Uplink

A map datum is a grid system for presenting a 3D world with 2D coordinates. all maps and "map sets" like the one found in your Garmin reference a "map datum". Geocaching default is WGS84. Many paper Topographic maps use NAD27. The military uses UTM which does not use latitude and longitude. I thought about looking up how to set the datum on a Garmin Oregon for you, but you should learn how to look it up yourself. Your typical Garmin GPS is more accurate than many map sets. Garmin buys data from various vendors to use in their map sets, and the quality varies. If the data for the Ontario map set is imprecise for various reasons, you will see errors on your moving map. 15 meters is actually not bad. People forget that prior to 2001, the GPS signals were degraded to an accuracy of +or- 100 meters. The day they turned that off was the day Geocaching was born.

I see you can still see the outline of the racetrack in the aerial photos - just zoom out ant look SE of the object in question.

Sounded to me like the Security Guard had a pretty good attitude, and legitimate concerns.

I have a DirectRoute Version 2 CD I'd sell - I couldn't get it to work with my Sportrak Color for some reason, and Magellan support sent me the same version that I already had instead of V3... Make an offer!

EGH - I believe you are thinking about a later version geocoin. I picked up #13 at GC22ED in October 2001, and having a look at the logs, who did I beat to the coin? EraSeek! I see the new log for #13 has been removed anyway, so Moun10Bike was right, it was a mistake. I have noticed that EraSeek and I joined on the same day... I think they had a 2 for 1 sale on old mountaineers that week!

I've been tracking Moun10Bike Geocoin #13 because I was the first finder and I regretted not keeping it. It was last seen in Germany back in 2002 where a New York Geocacher who seemed to give up Geocaching after a month left it in a bag at his Mother's house. Turned up the other day at the Sequim East Travel Bug Hotel. Sheesh, I figured this to a good candidate for Least Likely to Reappear. Just goes to show you there is always hope for those long lost Travel Bugs...

I was checking out the photos on the cover and noticed you could click through. Checked out the log for this one (GC5250) and almost died laughing. [lovely weather, could see for miles, went up in shorts and T-shirt!!]ABG!!!!!!!!!!zvfrenoyr nf fva,pbhyqa'g frr fuvg cneg bs n 5 qnl rkrepvfr sebz jbex. svefg bs 3 cynaarq nfpragf bs gur Sna. gbqnl uhzcvat 55yo zvavzhz. [see gallery. good fun all the same.] I think those Limeys would be right at home here in the northwest!

LittleBlue: I've done sections of the Iron Horse on a Hybrid Bike (1.75" tires) without any problems. Bigger is better, but One and a half inch tires would be pushing it, and I wouldn't ride anything with 1 1/4" unless I was being paid Stuntman Union Wages.

There was a new version of the classic "10 Essentials" published in the Seattle PI today. Great article by Greg Johnston about The Mountaineer's new revision. Here is the new version: The Ten Essential Systems The following list is made up of items that everyone who ventures onto a trail or into the backcountry should have. You could add more, possibly, but these are the basics. 1. Navigation (map and compass) 2. Sun protection 3. Insulation (extra clothing) 4. Illumination (flashlight/headlamp) 5. First-aid supplies 6. Fire 7. Repair kit and tools 8. Nutrition (extra food) 9. Hydration (extra water) 10. Emergency shelter Nifty Poster from the PI, suitable for framing. They basicially made the list more general, emphasizing the system rather that the specific item you should have with you. If I were going to add my own 11th system, it would be Communications: Any chance a cell phone will work where I'm headed? FRS radio? EPIRB? Maybe we don't need all of the above for any given outing, but it's a helpful checklist to consider the contents of our geocaching packs as we head out the door. Good Stuff...

I was in the 71' San Fernando earthquake, and almost slept through it until a bookcase fell on me! No injury - always was a sound sleeper. Walked outside and you could hear all the gas mains breaking - pop, pop pop! The swimming pool looked pretty wicked too. The 2001 Nisqually quake was much more exciting though... I was at work at the Galvanizing Plant, and had just started up a large diaphram pump which kinda made the building shake a bit anyway, and I was absently thinking, hmmm, that pump is really thrashing... until I noticed the 10,000 gallon tank of sulfuric acid I was standing next to start to do a "Perfect Storm" imitation. Kind of a Foghorn Leghorn type of moment if you know what I mean. If you've never seen a pudgy guy do a 4.4 40 yard dash, you should have been there. Hapened to notice the 830 degree molten zinc sloshing out of the 42 foot long kettle on my way out the door. No question here on wheather to stay inside or not!

