The Big Kid

I am not sure how to get to it through the gc.com site but, there is a link, you need to go through www.gpscentral.ca then click on the geocaching logo near the top, then they offer a link to a cache map of Canada. It links you into the gc site, but I can never find it that way. It is fairly simple to use, basic pan/ zoom buttons then when you get close enough it can identify caches. Its what I use for trip planning. No roads show up, but if you find a cache near your start you can look in the expected directions.

Sorry, but I was unable, I came up the yellowhead, and there was nowhere to stop. Traffic over the aug long weekend was awful. Drivers were $%#holes. I cannot count without removing my shoes how many close calls were had by idiots trying to pass on double solid and driving other traffic into ditches. I really loved my 8 wheel locked up skid I did when some blonde in a blue toyota pulled out infront of me from a wide spot. sorry, but I couldn't stop and the camera wasn't handy enough for the wife to try and take the picture on the move. TBK

I am going on a road trip to Edmonton in the next couple of weeks. If I get the opportunity I will try. It will come down to whether or not there is a good place to pull the truck+trailer over when I hit that point of the road. see what happens. can't you actually do the cache in longitude too. I am sure there must be something near E052 04.760.

Or find eroyd's "Octupus's garden", it is a stones throw from the cruise ship parking lot. search nearest from that. just a thought, if I get the time I can dig up my lat/long that I have for the Ogden Pt. breakwater.

As an Scout Leader in Halifax for a few years before moving to Victoria, I had occasion to deal with some of thier training personnel when we had youth on some of these courses. I aslo worked with them once, from the helicopter end of a search for missing hikers. Based on my experiences, the group is very well trained and recognized by RCC and other civil agencies. There training programs that are open to the public make a very good starting point. I'm not saying that they will teach you everything, or that you won't be bored, but the information is valid, and depending on the level you are at entering the course, the course may be old hat for you. But, they are good at what they do, and their mandate to teach you these things well, is so that they don't have to go look for you.

Believe it or not, I think I have a logical explanation. When calculating your position the reciever calculates the distance from the satellite, if it starts with only 2 satellites and has moved since the last time you moved it, it recalculates from square one. Most recievers have a small memory that will remember where it was when it was turned off, and begin aquiring assuming that it is near that position. If it finds that the satellites are relatively close to what they thought, it figures it out fairly quickly. If not, it could take awhile as it might only have 2 distances from a satellite to work with, and usually, the 2 distance circles intersect in 2 different places. It then has to figure out which intersection is the right one. an example: on a piece of paper, place 2 dots approx 6 inches apart, now from each dot(call it a satellite), draw a cirlce around it, 4 inches in radius( your distance from satellite), there will be 2 intersections. One of which it where you are. Imagine this over thousands of mile circles. This explains the reciever being lost in Asia and taking awhile to recalculate its position. high speeds while standing still, watch the estimated error number, as your position error decreases, your position may change to now be within the new error probability circle, and thus your position may move a great speeds based on how quickly the error decreases. I have seen these errors many times in my career working with a GPS that is mounted on a helo that sails on the back of a ship. we turn it off, put the helo in the hangar and it could be hundreds if not thousands of miles away when it comes on next. If we don't give it a rough idea where it might be, it takes a long time to figure out that it is still in the Pacific ocean. this might help, I hope. it should mean that there is nothing wrong with the equipment.

I have a vista, but no 76 experience. my vista has spent a fair amount of time being wet, by rain when it rides on top of my pack, or slides off the side of kayak in to the water- love that lanyard(its tied on top)- cuz it doesn't float. its light weight, even with a spare set of batteries. batteries last longer than forecast if it just rides along and tells you where you are, and how fast you got there. Never have a set of batteries died in less than the advertised time, no matter what I have done. easy one handed use. did I mention its light, and fairly waterproof. doesn't float though.

The map itself should state the datum it uses, WGS 84 means "World Geodetic survey 1984", NAD 83 is National Aeronautical datum 1983 if I remember correctly. Looking at the area of the map where the scale etc is should give you the datum that the map is based on. If it is not WGS 84 then online mapping sites such as jeeep can give you the conversion.

A good map, a compass and the knowledge of how to use them.

Bummer, I probably can't, I won't know for sure until the 21st, thats when I find out my flight outta town times.

there's one just where the Quadra exit comes off Pat bay highway, but I can't remember name, or the 4 mile, 6 mile, or if people want to be closer to KFWB central - Monkey tree. The list goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on......... Either way, If I am in the province, I will come.

I can't get in either, not the first time, but this is the longest time. I also recieved an email saying I had private message, but can't get that either.

