beatnik
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Posts posted by beatnik
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What's this I hear? The Texas GW4 chilli cook-off was won by, that's right, an Okie.
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38 visited. 30 cached in. I'm currently quite upset that I will indeed have to re-visit Hawaii to find my first cache there.
It helps to have a job that takes me around the US. Otherwise my count would be much lower.
I'm currently thinking about going for the Delorme Challenge here in OK. I'm probably pretty close. KSRenegade was FTF for both the Kansas and Oklahoma Delorme Challenge which I thought was also quite a feat.
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I'm working on a way to combine two outdoor passions of mine, geocaching and running with the local Hash House Harriers (HHH) club. As some of you may know, the HHH is a running club consisting of a "hare" who marks a running course for the "hounds" to follow. This course is marked with flower or chalk and includes checkpoints with "false trails" along the way to slow down the fast runners and allow the slower runners to catch up. A more detailed description, along with history and location of clubs is located at "harrier.net."
Anyway, I was thinking of building a multicache which would first lead you to a cache containing a list of 2 or 3 sets of coordinates. Only 1 of the set would be the true trail and lead you to the next cache, while the other 1 or 2 would lead to a dead end and marked as a "dead end" cache. The "true trail" would lead you to the next cache listing another 2 or 3 sets of coordinates. In this way, you may have to backtrack if you "guess" the wrong coordinates. You could build this course as long as you want, with 3 or more checkpoints, but I think I would build the first one pretty short in total length. The HHH always end their run with chilled adult beverages, so I thought I could offer a FTF prize like a gift certificate to the local pizza joint. It might inspire a competition to complete the course with the fewest mistakes or in the quickest time and log it along with the find.
This could have already been done, and it sounds a bit like orienteering, but I would appreciate your comments and suggestions before I put one together.
This kind of cache or game works better as an event cache or a game at an event cache rather than a traditional multi-cache. I did a game at our TAG Fall Fest several years ago where each cache had a trivia question. The wrong answers led you nowhere. The correct answer led you to the next trivia question. The questions were printed on tiny envelopes that could be ripped open. Ripping open the envelope would cause you to lose points on your total. The clues were needed to ensure that cachers didn't get stuck in the middle of the game and end up having to quit. Points got you tickets for a drawing to win a GPS.
Another member of our group did a road rally game at last years event. At certain times in the road rally you have to choose which way to turn. You would be instructed that in .X miles you would see - some item. If you didn't see that item you would have to turn around and go back. So people would stop and wait to see if others came back or not before making their turns. We all ended up making many turns in a downtowin area in a small city at certain parts of the run. As cars were release at intervals and timed it really got confusing when you saw another rally car. It was hard to tell if they were behind you or in front of you. At parts of the run you could risk your time by jumping out to grab caches placed around the route. Inside the caches were bonus point items.
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I strongly agree with the trailhead addition. Can't tell you how many times I have read trail guide books and thought to myself, "finding this trail would but much easier with a stinking waypoint".
I know there are many trail guide webpages out there but many are pretty lacking. The ease of GC's database, search engine, and huge following could do wonders. You could have hiking, biking, horse, atv, and multiuse for those that offer several options.
The "every small trail / playground" arguement could be solved with something like recreational or urban trail designation.
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Every time I've checked, CO and TX were both fairly expensive airfare-wise. It's several hundred dollars cheaper for me to fly to the west coast, passing right over CO or TX, then it is to fly to either of those states.
The last 2 GW locations are both popular year round destinations with the resulting competition making for cheap airfare.
That said, they both those states have organizations that could pull a GW4 off.
That's surprising to me. You can get direct flights from almost every major city to Dallas on American and the same for Denver on United. Both cities are major airline hubs and have numerous options for flights.
Denver is most definately a year round destination. Millions of tourists flock there in the winter and summer from around the world. I wouldn't exactly call Dallas a major year round destination but it's big enough to host an event.
I'm with the others that agree that we should move it west for once. I think Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, St. Louis, or even Chicago would be nice.
I'd offer up Tulsa but I have enough trouble organizing our statewide fall event which is around 100 people.
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Do we have the record for the longest held TB to return from the "dead"? (Not counting those who "reactivate" their own bugs). Ours went 11 months, 6 days and was then placed by the same geocacher who took it. We had emailed after a couple months and received a polite, "will get it going". After that we gave up, so it was really a pleasant surprise to get our bug going again. We can't believe anyone would still be able to find a travel bug they picked up almost a year ago. Surprisingly, we really feel good about this geocacher!