I have a Garmin 76map and a Magellan Sportrack Color that I won in the Magellan contest the summer before last (also have an Eagle Explorer that I got in 1995). I have somewhat shaky eyesight and big fat fingers, and that 76map really does the job for me. Big screen, big buttons, great software. The Magellan OS always seems counterintuitive to me, but maybe I'm brainwashed. The Magellan DOES do better under heavy canopy, but the Garmin does have a quad helix antenna, and still does pretty good in that department. Color is only worth anything to the extent that it contributes to overall readability, and I find my 76map more readable than the Sportrack Color. Maps are great for on road use, but 1:100,000 on your little screen is nothing like a 1:24,000 paper topo.. . Good luck, and I'm sure whatever you get will do you just fine!

Well, if I had to guess, I would bet Nolenator is heading to DEW line or Hart's Pass! Wish I was going. Was up that way at Ross Lake last week, and I wish I would have made it to those caches.

There is a chance I will be in the area the week of the 19th. No promises yet, but I'll let you know if the plans hatch in this direction!

Now that they have dropped a bunch of sites, the chances of actually having the dang thing when I need it are dropping because if I MIGHT not need it, why bother? I bought a pass last year and ended up needing it twice. Next year, forgetaboutit! Now if I could volunteer labor, and get credit, I would do it anyway - as in participate in a CITO event, get a pass. Cary a pole or some gravel 2 miles up a trail - get a pass. Somehow, I'd feel less ripped off donating $100 worth of my labor to the park project of my choice, than if I got suckled for $25 to feed the friggin' parking meter!

I did a maintenance run on this cache today because some recent finders said that the log was wet and needed replacing, and it turned out they were all logging the first waypoint of my multi/micro! It was listed as a micro, but the first words are The above coordinates are NOT the coordinates for Escape Pod Foxtrot... Since I last serviced the cache last June, 5 out of 13 folks have logged the first waypoint on a log put there by the second person to come by! I guess I should have caught this sooner! I guess my choices are: 1. Forgetaboutit. 2. Delete all mistaken finds. 3. E-mail all mistaken finders and tell em' to fix it however they like. What would ya'all do?

Yea, you gotta get up early when those Moun10Bike coins are on the line; drive 30 miles, hunt for 3 hr. 15 minutes, find cache at 11:45, third visitor today. And this is not the first time! Great cache though, I had a blast!

You can also try a system reset, access the diagnostic screens or force a cold boot as described here. If the unit is already a paperweight, ya can't hurt it!

The bug's web page (not the hot potato site) shows that TravisL still has it...I don't believe you can get any points that way...

Here is the latest; doesn't sound too bad actually. Wish I could do the cache machine tomorrow! URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 945 PM PST FRI JAN 2 2004 .AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OUT OF THE FRASER VALLEY LATE TONIGHT AND PUSH SOUTH THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON SATURDAY MORNING. ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-CENTRAL CASCADE FOOTHILLS-CENTRAL COAST- EVERETT AND VICINITY-HOOD CANAL/KITSAP PENINSULA-NORTH COAST- NORTHERN CASCADE FOOTHILLS-SEATTLE METROPOLITAN AREA-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-TACOMA AREA-EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 945 PM PST FRI JAN 2 2004 ...A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... SNOW SHOWERS FROM THE NORTH COAST TO NORTH OF EVERETT AROUND MIDNIGHT WILL LATE TONIGHT THEN DROP SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY MORNING. MOST AREAS WILL SEE BETWEEN 1 AND 4 INCH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS. LIGHTEST ACCUMULATIONS WILL OCCUR NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST LINE AND ALONG THE PUGET SOUND WATERFRONT. A SNOW ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BUT ONLY ENOUGH TO CAUSE MINOR INCONVENIENCES SUCH AS TRAVEL DELAYS.

Yeehaaaw! Way to go Pepper! Congratulations to you on your 1000th cache and Merry Christmas to all!

I have a 23 year old power boat that I use for hydrocaches, but I am thinking of trading it in on a kayak because keeping it running takes too much time away from Geocaching! This photo was taken on Blake Island in the middle of Puget Sound, which has 3 caches and no ferry service. In this photo, you can barely see the bouy which had a geocache tied to the anchor chain (the pelican box didn't work too good at the 10 foot depth). I almost got to rescue the Groundspeak crew once when they ran out of gas on Lake Washington. No lie!

Yea, my Elda's Paradise & Centauri Escape Pod Foxtrot (GC97DE) caches are quite close to the North end of the airport, and you can do them both in an hour if you're lucky or good . On the South End of the runway, SeaTac Final Approach (GCGFWJ) is a nice walk, and Marine View Cache (GCGBYQ) has some spectacular scenery but is guaranteed to leave you huffin' n puffin'. Access to the terminal is from the North and East only.

How about this?

Well, did this work? It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious. -- Oscar Wilde