dbrierley

I use TopoFusion Pro and National Geographic Topo (sample maps); I don't like Topo Explorer, as well.

Google can be used to search bookmark lists - just use "site:geocaching.com/bookmarks" and your query term; for example: site:geocaching.com/bookmarks puzzle

I use Deep Woods Off; anything with a lower concentration of DEET only seems to repel mosquitoes, not ticks. The Tick Key is good for tick removal.

There is the 21-mile Narragansett Trail in Connecticut and Rhode Island; there are a few caches on the route. Shelters are available at High Ledge near Wyassup Lake and at Peg Mill Brook near Green Fall Pond.

Some bookmark lists for trails in southern New England: Skyline Trail Blue Hills Reservation, Boston area, Massachusetts Breakheart Trail Arcadia Wildlife Management Area, Rhode Island Narragansett Trail Connecticut and Rhode Island Tippecansett Trail Rhode Island and Connecticut

I don't think there is a single list, but a Google search can be done with "site:geocaching.com/bookmarks" and the query; for example: site:geocaching.com/bookmarks puzzles

The cache has been archived by its owner.

Even within a given area, it may vary from road to road. In the example of the cache in question, SW 146th Street (running north-south) seems to be an easement on private property. By contrast, the survey lines show a right of way beyond the sides of the road running east-west, SW 15th Avenue. The Google map on the cache listing also shows the survey lines by zooming in.

Only on the road itself; no further.

This might be the property in question (there is a fenceline visible in the satellite view): http://www.acpafl.org/ParcelResults.asp?Parcel=04409-002-000 If so, it looks like the surveyed property lines include the road running north-south (SW 146th St). While the county may have an easement for the road itself, it would seem the landowner controls the land up to the road's edge.

Bomb scares by themselves probably will not result in Groundspeak requiring explicit permission for private-property caches. I believe it has been mentioned elsewhere in the forums that many, if not most, of all caches are unauthorized caches on private property. If that is true, Groundspeak might be receiving significant revenue (premium memberships, etc.) from the people who place and find those kinds of caches. In the future, there might be enough bomb scares and trespassing incidents to raise interest in a county-wide or state-wide ban on geocaching. I think Groundspeak might try to head-off such a ban by agreeing to give caches more scrutiny -- but only in the county or state in question.

It looks like the cause was a bomb scare: http://www.thereporteronline.com/articles/2010/12/10/news/srv0000010183929.txt?viewmode=4

Adding the cache name to the cache is useful in case something else is placed nearby, such as a letterbox, unpublished geocache, or a geocache listed on another service. I have seen situations where these were located less than 10 feet from a geocache.

There is a discussion on this in the Geocaching Topics forum: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=265025

It looks like the Kanawha County web site doesn't have an online system. Perhaps you can e-mail the coordinates to the Assessor's Office and ask them to look it up for you: http://www.kanawha.us/assessor/default.asp

Sylven, Check with the deeds or tax assessor office in your town or county for land ownership records. Many offer the information online. There's a directory for West Virginia government at: http://www.statelocalgov.net/state-wv.cfm

In Massachusetts, see: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/

An earlier thread on permission: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=262732

An older thread on silica gel: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=247549 As mentioned earlier, silica gel is designed for humidity, not water.

The Vacaville Police Department's press release (PDF) on the matter has been posted.

The cache owner seems to have a habit of blaming geocachers: GC1BPRM GC1BTQ3 GC19PGJ

In southern New England, hunting accidents seem to be rare and they usually involve hunters shooting eachother. Hunters tend to know where the major hiking trails are and stay away from them. While I have heard gunfire in the distance, I have never actually encountered hunters with rifles; I have only seen a group of bow hunters once. A blaze-orange vest is fine; a hat would add extra assurance.

The cache has been archived at the request of the landholder: GC1XT5W

The state gets stuck with the unpublished and archived caches that are not retrieved by those that placed them. The state has to deal with caches placed in inappropriate areas. Anything that is left behind in a park adds to management concern. As mentioned earlier in the thread, some parks do place their own geocaches or letterboxes (Connecticut placed a series of letterboxes). There probably are few public parks that have a problem with inactivity. Actually, "overuse" is a term that is often mentioned. Parks have trouble keeping up with both the increasing population and the increasing number of uses; much of the existing parkland was set aside long before mountain biking, geocaching, ATVs, etc. were around. Considering that geocaching is banned in some areas, a fee might not be so bad. So far, only Pennsylvania state lands have been mentioned, so there is no trend.

Considering that other users of natural areas pay fees (hunting, fishing, parking, etc.) it shouldn't be surprising that geocaching would be included as well.