bitbrain

If you're planning to bike out to the 2 caches my kids planned & placed, remember that they were placed by kids & there's not much challenge to finding them. It'll be a nice long ride out to "Larry the Cucumber", though. I hope you don't get ticketed for speeding in Rossville on your bike...

Congrats on completing your planned 4 caches today Jamie! No way I could have logged 60+ miles on my old iron girder with wheels. For the details on Jamie Z's trek, start at Salvo's Reserve and follow Jamie's Logs. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=25047

It's not a party til you have the Feros Family semi-committed to be there.

It's not a party til you have the Feros Family semi-committed to be there.

Hmmm... As there is no option for granting partial credit, and since Geocaching is first and foremost about fun (my POV), I'm not going to make a fuss if someone logs one part of a multi as a find. The first multi-cache I did, I only posted a note after finding part 1. I didn't log it as Found until I had located part 2 a couple of weeks later. On the other hand, we have a local multi-cache that is listed as a traditional. I didn't realize it was a multi until I had already logged my find and read other people reports. Went out the next weekend and bagged part 2 of that one.

In many cases -- especially under heavy foliage -- my approach to finding the cache becomes rather Zen-like. One in particular, Jackson Microcache #1, I believe, was being rather elusive. I went over and sat on one of the swings for a few minutes. The eTrex kept pointing me to the same 20' circle I had been around a couple of dozen times without seeing the container. A few deep breaths later, I stood up & walked directly to the cache. I trust the eTrex to get me close, but a close survey of the terrain and a clearing of the mind are my tools for finding the cache.

My concern is that my coordinates won't be accurate enough with my little yellow eTrex, so I end up doing just what you did & average several waypoints that I have marked directly above (under, beside, etc) the cache. I'd hate to have a cache hidden that nobody could find because I had been careless in my data collection. If they can't find it because it's difficult to get to, well, that's another thing entirely.

My concern is that my coordinates won't be accurate enough with my little yellow eTrex, so I end up doing just what you did & average several waypoints that I have marked directly above (under, beside, etc) the cache. I'd hate to have a cache hidden that nobody could find because I had been careless in my data collection. If they can't find it because it's difficult to get to, well, that's another thing entirely.

I know West Tennessee Geocachers was just a preliminary suggestion of a name for the group that may form, but looking at the mix of folks who are involved in Geocaching in the area, we may want to consider calling it Mid-South something-or-other rather than West Tennessee. Maybe even the New Madrid GeoShakers... heh heh heh Any ideas from the locals?

Good Morning! A small group of local GeoCachers has decided to arrange a Picnic & Caching day for what may come to be called the West Tennessee GeoCachers Group. You and your family (spouse, children, significant other, etc...) are invited to join us at the pavilion near Waypoint GC694D on Sunday, July 14. Planned activities are set to take place between 1:00pm and 5:00pm, but you are welcomed to arrive earlier or stay later. Event Cache Page is at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=26957 Our current schedule is: 1:00pm to 2:00pm Meet & Mingle. Cook & Eat. 2:00pm to 2:30pm Distribute coordinates for the Event Caches hidden in the park. 2:30pm to 4:30pm Cache In, Trash Out and Kids 'Treasure Hunt' 4:30pm to 5-ish Regroup and present cheesy certificates for special achievements. Our plans for food and drink are for everyone to bring enough drinks/burgers/hot-dogs/tofu/whatever for their own crew plus one side dish of their choosing to be shared amongst the crowd. Coordinates for the Parking Area at the gathering place are roughly N35° 08.120 W089° 37.550 (WGS-84) Waypoint: GC694D. For more details or to have your questions answered, either e-mail me at bitbrain@midsouth.rr.com or post to the WTGG Info topic on 'Geocaching Home » Groundspeak Forums » South and Southeast'. [This message was edited by bitbrain on June 27, 2002 at 02:31 PM.]

A West Tennessee GeoCachers Gathering is currently being planned. Watch this space for more details in the next day or so....

We are clear to proceed with our plans according to my conversation with the man (forgot to get his name) who runs the park. We can't 'reserve' tables or the pavilion -- they're on a first-come, first-served basis -- but I haven't seen them very crowded lately. When I mentioned placing caches around the trail, he just wanted to make sure I knew it was 8 miles around... :-)

I enjoy reading your geocaching adventures, Jamie. Don't go changing. I should have more information from the folks at the lake today. I'll pass it along as soon as I get it.

I nominate Rob for the Activities coordinator! Looks like you've got some good ideas for it. I'd like to handle communications if that's alright with y'all. I know my posts on my cache finds aren't nearly as detailed as JamieZ's, but... I'll go out to the lake this evening and talk to the folks who seem to run the place to make sure we won't be overstepping our bounds. If they're OK with it, I suppose we can move ahead with date selection and more detailed planning. As for logistics... Hmmm... Anybody want to jump in on that?

Herb Parson's Lake looks like a good spot. Lots of open spaces, picnic tables, grills, trails, one active cache & another that's waiting to be archived. I'm toying with the idea of placing a few micros out there -- all within a mile hike of the picnic area -- and not giving out the coordinates until the gathering. Any suggestions for a date? Once we have that, I think we can start contacting people & letting them know what we're planning. -Gil

There are a large number of GeoCachers in the MidSouth area. This may be a good time for us to get together and meet the "other fools" who like to go searching in the woods. A partial listing of GeoCachers who have been active in the area in the past year or so is: Bitbrain * Goldberry * RCosgrove * Sonoma * Salvo * JamieZ * Geekboy * Sivad * MarkJ * Jentilla * Take A Hike * Pbaskind * Southpaw * Mustard Devil * Jim Carroll * Boatis * Feros Family * Imogene * 4musketters * K9-8 & cateyes * Worldtraveler * Cheesegang * Twodogcrew * Tprescott * Scully * Bigethespe * Tafische * Adfischer * Snoburd * Rxprt88 * Movinfr8 * Geonecht * Twreb * Whitedogpack * Centurion * N22T * Mutt Explorers * Wskitche * Quercus * Hannah's parents * 3 Monkeys * many others... If you know any of these folks, let them know we may be trying to put together a Picnic-type gathering soon. We'll probably attempt to send out an e-mail/invitation sort of thing as well. Your comments & suggestions are welcomed.

For any non-chemistry minded folks, that's Hi-O-Silver! I'm looking forward to searching for Salvo's (redeployed) Reserve Sunday afternoon. Wonder who's going to get there first? JamieZ: There are plenty of female joggers near Bitbrain's First , but they're hard-core, man. We're talking the <1% body fat folks... I think you'll like the location of the next one I'm planning.

For any non-chemistry minded folks, that's Hi-O-Silver! I'm looking forward to searching for Salvo's (redeployed) Reserve Sunday afternoon. Wonder who's going to get there first? JamieZ: There are plenty of female joggers near Bitbrain's First , but they're hard-core, man. We're talking the <1% body fat folks... I think you'll like the location of the next one I'm planning.