Mary&Dave

Thank you! I'll email Hemlock directly. I almost asked how to get in touch with local reviewers directly - I guess I should have!

Please don't turn this into a flame or a rant about the rules. That has been done before (and yes, I've read it). I'm posting to ask a specific question about how flexible reviewers generally are on this. I have a location where I'd like to create a cache. However, it is only 381' away from another existing cache. There is a creek between the two caches with very steep banks. Though there are two bridges and trails crossing the creek, the shortest route between the two caches is just over 1/4 mile. The other route is over a mile. I'd like to make a puzzle based upon the history of this location (which is the reason I don't want to move it another 150' away to comply with the guidelines). I know reviewers will sometimes choose to be flexible on the saturation rule when there is a physical barrier such as a river between two caches. Does this qualify? Basically, I'd like to know if I have any chance of getting this cache approved. If the feedback I get here is no, then I won't bother wasting my time with the puzzle specifics. Thanks in advance for the help.

Thanks!

Is it possible to generate a PQ to list all locationless caches? If so, how?

I found a shiny new unregistered CA Geocoin in a cache. I thought coins were considered "travel bug" type items, but this one did not have an owner or a mission. Is it okay to keep it as a souvenir? Thanks... just wondering if I'm violating some unwritten rule by not returning it to another cache.

Never mind! I just discovered that GSAK has this functionality, and it works. One of these days I'll know how to use these programs...

I need help from a true GPSBabel Geek. (And if I can find one anywhere, this is probably the place!) I'm trying to convert waypoints from Geocaching.com loc files to MapTech Terrain Navigator MXF files. I'm doing this so that I can view and print the cache locations on a good trail map. (Garmin's Topo software stinks.) It almost works really well, but unfortunately, GPSBabel doesn't put quotes around the waypoint names and descriptions, so MapTech won't read them. As an example, I get the following: 37.24102, -122.13248, Travertine Tower View by bytemobile, GCM3JC, Travertine Tower View by bytemobile, ff0000, 47 But I really want the following: 37.24102, -122.13248, "Travertine Tower View by bytemobile", "GCM3JC", "Travertine Tower View by bytemobile", ff0000, 47 This seems like something that would be really easy to fix (maybe with just a command line option to GPSBabel), but I can't seem to figure it out. Can anyone help? Thanks so much, Mary

Thanks for the input! I will definitely add some rescue supplies to my backpack.

Recently I've stumbled across a few caches that had items in them that really should not have been there. One had a bottle of perfume in it. Another had soaked through and many of the contents not in plastic bags (while they were probably fine last summer) were wet , ruined, and some were even growing mold. I wasn't sure if I should try to clean these up (which means throwing away some of the things inside) or just leave a note for the owner that the cache needed a visit. These particular caches were in a place that wasn't that easy to access (up a long winding road and a few miles out on a trail), so they probably don't get visits all that often. Please note, I'm not talking about trade items that I think are junk (there's another thread on that). I can certainly understand that one man's trash is another's treasure. I'm talking about things like scented items that shouldn't have been put there in the first place or a moldy stuffed animal that *nobody* would want. Any thoughts? Thanks, Mary

It looks like my problems were due to low batteries. I replaced them, and everything was good again. Thanks!

Owww, that sucks big time. Be sure to wash IMMEDIATELY when you touch the stuff. Never wait more than 5-10 minutes. Technu is more than a little messy without a sink, so I generally carry baby wipes with me any time I'll be near it. Zanfel also works well, though it is a bit on the expensive side ($35 for a small tube). Be sure to follow the instructions on the tube. It's certainly better than the alternative if it works, though. Hope you feel better soon.

We'll be headed up to Lake Tahoe for the weekend, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend caches near Incline Village, NV or Mt. Rose that are accessible in snow. I'm happy (overjoyed, in fact!) to hike for miles on skis or snowshoes, but digging through the white stuff looking for an ammo can doesn't sound like that much fun. (Perhaps it does to some!) Basically, I'm just looking for suggestions on something fun to do since skiing hasn't quite started, and I've hiked to the top of Mt. Rose TOO MANY TIMES. Thanks in advance to all you Nevada geocachers! Mary

It's been a slow week at work thanks to the holidays, so I've been filling my time with Geocaching. However, it's been raining and cloudy, and it's been tougher than usual (usual being relative - given that I just started doing this last weekend) to get a read on the GPSr. Garmin's website swears that cloud cover won't affect GPS reception, but I don't believe it. Any thoughts? Also, any advice on how to get a better read? Should I wait longer for it to settle? Thanks!