Nope this cache started with one that was 1 1/2 years in captivity. The 8 month one in the cache was mine. I didn't share the same happy opinion of the person that held mine.
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The 2nd cache I ever found was a FTF. Kind of took the fun out of it after that. I'll get a wild hair and go for one every once in awhile. But unless there is some great FTF prize you are probably not missing much. Just my $0.02.
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Hey Snoogans there is already one not too far from Texas. The Birthday Suit Cache Although most people that log it are too wimpy to post something funny.
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Cachemate all the way. Worth every one of the 7 dollars I paid for it. I still spin my GPX files to change the waypoints, descriptions, and icons before uploading them to my GPS. But that's it. I bought the Zire 21 and I pretty much only use it for caching. Don't worry so much about dropping it as the higher end units. My PDA has become almost as important as my GPS when I go caching. I wonder what I did before I had it.
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Thanks for the comments, trips like that are the ones I remember. So many of the BM's here in Oklahoma are all on courthouses or by train tracks. It's an adventure to explore other places with real elevation.
Hey if I can bring hope to other 30 something out of shape adventurers like myself it's all worth it.
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Over a year ago I posted my trip report about trying to make an ascent on Grouse Mountain to find the BM there. Previous years I was unable to even hike to the lakes due to being there to early when the snow was still not melted away. Last year I was turned away by violent storms. This year I finally conquered the mountain. The things I will do for a bench mark.
16+ miles round trip and 5000+ elevation gain. The only way to reach this BM is a minimum of 6-7 mile hike one way. There are no roads within 5 miles of the point. Unless you have a horse or helicopter you have to walk.
If I am able to go to Beaver Creek again next year my next goal will be nearby Mt. Jackson. You can see it in the photos of Grouse. It is a 13'er The flank of it holds to small trout filled lakes that are the source of Beaver Creek.
My plan will be to camp at the Lake and hike up the next morning. I don't think I could make it in one day like the Grouse Climb. Nearby Mount Holy Cross is a 14'er and likewise is a popular climb. 100's of people climb it every year. The BM has also been found. There is just something about trying to conquer the peaks no one seems to care about. I'd rather climb the K2's of the world than fight the crowds up Everest.
Anyway, that is enough of my gabbing. I hope those of you that appreciate a good BM will enjoy the photos I posted. Wish me luck next summer
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I believe there's supposed to be one at the Fall Fest... Think DarkMoon is putting it on Thats correct. There is also a new night cache North of Tulsa by bloodhoundgrl. Juat logged it tonight. It was a fun one.
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Just a note to announce that the 3rd Annual Fall Fest is coming soon. It will be our 6th statewide geocaching event. If you have yet to attend a Fall Fest or Spring Fling you are missing out. Come check it out.
This year the event is at Robber's Cave State Park in the San Bois Mountain area in SE Oklahoma. We hope to have our friends from Texas and Arkansas join us again.
Friends, food, caching, prizes, games, and fun. New this year, a nightcache event.
Beatnik -
2003 was a long time ago...
DOH!!!
<smacks self on head>Just to clarify Fall Fest 2004 is coming soon too!
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Just a note to announce that the 3rd Annual Fall Fest is coming soon. It will be our 6th statewide geocaching event. If you have yet to attend a Fall Fest or Spring Fling you are missing out. Come check it out.
This year the event is at Robber's Cave State Park in the San Bois Mountain area in SE Oklahoma. We hope to have our friends from Texas and Arkansas join us again.
Friends, food, caching, prizes, games, and fun. New this year, a nightcache event.
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Just a note to announce that the 3rd Annual Fall Fest is coming soon. It will be our 6th statewide geocaching event. If you have yet to attend a Fall Fest or Spring Fling your missing out. Come check it out.
Friends, food, caching, prizes, games, and fun. New this year, a nightcache event.
