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Near Chapel Hill is Hillsborough (where we lived when we started caching). The Occoneechee Racetrack is well worth the drive over from Chapel Hill. It's an OLD dirttrack that's grown over and is now incorporated into the rails to trails program, I believe. There are at least two caches at the track - your seat and winner's circle. Your Seat (aka GCP70G) Winner's Circle (aka GCP70M) As a note: I liked both caches mostly due to the lovely walk to them, so if you prefer the fast park-n-grabs, maybe these aren't as good of an idea. But, if you like the scenery caches, I'd give them a try. There are many other caches very nearby in Hillsborough. (for an out-of-towner, Hillsborough is just north of the "v" between I-40 and I-85) easily reachable from either highway.

ok, this is kinda tooting the horn for my own cache, but it fits here soo.... If anyone is from the Evansville area - or is simply willing to travel to the Evansville area, we'll be having a meet and greet on 2/18 at 11 am (that's Central time). While I'm assuming most of the attendees will live near Evansville, the event is open to anyone who is willing to come to the area. If you need information on local hotels/campgrounds/etc etc, just let me know. (hint, the closest hotel is roughly 300 feet from the restaurant's coords...) Anyway, if you are interested, : Evansville Meet and Greet (aka GCT2YK) Hope to see you there!

thanks, I needed that. And, I just finally got around to checking my fortune cookie from yesterday. "those who endure most are rewarded most" not sure that I've really "endured most", but between the two, I'm feeling better. Now, to plan some geocaching in Indiana for after I'm done in the office tomorrow. edit: minor snip to keep the patrollers happy

AZBliss02 - I'm sorry. after 6 pages of civil discussion, it appears that my post has triggered (sp?) a descent. I sincerely apologize, as that was not my intent. I do support your claim, and am willing to say that there are two points of view on this, but like one of the recent posts, I just can't see the other point of view, and no one's explained it in a way that makes sense to me (or, obviously, to several others). I hope that YOU at least reach a point where you are content with the process. Maybe we are all cynical. Maybe there really is an appeals process here that is legitimate. Maybe. Maybe at the end, regardless of the decision, it will at least be explained in a manner that makes sense to the majority (I know I know - this isn't a democracy; but if we don't understand decisions, then cachers will become dissatisfied. so, it really IS in the best interests of the site to at least explain WHY to us in a way that we can understand. clearly, a number of people still are not understanding the logic being applied here).

haven't the majority of the responses to this thread stated that we believe this cache does exactly that? Can any reviewer explain in a way that we understand how this doesn't? We're not trying to beat a dead horse. This point is simply crucial to any cache any of us might ever place anywhere - what do reviewers think constitutes "an integral part". and, the reason for the confusion is your post, where you claimed tht these things were apples and oranges, and said that the same rules do not apply to traditional caches and to mystery caches. Maybe we've all misunderstood what you meant, but that's why we're confused. maybe just re-explain that post and we'll understand?

oriental trading (see above) also sells large bags of decent pencil sharpeners for cheap. We got a bag of about 60 sharpeners for about $3. they were small enough that I put together an altoids tin cache (in several bigs to prevent rust - relax) that had the log, the "this is geocaching" a golf pencil, the pencil sharpener, and the rare earth magnet, and still had enough spare space for several spare baggies just in case (ok, I'm water-paranoid). Only problem I had was that the sharpener and the rare earth magnet "liked" each other. For the pencils, if you are not into thievery, then Staples or Office Depot or the like is the best I've found. At staples, 144 golf pencils was about $5. (but they aren't the really really cool personalized ones above)

we think so, but you might want to check directions through Kentucky and Illinois just in case. To keep things simpler, we're having it at the same restaurant as the original INDIGO -Evansville event. Anyone who's up for the drive down/over to Evansville is invited. Yes, we'll be talking about starting up a social group here, but we'll also just be eating and chatting and eating and chatting. (and, there are lots of caches in Evansville for before/after the event) Hope you can make it.

cacheheads - I think yours is great.

hi all. is it sad that I actually just re-read all 40 pages of this thread, just to try to cheer myself up a bit by thinking about geocaching in Indiana? I'd just finished reading a long thread about a cache appeal, and it literally had me crying, as (while I'm willing to believe this might not be the case, it certainly is the impression I received) it appeared that the appeals process is simply a joke. that the majority of reviewers do not bother to even consider what is written. Thank you Mountain Climber. It's good to know that we have a reviewer we can write to and ask questions of, and that you'll do everything you can to help us understand why you decide what you decide. edit: even if we don't always agree, at least you listen to us. I know the others likely do too, it just doesn't normally seem like it. sigh, time to try to remember why I liked this sport an hour ago.

