some more after the 1952 party's recovery. Like I said maybe I should go back out there; I work down near that area anyway. Another question though: Why would they set Orland2? Nothing in recovery reports for ME2997 states that it is not useful. The only note suspicious statement is in a recovery of nearby ME2996 (which also uses the RP's for RM's): they found the RP's 'useless' for 2997 due to their distance and location. How does this come in to play if ME2997 (per reports) was technically still legitimately set at the time? Thanks again - I'm always learning here and I appreciate your thoughts.

OK, seeking some words from the experts in here. Maybe this is a simple question, but I'd just your opinions. While granite can be found in here & there in this area, the stones I found were pretty isolated. Ultimately, my question is: Having found what I believe are the mark's above-ground reference stone AND the southern stone reference post, would the NGS consider this an actual find of this mark? Please read/see below. The mark in question: ME2997 on geocaching (where I logged it 'found'). What I found is what I really believe to be the surface marker stone; the true mark is buried below it. The surface stone was re-set into postion by the last recovery in 1952 but, being curious, I tried to move it a little. I just bent down and jostled it, making sure it wasn't just some stone literally on the surface. It moved very little, but enough to make me think that this stone was set intentionally with the aid of human hands. Excited with the find, I looked for the other stone reference posts. To the south, I practically tripped over one. Per my non-professional measurements, THIS was the southern stone reference post! It had some sort of "C" or "U" shaped cut on top, and the measurement seemed about right (per ME2996, which also uses the stone reference posts as "RMs". I sought the eastern and western stone posts with no luck. I'm guessing you read my g-c post by now, so I won't re-type the whole thing. But I'll re-post a few pics. ME2997 surface marker stone ME2997 foreground, ME2996 witness in background ME2997 southern stone reference post One day I'll probably go back out there anyway, hoping to find other stone reference posts. I already realized that I should have taken a pic from the southern reference stone looking toward the marker stone. Ah well. TIA for your opinions.

I'm hoping to nab the Illinois one here soon. It should be around the small farm town of Mazon, IL. Will update you folks if I nab it.

Good finds! I like finding any of these chiseled ones. MF0180 (top pic) MF0181 (bottom).

I don't cache much in the summer but I enjoy winter caching. Some caches are harder to find due to snow cover, especially if no one's been out there seeking it recently. But with the foliage cleared away, that helps on sat reception in the woods, there are no bugs, snakes, or poison ivy plants (altho' the vines on trees can still get ya'). Temperature-wise it's been pretty cold in IL. Many cachers recently attended an annual breakfast event and still went out caching afterward ---- it was near 0 degrees and windy. Last Sunday was even colder and windier, but I went out in the forest to get some caches, as did some other folks. The forest does a great job of blocking the wind anyway. BTW it's amazing how warm a calm, 20 degree day feels after experiencing single digits and wind. Fun stuff. Hobo "I just don't believe some who say they winter cache, well I guess it depends on where and what the conditions are like. ...... If the snow is only a few inches fine, but not two or three feet as some are claiming." Believe it -- it's true around here. 8)

This is RM2 for MF1329. This was the first time I ever found any mark in this condition, and I also was surprised about how much concrete was used. This one probably got uprooted due to construction of the newest tollway in Illinois (I-355). Right behind me from where I stood to take a pic, there's a pretty steep drop off of about 15 feet where earth has been moved. I'm not really sure if the RM remains anywhere close to where it originally was -- I didn't measure or anything and the area has definitely changed. EDIT/ADDED: Stay safe over there, 27E 20 - from a fellow brother-in-arms.

THE JOURNAL It took me a while to figure out how simple the initial puzzle actually is... but the rest of the caching experience here is anything but easy. The ratings are appropriate, especially if you think Illinois is just another one of them 'flat states' with corn .

Good job, ML . I had a similar goal of taking on Kendall County, Illinois to find all the marks. I've already found a couple, but there are only 40 in the county per NGS datasheets... not as many as your accomplishment.

