AKStafford

I try for once a year or whenever I'm in the area. I've got two that are long overdue for a check up...

It sounds like you are doing a cruisetour before your cruise. How are you getting between Anchorage & Fairbanks? Bus or train. Are you stopping at Denali? How long will you have in Anchorage and what hotel are you at?

I usually do a facebook post for a geocaching adventure. Occasionally I'll do a blog at www.akstafford.blogspot.com

With the iPhone, you can save caches to your phone. That'll let you see description, hints, and recent logs. You'll be able to access that info even if you don't have cell service. My GPS (Garmin 62) also has that info when I download the cache. My older eTrex didn't.

We'll be there next week and are going to do a string of caches on the Frist Creek Falls Trail: http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/Red_Rocks/First_Cr_Falls/_First_Creek.htm Our main goal is to hit the Cache Across America cache for Nevada. http://coord.info/GC4BQEX

This is what I use. It's spendy, but I like it. http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/SITKA-GEARSLINGER-72p926.htm

I've got the Garmin GPSMAP 62 and love it.

Require email validation... Or just get rid of the free into app all together...

I like my Maxpedition Sitka GearSlinger. A lot of caching here in Alaska is done in the snow or the mud. So I can slide the pack around in front of me and use it as a little writing desk for filling out a log. They aren't cheap though...

The cache that the Jester mentioned is about a 1/2 mile walk from the "Icy Strait Point." I grew up in Hoonah, but that was back before they developed the old cannery into a cruise destination. That one cache is the only one in Hoonah. I'd love to get back down there some day to do it.

I switched most of my caches to Premium Member Only... And they stopped disappearing... There's too many one-timers who download the free app, do not validate their email and then magically the cache disappears after they log their find. The only one that is not PMO is in the middle of no where and doesn't get much traffic.

There's just one in Hoonah and it's between the port and the ferry terminal. The GC code is GC1VD81.

Interesting article in the Oregonian: http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/04/blm_prineville_district_asks_c.html "Semi-permanent stashing of features designed for the outdoor activities of geocaching and letterboxing are targeted for removal from some lands managed by the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land Management. Geocaching and letterboxing are types of outdoor treasure hunting games where participants use global positioning systems or written clues posted on the Internet to find hidden containers. The containers usually are water tight and hold either a sign-in log or a stamp designed by the person who placed it. Back in 2012, the national BLM issued a policy prohibiting placement of physical geocaches in areas designated as wilderness by Congress. Districts were left to devise ways to implement the policy. The Prineville BLM has some relatively heavily used recreation areas due to the proximity of the cities of central Oregon. The Prineville District Office will be working with the local geocaching community to remove approximately 84 physical geocaches that are located in designated wilderness, wilderness study areas, research natural areas and some areas of critical environmental concern. All of these types of lands have formal definitions and boundaries. Of these, 47 will be removed permanently, while 37 will be closed seasonally during annual closures to protect wildlife or other resources. The BLM considers geocaching and letterboxing legitimate uses of public lands, according to Lisa Clark, spokeswoman for the Prineville District, but needs to restrict it on sensitive lands. The activities have become so popular that a steady stream of visitors often creates trails to the site of a hidden container. Though not all public land agencies have developed a restrictive policy, participants in geocaching and letterboxing should assume agencies are moving in that direction. Virtually geocaching is still allowed in Prineville's wilderness and other sensitive areas. The virtual activity has participants finding waypoints, without stashing anything physical to find. Letterboxing features the pursuit of a stamp, so a virtual experience is not as easy to duplicate."

We cache year round here in Alaska. Winter is a great time to get into swampy areas since they are frozen over.

Renting a car will get you to more caches, but if you are just wanting to get one or two in each port, renting a car is not necessary.

I switched my caches to premium member in attempt to block out casual finders.

I carry a Maxpedition Sitka Gearslinger... http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/SITKA-GEARSLINGER-2p926.htm Spendy, but the quality is great.

I have a Leatherman tool in my geobag. Actually I have a couple of them, along with a flash light. But I don't always have the geobag with me. But what I do almost always have is a small Swiss Army knife on my key chain. It has a small pair of tweezers and small ink pen built into it. So if you do design a tool, consider having a couple of different designs. Maybe one bigger and one smaller.

I use the rite-in-the-rain notebooks and I don't hide nanos or micros. Even my smalls are kinda big.

I'll be coming through the Seattle airport in November, on the 10th. We could see about connecting and maybe I can grab it from you.

I maintain the CAA cache here in Alaska. This sounds like a great idea. As a CO it's been fun watching the logs from people all of the country working on the series. Next time I'm in Oregon visiting family, I'll have to remember this series. Oh, and hello to Logscaler & Red!

This may have already been suggested... A lot people are caching with their smart phones these days... Some people may head out, assuming they'll be able to do their caching with the phone, but then realize when they get there that they do not get reception... Here in Alaska, I know most places do not get reception, and I preload the caches into the GPS and phone. And I know that there are CO's out there that do not list attributes, but having the option would be nice.

I loved the cache up by Blueberry Lake in Thompson Pass... GCWMD2

I have one in a nearby park that we couldn't find a couple of summer's ago that is on my watch list. I'm pretty sure the cache is gone. There's be a couple of DNFs since we logged our. So this log pops up the other day: Followed by this "Write Note" They are fairly new cachers, so I guess I can't be too judgmental...

Mine is www.AKStafford.blogspot.com .