I have been talking with a couple of friends/cachers about my new cache type idea. Cache in motion. I have a friend who is a truck driver(hauls cars) on a fairly set route, if the cache page had a track log or map of his route, the requirement to complete this very changing location cache is to post a pic, and give date, time, and position. It is somewhat like a locationless(ie - yellow jeep), but I think it would add a new dimension. It would be hard to cheat, as I can find out if he was there, then. I was thinking of putting it in as a "puzzle cache", but I am having a hard time convincing myself. standing by for critique.

I'm in for a good snowball fight, but trying to find out if I am supposed to go to work, or take the kids to school, or just go back to sleep.

For Christmas "Santa" ordered me a pair of Faber - Mountain Leisure,10x36. I have used them a couple of times already and have some trips planned for the future. I ordered them through the MEC website MEC was cheaper to order online than through the Faber website, even after shipping the fast way. I investigated and made a few email inquiries before I purchased, and based on my expected use. I believed that a Faber purchase through MEC online was the best value. I find them fairly user friendly and easy to take on/off even with mitts. They are the standard alum frame with a plastic type decking. Snow did not build up on top, and I was even able to cross a couple of fences with them still on with no difficulty save for ripping the arse of my pants on a barbed wire.

If anyone has followed previous hunts like this, there was one in the interior of BC(Kamloops) around 10 years ago. It was called "THE LEGEND OF THUNDERBEAR". They had to produce hype and clues, but in the end, the skull( a few pounds gold and 50 ruby eyes) rumoured to be $250k. This sounds a lot like that. I spend 4 years and countless miles riding herd on my grandfather who wanted to search all over. It was a fun mindbender to solve the riddles. This would be a worthwhile venture if Port McNeill ensured that it was worthwhile, and pumped up the hype. People do seem to travel. I however would question that if soooooooo many people know the answers to the riddles(an entire lions club), how sacred are they and how many have slipped. I once talked to the guy that ran "THUNDERBEAR" and he said the hardest part was keeping it a secret. I might give it a go. Somebody let me know if the clues are downloadable before I pony up 20$ TBK

plan A: I'm in for rock throwing Plan B: Just need to convince my boss that we could make money with this, we could move a car at a time, charge extra for people to ride in car........ Solve some of the defence budget problems over time.! Plan C: Anybody know how to drive a ferry? Too bad I didn't by the fast cats when they were up for sale, be a good thing now. Welcome to Vancouver Island, largest of the hostages, enjoy your stay, Good luck leaving.

I should be able to hit it before the end of October on highway 97 in BC either northbound or southbound(hopefully there is a nearby place to park). I will take the pic, but it will probably will be too late, but, should you still need it, I will have it by Oct 24th Why is it called "tourist season" if you can't shoot them?

I'll be there for the survivor fans, there is a TV there too. Why is it called "tourist season" if you can't shoot them?

Actually, I don't think it's too hard, but then again, I have been taught celestial nav before(which means I might overthink it), but I wonder how many will skip it after reading it once and label it not worth the effort. I see this as something that will require a lot of effort and thought. But, then again, I have been designing a celestial riddle myself now for about a year, but, I am having problems working it together properly and making the math work. Overall, I like the riddles and will probably try to wrap my mind around this(riddle of yours), but, will most geocachers in your area. A big part of this will be your reading of other cachers in your area. Why is it called "tourist season" if you can't shoot them?

I got the intended joke(s). I might have some leftover elk and moose left at my house that might make its way on to a platter that night, if I don't eat it all myself. Why is it called "tourist season" if you can't shoot them?

I think that it is definitely part of the challenge. Spend the time, look at the maps and plan the walk. I think a WW II general once said: Time spent in recce is seldom wasted. Why is it called "tourist season" if you can't shoot them?

Email sent to Dagg, anyone have any special requests. I can arrange for a screen and projector for photo galleries if needed. No kitchen, bring own munchies, we only have some small bags of chips behind the bar. Somebody track down and invite Kermodi, he started the ball that got these threads rolling. Any questions let me know. BK

Thursday 2 Oct is OK, for me. Now the where? I can provide the bar here - 2.85 for beer 2.75 for liquor let me know

I was wondering if the reciepient of the donation had to be from the US. If TPTB were to parcel it out into different countries, I support the previously mentioned rails to trails. Canadian version - Trans Canada Trail. They have built thousands of miles of old railbed to hiking/biking trails. The trails can have plaques at pavillions along the trail to commemorate donors. A truly worthwhile logo to have there would be geocaching, as many caches are hidden along it. In BC, they now need more money to rebuild a large number of old trestles from the Kettle valley railway( and the caches that were contained therein) that became tinder for the Okanagan Park forest fire. Many were destroyed. I know that the calendars would sell up here. This is a great idea.