RiverCacher

Okay, thanks guys...I just wanted to make sure! Scott

Hey guys, Would you consider it acceptable to base a cache on an historical fiction book written by a local author if 1) people are not required to buy a copy of the book or 2) even required to read the book in order to solve the puzzle? I would feel obligated to reference the title and author of the book in order to avoid plagiarism issues, but I wouldn't go any further than that in promoting places where it could be purchased, etc. Rivercacher Lynchburg, VA

Mine is Triffid...he made a presentation to my Trout Unlimited chapter or Scout meeting back in the fall of 2001 about mountain biking or something...at any rate, he mentioned geocaching and I was hooked! Scott

I don't really like micros, but not because they are not boxes of stuff...I really dislike trading stuff, although I can see how others would like it. To me, the thrill is in the chase. Once I find the cache, I am ready to walk away, except that I feel compelled to sign the log. The reason that I don't like micros is not that they lack swag, but that they are usually not in locations that I would consider interesting. The other day, though, I had a revelation. Micros are EXACTLY like the secret spy message drops that my friends and I used to play with in elementary school! I was head of a spy club (I got in trouble one time for crawling across the back of the classroom to deliver a message). We used Usborne publishing's spy books for kids as our manuals (titles included Tracking & Trailing, Disguise & Makeup, etc.). It was a blast. Maybe I can get into micros after all.

I'm an Eagle Scout (class of 1993), and earned the Explorer G.O.L.D. Award. Member of the Order of the Arrow (Vigil Honor, Tutelo Lodge #161), and was a Section Chief. Scott Smith Lynchburg, Virginia

Hosted by Triffid & Huggy_D1 http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...=97a5bc66-2af1- 443a-ab2b-2759e6fc0412 Vinny's Restaurant 7pm to 8:30pm -- Lynchburg area geocacher's meet-n- greet. Optional : at 8:30 head out to Spanish Oaks night cache for some fun. This is a Friday evening set the first Friday after changing to Daylight Savings Time (DST). That means, sunset is at approximately 7:43 PM. NICE! Vinny's Italian Grill & Pizzeria 7001 Timberlake Rd Lynchburg, VA 24502 434-237-6110 Please sign up with how many you think will be with you so we can let the staff of Vinny's know what to expect. See you there! Scott Smith aka Rivercacher Lynchburg, VA

Project Developer for our regional planning district commission.

You can find the Mason-Dixon Preservation site from the links section of my Revolutionary War reenacting unit's site: http://www.armygeographer.org/links/index.htm Scott

I'm an outdoors person first and foremost. I rarely go on a hike -just- to geocache, although that does happen. This is why I've been active for four years, and have only found 91 caches. When my wife and I went on our honeymoon in January, we did look for about a half dozen caches in the week, but we also did other stuff. It was by no means a "geocaching" honeymoon, as I have heard some talk about. If it was, I guess we could have gotten like 100.

I am not aware of any policy that is pro or against geocaching in Virginia at this time. However, if any of you run into any trouble, or if you have a good story to share, I would like to hear about it. I can't guarantee that I can do anything about it one way or another, but I can at least get the issue to the table if needed. W. Scott Smith (Rivercacher) Chairman, Board of Trustees Virginia State Parks Foundation Lynchburg, Virginia

I put brochures about trails and other area features in my caches. I don't, however, expect them to be traded for, I just put them in there in case someone wants more information about where they are. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

I use Topo USA 4.0, my Garmin eTrex, and my Compaq iPaq together all the time...don't know what you mean by the NMEA settings though...just tell the etrex to spit out NMEA, and tell Topo USA to receive in NMEA. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

While I use it for storing cache information (currently though pocket queries), the most useful thing is the GPS integrated mapping. Using Delorme XMap and Topo USA 4.0, I can plug in coordinates and see where they are on a map so that I can plan my route accordingly (as we all know, the best route to a geocache is -not- always a straight line). This is especially useful when I'm doing multicaches that have legs more than walking distance apart from each other. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

"a bunch of people to use the same IM name by giving them the password and then whoever happens to be available can be the "HELP DESK" du jour person" But doesn't that mean that someone who is manning the virtual help desk will get booted as soon as the next person who has the logon and password logs in? That could get pretty frustrating for all of the helpers, I would think. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

"Most river islands are pretty level." You have the correct island there. Yes, most islands are pretty level, as they are simply sand or gravel bars that are held in place by vegetation. This one is different, and the topo maps don't show it being different, which is why we're hoping to make a new map. Thanks for all your help, guys! Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

"Mapsend Topo shows some contour lines on some of the islands in the James River. Which island is it? Do you have any coordinates?" Don't have the coords handy (they're at work). Look for Lynchburg in South Central Virginia. The island is about 10 miles west (upriver) of lynchburg, just upstream from where Salt Creek enters the James on the North Bank. The island is distinctive as it appears that the river made quite an effort to go around its North side...unlike most islands that are simply overgrown sandbars. Photos and maps at www.blackwatercreek.org/baldeagleisland While the island is known as Bald Eagle Island, I have yet to find a modern map that gives it a name at all. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

A conservation organization that I am on the board of was recently given a small (2 acre) island in the James River. For numerous reasons, we need a map of the island that is to scale and (hopefully) would show the topography of the isle better than the USGS Topo Quad does (it shows the island as being flat, but it has topography greater than one contour line). My question is how do I use my etrex venture to somehow create a map of the island. I also have an ipaq with Topo USA 4.0 that can be connected to the GPS, if that helps. And yes, there will be a geocache there by December. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

I've heard that cig lighter adapters can do sketchy things to electronics if they are used too much, but I don't have any further information on that. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

that featured Apple Computer brand electronic post-it notes...they looked like little half-sized palm pilots...you wrote on the screens once, stuck the note to the fridge, and then threw it away when done. I suppose that when bluetooth technology gets cheap enough to put in caches, or when travel bugs have digital displays, something even "better" will be on the horizon to tempt geo-junkies. As for me, as a Revoluntionary War reenactor who portrays a surveyor/military engineer, I still marvel at how a plain ole GPS works. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

with my involvement with the upcoming 400th Anniversary Celebration of our most ancient and loyal Old Dominion, my next plate will be a 2007 plate... I hope you can find 349 others! (if you see the plate that reads "batteau" you've just seen Rivercacher)(for more info on what "batteau" means, go to www.batteau.org) Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

I posted this yesterday, but it seems to have been deleted somehow: I live about 20 miles from Appomattox, and would be happy to help. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

About 20 miles...I'd be happy to help. Scott scott@wscottsmith.com Lynchburg, Virginia

The primary use for this cable is to allow the GPS to provide information to mapping software on the ipaq, like Delorme xMap or MS Pocket Streets...giving you real-time location and routing information. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

Delorme XMap Street Atlas USA Handheld Edition. This is available for $39.95 from most stores (I got mine at Staples, in the PDA section). This, combined with a couple free updates that you'll need to download from Delorme, will let you transfer maps from Topo USA 4.0 over to your PDA...I'm using it...works very well, in my opinion. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia

Works great...color screen...64MB of memory with another 64MB in the storage card. I Use Delorme XMap along with Topo USA 4.0 to view topo maps while out in the field. Some have commented on the mapping software refresh rate, etc. not being good enough for caching...I don't actually use the map for finding the cache...I just use the GPS as normal. What I use the software for is planning my route into the cache area, making sure that I know the cache is on an island -before- i go looking for it, etc...Its great being able to locate streams, roads, trails, etc. before I set out. Scott Lynchburg, Virginia