Beffums

tee hee, I must tattle on my hubby on this one. It can make a big difference if you flip flop the North and the West coords too -- N 87 ... W 37 ... degrees made Mountain Climber question if the cache was really in Indiana. (then again, if the cache had been there, the 1* terrain rating would have been an issue likely as well!) Oh, and as we learned with that experience -- if you place a cache, you will *not* (oddly enough) get an e-mail if a reviewer note is placed on the cache page. (unless they've changed the code for that in the past 6 months). So, check back to the page regularly to make sure there weren't any glitches. (you will get an e-mail if/when the cache publishes)

by the by, what's a copy tag look like? we picked up a tb the other day with two tags on it.. first I thought cool, they laminated the one about I'm a tb blah blah blah instead of a sheet but no, it was just the tb number again. Made us wonder, is that the copy? I think it was moved on already probably, just like that. But we did wonder about it so decided to stop here and ask! Thanks! The copy tag looks exacty like the regular one, but on the side with the TB #, it says "COPY" in all caps (right above the TB #). Sounds probable that you saw a TB with both the original and the copy on it. edit: oops, BlueDeuce beat me to it

Sure, just pick one and go. You will just have to drive a little further, but it will be well worth it. Most groups have been hesitant to draw circles around themselves and define the geocraphical boundaries of their "membership". This is a good thing. I have never felt like a foreigner at any geocaching event. CINCO and NEI have held some great events. Sometime in the near future I must get down to an INKY event too. It's all good! Can you give me links to those sites? Thanks! I don't know the websites for CINCO and NEI, but I can help you with INKY (loosely based around Jeffersonville/Louisville) and Indigo (pretty much east to west across the state, from Indy south). INKY Indigo (or, if you don't like links,... www.inkygeo.com and http://www.indigo-geo.com )

Hmm, I'm sensing that I'll have to use a list of your recent finds as a guide the next time I'm home visiting the parents! Sounds like a really cool idea - I know that that would be a swag item that many adults would like to find.

Me too. Let people put that on their profile with a link to an offsite list of cachers that have officially done it. I know it's not what you're looking for, but it's a stop-gap measure. There's a lot of Off Your Rocker Cracker Barrel caches, right? How about an icon for them? How about a special icon for the Delorme Challenge caches? How about a special icon for the ... The APE was a one time thing. What makes it cool to nab one is that there's A) so few of them to begin with, B) so few of them left, and C) not many strange icons. I really like this idea. Given how short the list of finds for the final likely will be, they'll be notable just for having the smiley on that cache. If one of the computer savvy people knows how to do it, it would be really cool (to me at least), to have that image so that when you click on it, it links to either the final cache, or to the bookmark list for the series. And, honestly, it doesn't sound like Jeremy's going to give this its own icon, so looking for good alternatives seems reasonable.

Now you just get to send out new HTML code to everyone... aren't you glad you opted to do this 10 states at a time? btw, I just wanted to send out a big kudos to BPR for organizing this. Whether anyone every finds them all or not, you've shown amazing motivation in getting all of us on board and organized so quickly. good job! ps - do you promise to post to this thread when the first caches are approved?

There's one 0.9 mi, but it's disabled. The closest active cache is 8.5 mi away, and requires a boat (which we don't own). Closest non-boating cache is 10.7 mi, and we already dnf'd it once. We'll retry it probably this weekend (it's new). Closest that we haven't tried is officially 11.8 mi, but due to the rather large river between us and it (the Ohio), it's about a 40 mile drive each way to get to it.

Well, yes, finding all 51 will take a long time (or a truly dedicated person with lots of funds for travel and no job). But, fortunately, along the way, you have 50 independent caches to find and log smiley's for, so hopefully the individual caches will be popping up by the end of summer, and some can get started on them soon!

I know in Indiana there's also Team Retriever, which is a combined team of people and a puppy, but I think Abby is a main contributor to the team. Plus, she's just darn cute.

Our geopups are still very much pups (they're ~ 4 1/2 months old, the vet thinks). Of course, their combined weight is already around 75 pounds, with lots more growth to come if those paws are any hint! ah, the joys of big pups. They're shelter puppies, so we're not 100% certain what they are, but the yellow lab is obvious, and the shelter said their mom was a golden retriever. Plus, Luke has an almost solid purple tongue and slightly fluffy fur, so chow maybe? They're just starting to get the hang of this caching idea, and they definitely prefer park and hike to park and grab. (they're not so good at getting into the car, out, then back in, then back ...). They've already been to their first event cache, which they loved (ok, they were a bit more into the being petted and chasing squirrels than chatting about geocaching, but they tried). Here they are finding a cache and helping drop off a TB. (Luke is in front, Bo is climbing JAPTKD's lap)

I'd agree with Blue Deuce. I'd rather see my bugs move - even if it's not in the direction I expected, than to see them sit - or rather, to not see them sit and to wonder if they're still there, or if they've been lost or or or or (but then again, I'm a worrier).