I know that I have come to this discussion late, and that the process is mostly complete. But, like many cachers, I cannot resist adding my two cents. First, sadly, I believe this will only cement the belief that the vast majority of geocachers appear to have that the reviewers do not listen to the rest of us, that they feel that their opinions are "better" than ours. This is likely the IDEAL example of an appeal, and it seems quite clear that it is to be rejected, yet not one reviewer has posted an explanation that has managed to convince the majority of the others on this thread that they are correct. That's sad. I believe earlier posts are correct - it's all about saving face at this point. sigh. sadly, as perfectly as this thread has been conducted, I believe it has decreased my enthusiasm for this sport. the psychologist in me (before you ask, I have a PhD in psych) just shakes its heads and walks away; the cacher in me cries. I may have only been caching for 7 months, but it is something that I've loved doing. I know that the next time I go out, I will enjoy it less. NOT because of AZBliss's appeal, but because of what appears to be a complete dismissal of our opinions by TPTB. I must put this aside, or I will end up quitting. BUT, before I desist, I must ask for help/clarification. Keystone hinted at this, but I did not understand his reply. I'm betting that many many of you could explain it for me. Why are mystery caches held to such a different criteria? I know of several dozen (traditional) caches that have literally included information with the park's name (and, trust me, I've found some micros in neighborhood "parks" that were barely large enough for the swing set - we never bothered with a GPS), the name of the statue in the park, what trail to take to get to the statue, whether the micro is on the front/back/left/right, etc etc etc. I've seen ones like this that have been approved in 2006. They just were given low difficulty ratings. I always just assumed they were mostly placed for the numbers hounds. You do not even have to be a local to find these without a GPS (and, if the GPS is to be all that important, then why all the links to every mapping program ever designed, right on every cache page???). Clearly, in a rational mind, at least some finders will use their GPS. Others will not, but I'm certain that every cache has had the possibliity of being found by someone without a GPS. Anyway, I'll stop the ramble -- why are mystery caches singled out? (I'm not trying to start a rant or to vent, I just honestly do not know, and cannot find it in the cache placing guidelines where it explains the distinction as to why a higher standard is applied for them) Finally, if the tally is still on-going at any level - I clearly believe the cache is fine as is. I wish a cache like that could appear in my area. Our best is a webcam cache in a library. edit: hmm, apparently "right" has a t in it

hey - I'm having flashbacks to one of the other forums and a discussion about whether or not you can claim smilies on your own hides. This might be one example where it makes sense - when you go back to "re-adopt" them back into the fold. It sounds like your part of Indiana has a great geocaching community. hopefully we'll find or way up there come summertime. (we're in evansville. for us, everywhere in indiana is "up there").

welcome to geocaching! you will find that there are many canine partners in crime for your dog (who's very beautiful/handsome her/himself) in the state of Indiana. And, sometimes they even tag along at the group events! Hope to see the two of you around in the future. (but shhh - don't tell my kitties that I've been saying nice things about any doggies)

yeah, but I think the cache is likely a really good cache - I just want them to replace it. I don't want to pick a fight with them. I think people in general would be more willing to help out with each others caches if you could consistently trust that the owner wouldn't send nasty e-mails later. I never mind replacing a log, if I have one, or replacing the cache even, should I know it needs to be done. And, I'm fine with anyone replaing any/all of one of my caches if the need arises (I'll send an embarrassed "sorry!!!!" email, but I'll also really appreciate it). I just have found that not all cache owners have that perspective on things. (heck, some get offended if you so much as mention in your log that the cache was wet) anyway, props to eagerbeaver for replacing the cache - we need more cachers who do so. (and, your post was helpful)

It looks like you got an endless list of answer, so I'll try to keep this one short. While hunting for a cache, we found a black taped object. my husband started to unroll the tape, in a little bit, we noticed that it was not a cache, but rather was a plastic bag with white powder inside. We called information, and asked for the non-911 phone number (we were out of town). They connected us, and we explained where we were and what we had found. COUNTER TO THE ABOVE CLAIMS, we were not stuck there for hours waiting. It took about 10 minutes and a cop appeared. (note, this was in a fairly large city - no Barney Fife with nothing better to do - they CARE about drugs) It took about 15 minutes to explain what we were doing, what geocaching was, and exactly what we had and had not done with the package. No hassle. No thinking we were bad guys (c'mon, if they were our drugs, why would we be giving them to the cops?). As cachers, I think we still have the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Our responsibility was to notifiy the police. Once they took it over, our role was over. BUT, as cachers, we have one more responsiibility -- TO MAKE SURE THE CACHE OWNER KNOWS ABOUT IT! in a private e-mail or in a post, whatever you feel most comfortable with. But, the owner needs to think about whether or not they want to pull the cache, or if they want to risk the safety of future cachers. in our case, the owner pulled the cache. That said - in the situation stated to start this thread, I think you basically did the right thing, especially if you also made sure that teh cache owner knew about it. We were in a more ideal situation (50 degrees and very near our car), so we could wait in the locked car in relative comfort and greater safety. you didn't have a perfect situation like that, but you certainly did a reasonable job of trying to bring it to someone's attention.