Mowing operations were not much kinder to this mark: MF1412 And farm implements probably did this to MF 1416 Both marks are still secure, though, and I submitted NGS reports as 'good condition' for MF1412 and 'poor condition' for MF1416.

Here are a few around FLW itself. Looks like there are a few more placed since I was there -- and they'd probably be well worth your time. The first is a must-do, IMHO: Overlook Cache (try to find the "easy way" up) Teacher's Cache Mark Twain #1 Bussman Lodge You're welcome :-)

Someone may be offended that you'd think they would be so easy to take offense. Yes, word indeed.

Ah, why not I may as well post on this one. I've left these items as swag trade in the past: - Dairy Queen coupon for free Peanut Buster Parfait (promoting a specific business and an unhealthy diet?) - Arcade coupon valid forever and worth $20 free tokens (promoting a business and evil shoot-em-up video gaming?) - St. Mary plastic medallion blessed by the Arch Bishop of Chicago (promoting Catholicism when I ain't Catholic?) - 'Mini-Mag' flashlight (promoting Maglite brand lights over another brand?) - Vehicle air freshener with a lucky #7 (promoting casinos and gambling/specific business?) - "Where's George?" dollar (promoting greed?) BTW I don't care for that whole WG dollar thing but I don't take, move, or complain about them) C'mon... ya' get right down to it, if Christian-related items are left behind "to promote Christianity", then most anything anyone leaves can technically promote something in some way. Of course you have the right to believe what you wanna believe, but IMHO I'd think there'd be other cache swag to be offended by, esp. if you have kids caching along... some things I've found or other cachers in my AO have found: - Zippo lighter (no fuel, nice design, collectible to some, but against the rules) - Unused, fully wrapped condoms - Poop - ehhh, I'll just end this list with the poop thing, but it's true Don't go thru life waiting to be offended. When the time that you take offense comes and you voice your concern on a forum, sure, it might make for some debate... but in the end you might take further offense when you realize there are others out there with opinions contrary to your views. Stay Safe out there.

So do you folks think this is the stem of a mark that is no longer there? I thought maybe it was, especially because of the rounded shape of the lighter stone around it. I looked for some pry marks around this spot but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. HERE is MF0844 on the geocaching web. I was riding my mountain bike on the old towpath-turned bike trail, but I didn't have mark descriptions with me (only plotted in the GPSr). The pic I took of the object was probably more than 3 1/2 feet higher than the 'road' in the description, but nature and man may have eroded/levelled this old towpath to its current elevation. Most other descriptors seemed accurate as I remember them, but, like I said, I had no datasheets with me at the site. PS: Note the imprinted letters on the 'stem' in the pic.

Over the summer I was lucky to get access to the US Coast Guard Great Lakes HQ in Milwaukee. Since I had a military ID, that made things a bit easier, but I explained that seeking the marks wasn't official business but just a hobby. It still took a few minutes to get cleared thru the Command Section to go on the base, esp. with a camera, but they OKed it and an escort tagged along. The first one I found was THIS ONE, a couple of etchings in the concrete base of a radio tower. The escort kinda had a weird look on his face, so I said, "I know, ya can't believe this is all I'm looking for but there are different kinds of marks". He said something like "no, well, yeah, but I can't believe you actually found that. Take a look at the log and pics, and click the 'seek nearest' marks, too, if you're interested enough.

Sweet! That's my birthday!

Heh-heh, great find! Yet I wonder if that fella still works for the USPSQD.

Just wondering if anyone has a bookmark for all caches in the north and south regions of the KMSF. I checked some cache pages for caches in that area, but didn't see any bookmark lists... listed. Thank you.

200 caches within 7.4 miles (but I own 4 of them) 340 caches within 10 miles 1000 caches within 20 miles 2460 caches within 50 miles OK I'll stop there, but now let's figure out which ones are traditional, multis, mystery, breaking down by container size, container type, ratings................

I think the list feature works great.

I would very much like to find that Pocahontas TB...