teamajk

Anyone else ever experience a localized outage of geocaching.com? I've been trying to reach it all day now, with no luck. I can reach all kinds of other sites just fine, but not geocaching.com. Tried via different browsers, and via my phone using both internet browser and c:geo app. I reached out to some folks in California, and they've had no problems, but the other in-town cacher I contacted also couldn't get through. Anybody have any ideas what could be going on or if there's anything we can do to fix it? Thanks! UPDATE: Well, after being out all day, I'm back in. Hope that it lasts!

This is probably the longest puzzle I've done in terms of steps. It has 90: http://coord.info/GC3WG14

A friend and I both use Delorme PN-60 GPS's that we got a little over two years ago. Lately we have both been noticing that they seem to be deleting caches out of our files. We get them all loaded up and confirm the caches are there, and then when we get out in the field some (or all!) of the caches have disappeared from the list. I don't think this is a bone-headed mistake we're making (like looking at the logged vs not logged caches) and I also don't think it's the well-documented bug in the plug-in where it can't handle certain XML characters (like 'TM'). Has anyone else had this type of problem? I think it's related to caches input via the "send to GPS" plug-in moreso than from pocket-queries, but I need to do some more experimentation to see if the behavior is reproducible in a systematic way. We are both PC/Windows/Internet Explorer users. Thanks-

I am from the U.S. and am also part of a team that is working on this series. We also need a team member from Asia and would love to hear from anyone who would like to join us. Please send me an e-mail through my geocaching profile. Thanks!

Greetings from the U.S.! I am hoping someone reading this forum might be interested in doing the South Africa leg (GC1FY35) of the world wide cache described here. Our group has completed the first two steps (Europe and the Americas) and we have an Australian cacher standing by do to that section. If you or someone you know (maybe a new cacher?) would be interested in finding this cache as part of our group, please contact me via e-mail through my profile page. Thanks for your time and any help you can provide.

Glad to welcome a new puzzler! There are several puzzle caches out there that you might enjoy, because they are intended to help folks get started. My favorite series is from Florida, epeterso2's "Puzzle Solving 101" series, which starts here. You also might like this puzzle listing. There's a whole bookmark of similar educational puzzles that can be found here. A handout created specifically with your question in mind can be found here. Once you're really hooked, you can keep practicing your skills at my Geocaching Puzzle of the Day blog. If you search for "bonus blogs" posted every Friday in 2011, you'll find lots of handy tools for your puzzle solving toolbox. Happy puzzling! -

Does this mean there really is a secret society? So you say you've come across "all the versions". I guess the main question is, have you ever seen any of the people who allow remote logging "get in trouble"? No, I've never heard of any "trouble." I have been under the impression that if the CO specifically allows it, then it's fine. For example (but a totaly different thing) CO's allowing multiple "found" logs on unknown caches that are challenges instead of puzzles if you've met the requirements of the challenge more than once (not to be confused with those new "challenge" things that are sort of replacing virtuals ... another whole topic!). Another option: a few times I have logged a "note" for a puzzle I've particularly enjoyed that I know I won't ever be able to get to, and I've never had anyone be upset about that.

I'm one of those folks who actually enjoys solving puzzles all over the world whether I can ever go find the cache or not. I've come across all of the versions mentioned above ... allowing armchair logging, allowing working with a local to make the actual find and sign you in, and providing a traveler for remote solvers to "discover." My personal preference is the option of discovering the trackable, as I wouldn't actually log a find in a location I've never cached in before. I myself have a puzzle http://coord.info/GC2G5H1 that when I archived it I posted a note saying that solvers could post a "found" if they wanted to, since the cache was more about the puzzles than the find. As far as getting remote solvers aware of your puzzle, if you'd like to send me the link when you've gotten it published I will see about putting it on my blog at Geocaching Puzzle of the Day Happy puzzling!

I would take issue with that statement. The evince server may be functioning properly, though. !

There must be some evil plot behind this ... geocheck, geochecker, and certitude are all down right now. Hope it's short-lived, or this puzzle addict is going to be having some serious withdrawal symptoms.

We are also having the same problem in the U.S. ... actually a duplicate thread about this issue appears here: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=289693

I came across this Easter themed puzzle cache and thought it was fun to do, although I'll probably never get to Auckland to find it! Easter Egg Hunt This year I hid my kids' Easter candy in an ammo can in a neighbors' yard down the street (we live in a pretty wooded area). I had them do a four-stage multi around the neighborhood to get to the final. They were out wandering around in their pajamas with the GPSr at 8:00 a.m. They are not big into caching, but this was one they were willing to hunt for!

