yooper1019

I have just found a way to cache along a route that even a caveman could do. This guy has a bookmarlet called GMapToGPX and it is "like so simple." Follow his directions but there is one catch i have found. The default is to only give the coordinates of the turns so I click on FULL to get the points for the entire route. If using GSAK begin a new filter and load the gpx file using the arc/poly tab. Happy Caching!

Here's an example (Google Earth screen shot) of caches along a route from my method explained above. This is a route from Marquette, MI to Houghton, MI and all the caches along the way that are within .5 miles from the route. The distance between these two UP cities is 100 miles and there are 22 caches along the way. Edit: I just did an overlay of the Geocaching .kml and I missed a few that were .6 and .7 mi. away from the route so be sure to specify your wanted/needed distance because it is very accurate!!

Tell you what else works. Use circles (radius from a postal code or whatever) AND "placed during" for high density areas. This way you could do a query for a 100 mile radius (or other distance) from say Bismark for caches places from 6/1/00-6/1/03 and another one for the same thing except change the dates to 6/2/03-6/1/06. This way it spreads out the results since you can only get 500/query. You could break it down even more if needed and this may need some playing with since only 200 may have been placedin the first date range and 800 may have in the second. Happy Caching!

For all you GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) users out there, this is easy to do!!!!! (Or get GSAK and become one) Software Needed: Google Earth, GSAK, and also an Internet connection Limitations: routes on google maps seems to only by available in North America, Great Britain, and strangely the Turin area of Italy (thanks to the Olympics I guess) 1. First thing you need are two macros from the GSAK macro library (be aware of your GSAK version) . 1.1. The first one is RouteMe.txt . . 1.1.1. You will need the current version of GPS Babel . . 1.1.2. Also a program called wget. Wget.exe . . 1.1.3. Follow the directions carefully . . 1.1.4. This macro goes onto maps.google.com and creates an arc/poly for the route . 1.2. The next macro you will need is the Google Earth one. Follow directions for install . . 1.2.1. There are two of them: the link points to the advanced one with the cache icons . . 1.2.2. This is needed to see the results on Google Earth 2. From your GSAK database use the “user select” column and select a cache at the beginning and at the end of your route . 2.1. This is like start and destination if you were getting driving directions online . 2.2. Make sure you sort the database (most likely form home cords) 3. Run the routeme.txt macro from the GSAK macro-->run menu . 3.1. You will be asked for a distance from the route to show caches. (.5mi is default) . 3.2. The results will be a filter showing only the caches along the driving route from beginning to destination. 4. Run the Google Earth macro (default: ge.txt) from GSAK macro-->run menu . 4.1. Follow directions/options and choose to launch Google Earth at the end . 4.2. The result is Google Earth opening and showing all your caches along your route . 4.3. An option is to enter your route into Google Earth by clicking the directions tab in the top left of Google Earth. . . 4.3.1. This will show your route, your caches, and have an option to print the Google Maps driving directions . 4.4. If you have the Geocaching.com .kml for Google Earth disable it! It will only confuse things. I hope this works as simply for everyone as it does for me! Happy Caching!!! Yooper1019

What about a moderator pinning an open thread where people can post stories like these about cranky Muggles that just don't get it? It would give cachers a chance to stay away from some areas or to be especially stealthy around certain areas (such as Old Man Johnson's neighborhood). It could be called "Caching Gone Bad" or "Bad Cache" or something.

I seemed to work on my myspace blog but not on my myspace profile.

I see. Most of the extras are actually territories of other countries and not "countries" themselves. Plus "other" thats funny!

The home page of the website states this but how can there be 248955 active caches in 221 countries when there are only 192 countries in the world (193 if you count Taiwan but "officially" they don't qualify as one)??????

Boo for politics in the forum. (In your signature)

Why do people want to turn a civilized dicussion thread into something hostile? Are you trying to provoke somebody with a statement that makes them think you're calling them lame? If so please take your hosility elsewhere.

Does anybody know how I can put my stat bar in my signature??

mental note: avoid any and all caches hidden in this manner (fun!!????!!!) Where is your sense of adventure????? jsamfam, I think you should read team neos's post above. People sepnding hours hunting for a cache should expect to find it. Your method may work in some cases but as for the standard I think the majority of chachers believe accuracy is betteracy. Walking right up to a cache a finding it can sometimes be a letdown but for some people to drive hours away on weekends and then hike another couple hours and not find the cache b/c of bad coords would be a bigger letdown. A wanna rip your own hair out letdown!

Good point! I am sure you are an excellant cacher and should have found that cache. I will definitly mark my caches correctly after hearing this.

I have a Garmin Forerunner 201 I bought for running and just happened to stumble on to geocaching at the same time. I'm gonna use the Forerunner (works fine so far) untill I feel I "into" geocaching enough to buy one more tailored to it.

How do you average 4 coordinates? On paper? Or is there a nice easy way like an online calc. the later is preferred. Now i just need a website to make my bed for me!

Wow! Averaging, marking from multiple directions?? These are good stuff! I haven't exactly placed a cache yet but just wanted to see what every one else does. I do see jsamfam's point though. I found two micros recently, both urban, both in parking lots, both under lamp post hoods, one was bang-on and the other was about 30 feet off. In a parking lot with nothing but lamposts at least with the one that was 30 feet off I had to check another lampost or two first and find it. I wouldn't exactly like this in the deep forest but urban I feel it may be OK as an exception. Maybe write it into the description

The forum search requires all words be at least four letters in length to search so FTF wouldn't search. I know b/c it gets me all the time.

I was curious as to how close people like to mark the coordinates to the caches they hide. I'm sure people have many different approaches and preferences to this. Next to physical placement coordinates are the difference bewtween making an easy cahce or a hard one. I personally don't want to be on top of a cache when looking for it. What do you all thing??

I am from the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan (the most beautiful place on the planet!) and we are called yoopers. The 1019 comes from my birthday October 19th because yooper is usually taken.

I could but I would like the graphic of the stats bar on myspace.

ahhhhh! where is my stat bar???

logged out of geocaching.com and here both

trying again

logged out/in trying again.

no sig??