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Going to be in OKC next week for three weeks starting next week. No Wife Kids House Pets etc. might be able to get some caching done. In the Northeast ticks are a major problem. Gps signal lost to forests and lots of hills. 80% of caches here are in stone walls or under rotting logs. Don't recall a lot of those out there. I know it's going to be a lot hotter than I'm used to. But any advice, common sense stuff I might over look while I'm out there that would be helpful. Thanks
If you get this before leaving you might check out Tulsa on one of your weekends. A lot of people enjoy caching there way along Route 66 all the way to Tulsa. Plenty of good caches in this area as well. The monthly cache meeting for Tulsa is on the 7th feel free to stop by. You'll have no shortage of caches to find from Lawton all the way to Miami, OK along I-44.
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What if only one of the people can physically get to the cache (because of distance)? Is it ok for that person to 'proxy' sign everyone on the team, and for them all to log it as a find?
Simply put, no.
It's Ok to work together to solve a puzzle.
It's not OK log log it unless you found it.
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Hi,
I have a problem that needs to be addressed.
The other day I found two caches that were hidden by the same person, and on each cache (PVC pipe, and Ammo can) there was a sticker on it that had a yellow background and showed a bear drinking beer with a caption reading "Beer is good for you."
Now I know that some cachers drink beer, but it should not be advertized on a cache. Today I found a cache that had a keyring in it that was an ad for Bud Light.I think everyone well knows that Geocaching is a family centered activity, and such ads shouldn't be placed on or inside any caches. I'm wondering if it was the right thing to do to remove the sticker off of the two caches that they were placed on. They were large stickers about the size of the normal "Official Geocaching" stickers that can be found on most ammo caches. Even though it wasn't my cache, I removed it! The keyring was easy to take care of, because I just took it out and didn't leave anything in it's place.
Do we have any opinions?
Maybe in your spare time you can go rip down a few billboards as well. Why not go to the corner gas station and remove the beer signs from there windows? Personally I agree if you have a problem with a cache you should take it up with the approvers or the owner first.
As for taking the key chain. You should have traded up.
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Oh, no! Are we that cerebral and boring that NPR would cover us??
Hate to break it to you but they were reporting on geocaching before you were a geocacher.
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When I read stuff like this, I really have to wonder about common sense in our govt.
Yeah, I'll continue to sleep just a little better tonight knowing that these are the guys in charge of our national defense.
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Drop him off at Corey's Stash in Loveland. And I can guarantee he will have a nice hiding place in the hills.
Pictures in the mountains are no problem, I work up there and can take several nice photos. How about one with Long's Peak in the background, I only work 5 miles as the crow flies from that little hill.
Well I won't be near the Loveland area so that one is out. I wish it was pleasure and not business. I spend a week at Beaver Creek in Avon every summer but I don't think that is going to happen this year. So it's going to kill me just being in CO and not being able to hit the mountains!
One of these days I'm going to get back to Estes and climb Long's.
The Treasurer was the first to e-mail me with an offer to pick him up. As soon as I work out the details I'll be passing him along.
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Might you point me towards the caches? Is there a way to find specifically Night Caches when searching for them?
No there is no search function. They are just like other traditional caches.
As for the names I can't remember all of them After finding over 800 caches its hard to remember all the names. Off the top of my head: Hair Raising experience is the cache in OKC. Johnny Marbles is the one near Miami. Night of the Living Cache and the Tomb are two of the others. I can't remember the name of the other one.
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Plenty, 1 near Lake Thunderbird, 1 in Stinchcomb north of Lake Overholser, 1 in OKC, 1 in Miami, and 1 south of Miami. We've been trying to find a spot for one in Tulsa but no luck yet. There is also going to be one at Fall Fest this year.
Sadly the orignal OKC night cache is no more. It was the first one in OK and was in Bluff Creek north of Hefner. People decided to place a ton of caches in the park for some reason and forced the owner to archive it. People keep finding the night cache in the daytime because 3 regular caches were placed right near the final location.
I believe there's supposed to be one at the Fall Fest... Think DarkMoon is putting it on 
<smacks self on head>
Now I know that some cachers drink beer, but it should not be advertized on a cache. Today I found a cache that had a keyring in it that was an ad for Bud Light.
Unique Take On Gw4
in General geocaching topics
Posted · Edited by beatnik
Hey I'm just glad no one asked to put any of your "beans" in the chilli.
I did have a fun time, I know that Snoogans and 9key were stressed out by the whole event at times. I know it's bad enough doing events where I've had 100 people. Can't imagine trying to wrangle an event with the size GW has become.
More photos can be seen here, including the chili queen.