My favorites are puzzle caches, particularly the "solve at your desk type." I get almost as big a rush out of figuring out a hard puzzle and getting "success" on a geochecker as in finding an actual cache. It's just a different type of "I found it"! The possibilities for solving puzzles are endless ... it doesn't bother me to work on puzzles for caches I'll probably never find. I can work on puzzles in countries all over the world that I may never visit, puzzles for caches that have been archived, or have terrain levels I'd be incapable of managing. I can work on puzzles when there is a foot of snow on the ground, or it's pouring rain, etc. I'm very happy when I am able to make the find on a puzzle I've solved, as it means I've had to go that extra mile to get it. Thanks for asking!

Count me as one who loves puzzles, and who was also surprised to see how rarely a lot of them are found. I enjoyed solving yours and think the rating is about right. No problems finding what was required, and I liked the way you had us use the required information. I'm always looking for puzzles for my blog on them (see it here) and I think yours would be a good one for 3/31/11. Happy puzzling, and if I ever get to Seattle, I'll be sure to try to get the smilie.

I'm curious what others will think. Puzzle caches in general seem to be interesting only to a certain subset of geocachers, and one this technical in nature would appeal to an even smaller subset. I think that whether it's worth the time and energy depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to create a hard puzzle that noone will be able to solve, that's one thing. If you hope for the cache to actually be found, then unless you know there are a lot of tech-y people in your area (based on the other types of puzzles that others are hiding and finding, for example) you'd probably have to give some pretty basic instructions about how to get through the steps. There are certainly some people who will make the effort to solve it and make the find (especially for an FTF), but your overall numbers are likely to stay small. You might also want to think about the possible problems with putting out your LCD boxes (if I'm understanding you correctly). Will they be weather/water proof? Do they rely on battery power? Are they delicate instruments that could be easily damaged or destroyed by accident/muggles/animals/careless cachers? Good luck with whatever you decide and happy puzzling.

Every Friday on my blog I post a new puzzle solving/making tool ... there are some great things out there and I keep finding new ones. Puzzle on! If you'd like to check out the blog, it's Geocaching Puzzle of the Day.

Here's a cache in Denmark with a different twist on your idea GC15WVK... you play an online game and have to be the high scorer in order to be e-mailed the coordinates.

Take a look at this one The Knowledge Tree. It requires you to ask two people who know the coordinates ... one for north & one for west. Each person is only allowed to give out each piece of information twice. It's different from what you describe, but similar enough to make me think of it. I love puzzle caches and have seen them related to games like scrabble, monopoly, boggle and cribbage, etc. You might like to take a look at my Geocaching Puzzle of the Day blog for inspiration in puzzle making. Puzzle on!

Wow! That puzzle event looks amazing. If you're looking for a variety of interesting puzzles to expand your puzzle horizons, you might be interested in the geocaching puzzle of the day blog I started Jan 1. It's available here. Happy puzzling!

You're very welcome. There are several checkers to choose from. In the case of "geochecker.com" all you have to do is go to that site and create the checker, and then it will give you html code to paste into your listing. You then need to "edit listing" and insert the link they give you, which should work easily since it looks like your listing is already written in html. I imagine other checkers work about the same way ... If you can get a checker working I'd like to feature the puzzle on my blog, Geocaching Puzzle of the Day. I found it very clever.

This looks clever and well-constructed ... I know WHAT to do, but tangrams are not my specialty, so it may take me a while to actually get it. I'll let you know. I have a solution I'll e-mail you along with my thoughts, and you can let me know how I did. Some type of geochecker is a nice thing to have on a puzzle cache so that people know they've got it solved directly. It is not difficult to add one to your listing. Thanks for the puzzle!

This looks clever and well-constructed ... I know WHAT to do, but tangrams are not my specialty, so it may take me a while to actually get it. I'll let you know.

If you're looking for puzzle ideas, you might like to check out my new blog "Geocaching Puzzle of the Day", which can be found here. The idea is for people who like puzzles to be exposed to lots of different kinds so they can either work on their skills or get inspired for ideas for new hides.

The reviewer should know, and won't publish it if it's too close to a mystery final, or to any intermediate steps on a multi-cache. He she will tell you that it's too close to something else. I submitted a cache for review without having the puzzle completely worked out to save myself the trouble of changing it if the location wasn't right. You can add a note to the reviewer to that effect ... that you're checking the location out, and he/she will let you know (at least mine did ... it was too close, and I had to move it). I think the only exception to this would be some really, really old puzzles or multis that didn't have to give their other coordinates to be published, and in that case I'd think the reviewer would publish it for you and it would be OK. I'm sure if someone else knows differently, you'll hear. Enjoy your mystery cache!

You might be interested in my new blog I started New Year's day ... It's called Geocaching Puzzle of the day and you can link to it here. The goal is to point out a variety of fun, clever, or interesting puzzles of varying difficulties to help people work on their puzzle solving skills or give puzzle makers a fresh idea for a new hide. Fridays will feature "bonus blogs" giving puzzle solvers/makers a useful tool for their puzzle toolbox. Cachers are invited to send me interesting puzzles they have solved or found for possible inclusion. Thanks!