Mary&Dave

Maybe if I decided to go out and find 50+ drive-by micros in a day, I'd feel differently. Personally, I think I'd go insane after about 3, but to each their own. I think it's very rude to (a) not be bothered to sign the log book and ( post a generic, boring, cut and paste log to every one of them. There have been a few caches that I've failed to sign, but I've tried to at least tell a story of my find and give a good reason. I once logged a find for a cache that I never even opened. I slipped in the mud and nearly fell into a river getting to it, and when I found it, the cache was covered in fire ants! I logged a find along with a story and a muddy picture of myself. I'd probably be a bit annoyed if my find was deleted, but that's the cache owner's right. If, however, I posted a "found it, TLTSL" log on the web, I'd EXPECT that the owner would delete my find.

Sure, why not?

No photo would be required, and no nudie pics would be allowed. I've been super busy these last few weeks, but I finally had enough time to setup the category. Should be in peer review in a couple days -- stay tuned.

Wait, you want to see a cache at every McDonalds? Really? Oh wait, we already have that.

You can log it here: http://www.wheresgeorge.com/main.php#bill Where's George is a fun way to track the circulation of currency. They actually don't really like it when bills are used as geocache swag. My advice -- just spend it.

I love the PCT. I've walked (almost) every mile of it. I've joined the group, and I'd be happy to help if you decide to create a category for it.

Check with your local reviewer to answer this one. I've seen similar caches, and I've certainly seen caches that were inaccessible during the winter due to too much snow, but it's up to the reviewer to make the final decision.

I use a Palm Z22, and I'm happy with it. The only thing I don't really like is that it is difficult to see the screen in bright sunlight, but that's easy enough to deal with. I actually started with a cheap Palm IIIxe from Ebay, but it stopped working after a few months. I actually ran to Staples the night it broke for the new one -- once I started caching paperless, I couldn't be without a palm. Also, I'd recommend purchasing GSAK and Cachemate software.

It depends. I'm fortunate to live in an area where there are some very smart and creative cache hiders. Many of these hard caches are cleverly designed camoflage containers -- you might spend 2 hours searching for a cache, but you might be talking about it for a week afterwards. In general, - Needle in a haystack type hides are not usually fun - fake rock in a field of rocks, fake pine cone in a pine tree (fake pine cone under an oak tree - maybe!) - Super itty bitty cache containers are not usually fun - the kind that are as small as your thumbnail. Sometimes these are cleverly disguised as a fake bolt or something else that seems out of place. These are okay. But generally, these don't require much creativity to hide, and they don't provide much satisfaction to find. - Caches (especially difficult ones) in a place where you'll look really suspicious searching generally don't interest me - public places are okay, but a playground, a front yard, the side of a busy road, etc. aren't usually fun. If there are a lot of "TNLNSL, TFTC" type logs, I'd skip it. But some of these caches can really be fun. Read the logs; you can generally tell.

Wow!! That's a great picture. Did ya DNF the cache? The only time I dared to get that close to a rattlesnake was this one. I sat under a bush to eat lunch, and when I got up to leave, I saw this big guy sleeping next to me -- about 4 feet from my toes! He apparently didn't mind that I was there.

So put your geocaching handle and email address on it. A big green friendly GEOCACHING sticker goes a long way to keep someone from freaking out and calling 911 when they find something suspicious in the park.

Maybe we're really not that far off in our ideas - sorry. The part that I didn't like was having GC.com actually *list* temporary caches. If you're just looking for a way to add a log for them to the event page -- not a separate listing for them -- I think you might have a better chance of making that happen. Then again, that's up to TPTB, not to me.

Oops, correction. There is just one species of rattlesnake, and there are estimated to be fewer than 25 remaining in the entire state. Read more about the Timber Rattlesnake.

There's no need to be spooked or concerned about venomous snakes in New Hampshire (or anywhere else in New England). Two species of rattlesnake exist, but they're both on the endangered list. Here are a few photo reference sites (not for NH, but not that far off): http://sandgatevermont.com/snakes.html http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/index.html

Yes, there is. Quoted from the listing requirements/guidelines: Cache Permanence When you report a cache on the Geocaching.com web site, geocachers should (and will) expect the cache to be there for a realistic and extended period of time. Therefore, ... temporary caches (caches hidden for less than 3 months or for events) most likely will not be listed.

Not by much! There are some pretty darned tiny log scrolls out there! I think another cache size would be great for anything signifigantly smaller than a film can or matchbox. There are some creative (and extremely EVIL) cachers out there making caches you practically need a magnifying glass to find. Multiple nano/pico sizes are overkill, but I'd definitely like to see size nano.