I was about to put Mollypup on here. At some point, I'll have to bring our pups home to Wampum and see if they can find a time to cache with Molly. Maybe she could teach Bo & Luke the basics of going caching - they don't seem to be figuring it out all that quickly...

I had been down just as a back up for IL, since we live right across the border. If you'd like to have the IL cache, I'd be glad to be a back up for you, should you need help with it or whatever. (I just like the idea of the hider being from the actual state, if possible). I'm still willing to hide Illinois's, but I'm also willing to pass the honor along to you, since you actually live there. btw - why does Illinois's look sooo weird? I know it is grammatically correct, but still...

yup - your TB is on it's way. And, it looks like the current holder knows how to care for TB's, so it should move along for you just fine. Good Luck Stinky Demon Jr.

It would be perfectly reasonable, if the TB hasn't moved before the next time you are going west (or towards an east-west interstate, even if it's not west of you), for you to go back and pick it back up. If you see a TB sitting, and you can help it, you can re-log it and move it along on its way. But, keep in mind that TB's often sit in caches for more than a week. One of mine is in a race, and he's been sitting in the same TB prison er hotel since May 2nd. Thing is, only one person has found that cache since the TB was dropped off. And, they didn't have TB's to trade (it has restrictions). Another has been in the same cache since April 20th. I'm not fretting about either yet - there's just not been too many cachers visiting those caches. The cache page says you dropped off the TB on the 16th - that's only been a week. Have hope - it will likely move soon. I hadn't thought about moving it to an East-West interstate. I just live a few miles south of I-70! I may do that if it sits there awhile! Darn, if I were closer to Evansville, I'd swap it out and move it for you! As for being impatient on them moving, I guess being new to the GC scene, I was expecting more immediate gratification on tracking something I had helped move! I should have learned from my Where's George experience that nothing happens fast (except for geocoin disappearances!) Hmm, actually the one stuck since mid-april is up closer to your part of Indiana... The one since early May's on Long-Island. Hubby says that going to free Xander from jail is not an acceptable use of the summer vacation funds. phooey. But, in general, instant gratification only happens once you get enough caches and TB's on your watchlist. Then the odds are that at least one of them will move every day or two. (or someone will find one of the caches even if no TB's move). I've learned to live more for the oh, wow gratification. Like when JAPTKD's bug went to London then Malta, or when Xander's "sister" kitty TB when to Monterey - I live vicariously through the TB's travels.

It would be perfectly reasonable, if the TB hasn't moved before the next time you are going west (or towards an east-west interstate, even if it's not west of you), for you to go back and pick it back up. If you see a TB sitting, and you can help it, you can re-log it and move it along on its way. But, keep in mind that TB's often sit in caches for more than a week. One of mine is in a race, and he's been sitting in the same TB prison er hotel since May 2nd. Thing is, only one person has found that cache since the TB was dropped off. And, they didn't have TB's to trade (it has restrictions). Another has been in the same cache since April 20th. I'm not fretting about either yet - there's just not been too many cachers visiting those caches. The cache page says you dropped off the TB on the 16th - that's only been a week. Have hope - it will likely move soon.

yes, some do. I always check the logs of my caches when I go to them, more to see what people wrote there (I rarely write word for word the same online as in the logbook - same seems true for others) and to see if anyone found it that didn't log online (happens regularly). I've only "audited" the logs twice. I've deleted one find note so far on my caches - someone who double logged a cache when the system was being all cranky on Sunday evenings and they accidentally hit "send" twice. But, on two finds that I wondered about, I checked the log in the cache. (one new cacher in the area used to like logging finds online with just "hi" - nothing else, just hi - it was just weird) I found the name there, but if I hadn't, I would have then e-mailed asking what was up. Then again, I only checked since that cache was literally at the end of our driveway - about 75 feet from the computer. For the OP - generally, before an owner will delete a find, they'll email you to ask if you forgot to sign with your geocaching handle, or if you have changed your login name or if there's another good explanation for why they can't find your name in the log. Just explain then what you did, and what they should find in their logs, and it will all work out.

you might wanna try the Groundspeak help area (all spiffy and changed since the last time I clicked on it!) Help Support It sounds like your latitude wasn't corrected when you fixed it. If you can't do whatever you did before to fix the longitude, then they likely can (worst case scenario, they can "re-set" your bug with and you reactivate it. My guess is that they can do one better than that and just fix your latitude). edit: my bad, it's gone now

If you want shorter, but you like the general thread of CR's statement, how about this: Geocaching is an activity where participants ("geocachers") locate objects ("geocaches") anywhere in the world. The location is publicly accessible and is described via global grid coordinates usable by a hand held GPS unit. A geocache is typically a container with a logbook used to record a geocacher's visit and sometimes objects designated for visitors to trade ("trinkets" or "trade items"; i.e., children's toys, carabiners). I'm still thinking about how to re-phrase the 2nd sentence so that non-cachers/non-surveyors could make sense of it. (or, maybe, your government officials are a bit better than ours at making sense of things?) edit: sorry, just had to change one word...