well, I'm hoping that their point was that sometimes, other things would prevent you. Say it was an ammo can cache and was rusted shut? (no lock). If the cache owner is satisfied with the smiley, then whatever. If not, the owner can always delete the log. However, as a cache owner, I do wish there was a way to delete photos without deleting logs sometimes. Spoiler photos do NOT get encrypted, and now it's easier than ever to view them. but I drift off topic: I can't find the post, but the oddest (for me, but I'm kinda a newbie still) DNF logged as a find that I saw was someone who decided it made sense to go caching during a flood. And, they were quite certain that the cache was under water (about 6 feet of water, moving quickly - i.e., above head level for the cacher). based on the other logs, sounds like it was. (later logs mention cache is soaked, etc etc,) so, they logged it as a find. my question is - who goes caching in a flood?! and if you do, shouldn't you expect to have some DNFs out of it due to water? (then again, if you are addicted enough to cache in a flood... maybe you deserve the smiley)

yeah, but sometimes you get nervous about doing so, since there are definitely cache owners out there who are very touchy about others "touching" their caches. One cacher in Evansville has several caches that have been "temporarily disabled" since last spring. They aren't replacing the caches or archiving them, and they've also made it quite clear that they do NOT want any one else touching them It's weird - if you aren't going to replace the cache, and you do not want any one else to fix it, then why not archive it? (one's been disabled for 11 months, so it seems like they've had enough time to fix the problem, or that the problem is major enough to deserve considering a more long-term solution)

is there any chance of a bookmark list with nearby caches popping up on the event cache page, like BeanBlossomGang did for the TrailMix last weekend? If not, tis ok, hopefully this time my hubby will remember to run the pocket query. But was thinking it might be handy for non-locals. (ok, I'll be honest, I'm just thinking of myself here - but really, if it helps me, it likely could help others too, right? (can you tell I'm rationalizing?))

Now THAT'S an unbelievabaly cute dog!!! Abby is blushing, Patrick! she might be blushing, but she's about the cutest thing! You'll have to be careful when she's out caching with you - you end up finding a bigger ammo can, and you might end up accidentally shutting her in the cache when you leave!

sigh. If any of you are anywhere near Evansville and would like to put out a new cache or two - japtkd and I would appreciate it. We've put out 12 in the past 5 days, and almost 20 since Christmas, and only 3 new ones have appeared that anyone else has placed. sigh. I know I know, Mama Jane will say we need to drive up to Patoka and find her caches this weekend. I guess we'll need to. ok, so maybe we got spoiled when we moved here and had 30 caches in a 5 mile radius from our house and about 80 in a 10 mile radius.

he's sooooo cute! you like hiking a lot - how about "trails"? (or there's the traditional "spot" "rover" ...)

Saturday was great. JAPTKD and I would definitely be interested in Clark State Forest, as long as we don't have to work. I think Bean Blossom Gang is right - most of us likely ended hiking close to 5 or 6 miles anyway this weekend, so it's not a dramatic increase over what we did. Plus, most of us had some form of a back pack or fanny pack - just warn us ahead of time, and we'll fill those with lunch and then can stop along the way and take a bit of a break.

Reports of me falling into creeks have been knon to be GREATLY exaggerrated Sorry I failed to fall in the creek this time, but Ratler(lololoco) fell down in the valley, and Chuck took a little tumble over the aforementioned log. All in all a good day.... fun fun fun fun... who's trail we going on next??? I need to check on when Spring Break is at USI, but I plan on having one the Saturday of Spring break down here in Evansville at the University of Southern Indiana. I'll have to see if Indigo will be sponsoring it or not. And, well, trailmix might be a bit of a stretch (there's the trails through the Bent Twig Learning Center (4 caches, about .75 mi), one cache along the road in the middle of campus (about .3 mile from the 4th at Bent Twig), and then 4 caches at the cross country/hiking trails on the "east" side of campus (about 1/2 mi walk from the one in the middle of campus, or we can move cars in the middle of the "hike"). So, 9 possible caches, 4 new as of 1/12/06, plus after the "hike", there's all of Evansville awaiting your caching attacks. Plus, who knows, maybe more caches will show up there between now and then. Oh, yeah, the "trailmix might be a bit of a stretch" - I was thinking this one might need to be re-dubbed "walk and talk" or something, since it's not all that strenuous of a hike. But, I'm sure people will find ways to spice it up. There IS a creek to fall into both at the Bent Twig trails AND at the cross-country trails. Oh, and did I mention the large "reflection lake" that everyone could tumble into?

that's awful. It sounds like the cache was clearly inappropriate, and it seems just another sign of the owners lack of responsibility that they didn't even bother to clear out the caches before archiving them. I hope someone up near the caches can rescue it for you. Have you tried e-mailing Astrogazer? They mentioned having seen the TB before (and almost grabbing it), and they've found the cache in question, so should be able to more easily retrieve it for you if the cache is still there.

Was chatting with WCNut at Trailmix today, and he has several suggestions for hotels if anyone needs info on where to stay. It sounds like it will be a great time - JAPTKD and I can't wait to come. Hope to see y'all there. (hey, there are a few words I picked up in North Carolina that I plan on keeping - y'all is one of them!).

I'll do it for you! I don't remember anyone falling in the creek, but there were a few who fell over logs...