Thanks for some of the comments about state park regulations and the like. I had not considered that. Please understand that I am NOT in any way opposed to having temporary caches at an event. I think that's a great way to have fun games to play with friends. I AM opposed to having them listed online. The way I see it -- someone generally prints out a stack of cache listing pages for the temporary caches and hands them out at the event. Right? If that's the case, I fail to understand the purpose of GC.com (a cache listing service) listing these caches online. Nobody going to these events would find the listings online. They'd be (presumably) published the morning of the event, after everyone was away from their computers. Nobody NOT going to the events would find the listings online, as the caches would have expired by the time they were able to get there. You still have a way to post your stories and pictures of the hunt for these caches, through the "I attended" post on the event. The ONLY remaining reason I see to list these separately is to increase smiley stats. There's also too much potential for abuse. What if I were to create an "event" to scatter 100 film cans throughout a park. They're not reviewed caches, so there's nobody to tell me what not to do with them. Come to my event, and get 100 finds (for no reason OTHER than to get 100 finds). They'll be gone tomorrow. Fun? Maybe - probably not how I'd choose to spend a Saturday. Should they be listed on GC.com or qualify for smilies? No. Even if they aren't added to your total find count, if they're listed on your stat page, people will go for numbers. Some people log travel bugs or coins for no other reason than to boost that number. There's no reason that temporary event caches wouldn't be the same. Perhaps a better way to do it would be to add a new type of log to an event cache. The icon could be an ammo can or something similar. Logging it wouldn't augment your stats in any way, but it would be a place to "log a find" on a temporary event cache rather than just posting a note.

That's awesome. They sound like a lot of fun to hunt. Just out of curiosity, why? Everyone "at the event" is welcome to hunt for them. Someone who misses the event won't be able to search for them tomorrow, so why not keep the reward for finding them within the scope of the event? Fill the cache with raffle tickets and have all the finders take one for a prize drawing. Offer cool FTF prizes. Scan the log sheet after the event and create a finders hall of fame on the event cache page. There are plenty of ways to offer rewards for finding a cache other than web stats and smilies. I just don't really see the purpose of GC.com listing something that won't be around to hunt the day after the event. It sounds like a lot of extra work for the servers and (even more so) for the volunteers. You can still log the stories of your cache finds along with the event attended log. Better yet, you can share them in person with fellow cachers. If you want to submit a real cache with real smilies and web logs, there's nothing stopping you from creating one at the event location. I think the chances are good that you'll at least find someone at the event who lives closeby and is willing to maintain it. Personally, I've found lots of these at events. They were there the day after the event too. If you're already going to the trouble of creating a 'real' cache with a printout page and all, why not go one step further to have it approved? *Steps back from the flames...*

Personally, I keep two databases in GSAK -- one for unknown caches and one for everything else. I copy both of these to cachemate on my palm as well. When I solve an unknown cache (whether it be solving a puzzle or determining that the coordinates are actually the starting location for a hunt), I'll update the coordinates (if necessary) and move it into a thrid database -- solved puzzles. Every time I go caching, the everything else database and the solved puzzles database go to my GPS. The unknown cache database NEVER gets sent to my GPS. These are unsolved and not ready to be hunted. I also use different icons on the GPS for different cache types. I'm more likely to go out of my way for a puzzle that I've worked hard to solve. I'm less likely to do a multi when I'm in a hurry. A quick glance at the GPS tells me what I have available nearby, categorized by icon. There are a FEW caches that are categorized as a traditional cache but are not at the listed coordinates. I think the best answer here is to email the owner and see if they can have a reviewer help them change the cache type. Fortunately, they are few and far between, not the norm.

One of my caches is very difficult to find without going through private property if you're searching with just a GPS or a map. It's on a publicly accessible, but unlabelled trail in a nearby park. While someone could park illegally and cut through a couple backyards to get to it, I wanted to make sure they did not. The answer? I gave exact directions on how to get to the cache site. So far, everyone who has visited my cache has taken the correct trail. I think you did the right thing by asking the cache owner to put a little more info on the page - at the very least, a "you do not have to go through a gate" note. If you were one of the first to find, he or she may not have even considered that access route. In general, unless a cache page specifically says that trespassing through private property is required (and permitted by the property owner), you can probably safely assume you're going the wrong way.

Stehekin is a fantastic place. We had the pleasure of visiting last summer when we were walking the Pacific Crest Trail. I think it was my favorite town on the entire trail (all the way from Mexico to Canada). I'm jealous that you get to go there multiple times a year. I do agree, though, that if the snake was in sight, it would probably make potential muggles more curious. Maybe it would be better if it was hidden somewhere out of sight of the trail.

You could make it a multi with the camo being the first stage, containing coordinates for a larger cache full of toys. As for size, I'd make it a regular with a note on the page describing the actual size (inside and out).

So, when I log a find on someone, can I sign them with a sharpie? (Sorry, someone had to go there.) Kidding aside, this sounds like a great idea.

A good espresso is nearly impossible to find. There are a total of three, yes THREE, shops in the entire San Francisco Bay Area that serve good espreso. Out of all the coffee shops on every single block, you're left with two good ones in San Francisco and one in Santa Clara. That's it.

You say that like being a coffee snob is a *bad* thing. I disagree. But then again, I roast my own beans and have a far-too-expensive home espresso setup. On the other hand, I make some pretty darned good coffee! Don't drink coffee to wake up. Wake up to drink coffee.