While I do like your version better as it sounds more professional, I'm curious why "hobby" should be avoided. I think he tried to avoid it since you said

Ok, here's mine for overall (didn't try to figure out how to do it for just 50 caches). Avg. Difficulty = 1.63 Avg. Terrain = 1.54 Avg. Challenge = 1.82 47 hard caches (12%) 1 countries 9 US states 31 (8.0%) archived First log: 06/25/2005 Last log: 06/21/2006 Most finds: 26 on 03/18/2006 Maximum one-day distance: 546.0 miles on 12/18/2005 Oldest cache: #1374 (GC55E) Newest cache: #413476 (GCWN1W) Difficulty: 1.0: 134 (34.6%) 1.5: 123 (31.8%) 2.0: 67 (17.3%) 2.5: 37 ( 9.6%) 3.0: 15 ( 3.9%) 3.5: 4 ( 1.0%) 4.0: 7 ( 1.8%) Terrain: 1.0: 170 (43.9%) 1.5: 125 (32.3%) 2.0: 34 ( 8.8%) 2.5: 29 ( 7.5%) 3.0: 15 ( 3.9%) 3.5: 6 ( 1.6%) 4.0: 6 ( 1.6%) 4.5: 1 ( 0.3%) 5.0: 1 ( 0.3%) You have found 37 out of 81 total Diff/Terr combinations. Cache types: 3 ( 0.8%) Earthcache 5 ( 1.3%) Event Cache 2 ( 0.5%) Locationless (Reverse) Cache 9 ( 2.3%) Multi-cache 352 (91.0%) Traditional Cache 5 ( 1.3%) Unknown Cache 10 ( 2.6%) Virtual Cache 1 ( 0.3%) Webcam Cache Containers: 1 ( 0.3%) Large 157 (40.6%) Micro 15 ( 3.9%) Not chosen 9 ( 2.3%) Other 147 (38.0%) Regular 48 (12.4%) Small 10 ( 2.6%) Virtual US States: 2 in Illinois 219 in Indiana 84 in Kentucky 20 in Missouri 7 in North Carolina 1 in Ohio 9 in Pennsylvania 4 in Tennessee 39 in Virginia Ironically, I hate er actively dislike looking for most micros. Mostly because we get two types of micro hides around here (for the most part - there are exceptions). 1) park and grab where there truly was minimal thought put into it by the hider (why must I vist every dumpster in every parking lot?) 2) ones that are entirely to practice your stealth skills, and nothing else (ugh) what I prefer are the ones in the minority: 3) really good micro hides. these ones I like. we have a few of them, but very few. Ditto - I tend to like the 2-3 star terrain options, but we have fewer of those than the 1-1.5*'s. 4 and 5 star terrain I won't do alone, but will attempt if there's more than just JAPTKD (hubby) coming along (always better to go with a group if you are at your top level, in my mind).

The only thing I think is absurd is when people think they know the right way to cache, and they try to force their way on other people. If CR wants to audit his cache logs against his online logs and delete the extra finds, that's cool. It's his cache. If CR wants to tell me that I have to do the same thing in order to be a good cacher, that's absurd. If somebody wants to log a cache of mine that they didn't find, but someone in a group they were riding with that night did, that's fine with me. It's their history. If someone else wants to tell me I shouldn't allow it because they don't allow it on their caches, that's absurd. If someone wants to log an event 100 times for whatever reason, it's cool with me. It's their history. If someone wants to tell me that I shouldn't think it's okay because it's not okay with someone else, that's absurd. If someone wants to require finders to log their finds with a poem (or some other requirement), it's cool. It's their cache, and if I don't like it I don't have to find it. If someone else tries to get the site to ban additional requirement caches just because they don't want to do them, that's absurd. wow - a logical post (referring to thread/forums, not at all trying to say your posts aren't normally logical)

I actually wondered about this, since I found a few caches with my sister in law before creating an account, and my father-in-law found 50-100 caches with her before creating his own account. I wasn't sure what to do, so I have only logged the ones I had a chance to go back to. I think jaspop has simply done the same, so it looks like he has almost no finds, when I think he's been to as many caches as I have. (he's also fairly bad about remembering to log his caches online) Personally, I know of 2 muggles who've found one of my caches (separately, on two different caches), logged it with their name, then set up geocaching accounts and logged it online that way. I would never have thought to question whether or not they found it, just because the name changed. The basic content of the logs (online and in the book) stayed the same. edit for clarity

option 2 just seems more "pod" like. I like it. I'd be willing to do the extra searching to find a big enough cache for it, if I happened upon that TB

agreed - I leave the DNF's, and often refer to the previous attempts if I finally track the cache down.