MikeB3542

OK, that's just funny! But seriously, when I heard this guy on the local public radio station, what was amazing was how loud nature was IF you weren't mixing it up with man-made sound. He played exquisite recordings of (very) distant thunder and snow melting.

I'll admit I've done it -- lacking a working pen or pencil, I've tucked a biz card into the log book, at least until I can come back later to sign the log properly

That one is on my must do list! Beautiful quote, Seeker! May our trails improbably cross in peace! Oh cr@p, that sounded awful! I mean it is unlikely our paths would cross -- be well.

That one is on my must do list! Beautiful quote, Seeker! May our trails improbably cross in peace! Oh cr@p, that sounded awful! I mean it is unlikely our paths would cross -- be well.

That one is on my must do list! Beautiful quote, Seeker! May our trails improbably cross in peace!

At the very least, I mark the location of my car. If there are critical points along the way (a stream crossing, trail crossing, fence line), I sometimes will mark those. "Bread crumbs" (leaving the track function "on") can get confusing once you start backtracking -- marking a few meaningful landmarks helps me more. FWIW, the trip back is usually easier, since I usually find a way better path near GZ than the one I took to the hide.

Totally sold on JanSport packs -- incredibly durable and well-made.

Such nature trails in residential developments are usually a set-side mandated by zoning board/local government to ensure that the development has enough "green space". These trails often will not show up maps that the park district has, but will show up on the site development plan prepared by the developer. These plans are public record -- copying is expensive, and they won't let you wander off with the plans, but you should be able to peruse. Bring along a Google aerial photo/map and make a note of trail heads and access points. After that, there is no substitute to scouting the location on foot, since the plans don't always match up with what gets built. Best of luck to you

Arduino Still a bit unclear on the concept -- seems to be sort of programming language. (It didn't come up when I googled.) Is the novelty that the cache container does novel things when opened or what? Perhaps an interface directly with my GPSr or handheld? Please be gentle, we aren't all techies. Perhaps you can describe HOW this app is actually being used in the referenced caches. (It won't help me with these puzzles, since I'm over 2000 km from them. Still, not looking for you to be a spoiler.)

Color me clueless. What is this "Arduino" thing of which you speak?

Starved Rock, and nearby Matthiessen and Buffalo Rock SP's, are really amazing. Very different from "typical" Illinois terrain. Be aware that in the fall most of the waterfalls have dried up -- you have to go in the spring/early summer to see them at their peak. That's OK, because the fall colors can be very nice. Trails are mostly easy -- most of the "climbing" is confined to the bluff trails around Starved Rock itself (lots of stairs). Do check with the rangers beforehand about trail conditions -- flooding in the last few years has ruined bridges and trail. The LaSalle and Tonto Canyons offer a particularly good destination. The trails west of the lodge (St Louis Canyon) seem to get less traffic, but are worth a walk. Haven't camped their, but have stayed at the lodge, which is worth checking out even if you don't plan to stay the night. The timber roof trusses and giant stone fireplaces are a CCC masterpiece. The St Peter sandstone formation looks like it would be awesome for rock climbing, but it is in fact very poor, and climbing around off trail is prohibited. Definitely do try to make time for Matthiessen (just south of Starved Rock) and Buffalo Rock (east of Starved Rock on the north bank of the Illinois River. The operation of the lock and dam is also interesting -- the Army Corps of Engineers has a visitor center explaining how it works.

Permethrin is the stuff. It goes on your clothes -- socks, shoes, pants, hats. Usually, you need to do the treatment a day or so in advance. You definitely don't spray this stuff on your skin. Ticks that climb on treated clothing die and drop off. Read the directions and heed the warnings -- it is nasty but effective stuff. Did some hiking around the Hot Springs, AK area a few summers ago, and amazed at how aggressive the Lone Star ticks were -- very fast crawlers, and they went to work right away (the deer and wood ticks up here in Wisconsin seem to take their sweet time.)

The Katadyn Vario and MSR Sweetwater, among others, are decent choices. Definitely make a trip to REI or an outdoor store that will let you try out the different models available. While the principle is the same, they all work a little differently. Some you pump, some you crank, others are gravity fed. No these aren't always light weight, but you have to consider the amount fuel you would just for boiling water.

warrants? No stinking warrants needed if you voluntarily walk up to a LEO and admit involvement with something they think is illegal. Let it go. The story from the last finders seems weird -- the time frame is all messed up. Unless these jokers are close personal friends, you don't know what they were up to, and you don't know what sort of nonsense you are going to get pulled into. Ultimately, they probably can't nick you for much more than littering, but you might have substantial grief in the process. (Consider that cases involving drugs may result in seizure of your personal property.) If you have connections -- family or friends on the force -- they might be able to retrieve GC's, TB's, and logs for you (provided that the container is not evidence), or at least give you a heads up. No trackables are logged in so basically were just looking at a container, some swag and a spiral notebook. If you'll pardon my rambling a bit, I have a question: has a legit or non-legit geocache been used by the bad guys as a way of making a drug drop? Is this potentially a problem?

Nothing ethically challenged with picking up, moving, dipping, or keeping your own TB. It's your TB. It would be nice to explain what your intentions are, though. Sometimes TB owners use caches to "store" TB's they don't intend to distribute (often ones that have been lost). If a TB is in a state of purgatory, please make a note of it on the TB page so seekers aren't confused and frustrated by its absence.

Another bad one is wild parsnip -- causes a very painful rash when effected areas are exposed to sunlight. Personally, I have managed to avoid, along with poison ivy (part skill in identifying, part dumb luck). See link for info. http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/1999/jun99/parsnip.htm

Today on WI Public Radio, I heard an interview with an extraordinary gentleman named Gordon Hempton. His cause is to find places of natural silence, where one can truly listen to the world around us. Here is his website: http://onesquareinch.org/ What was intriguing was the identification of "one square inch of silence" within the Olympic National Park, approx 3 miles east of the Hoh Visitors Center. The coordinates are noted on the website(N47° 51.959 W123° 52.221) along with hiking directions, and there is a log at the location (not intended for geocaching, only for folks to write down their reflections of this wild place. Geocaching identifies itself as one of the "silent sports" -- one where you can get out on your own in nature and, if you pay attention, see, hear, touch, smell and maybe taste a world that you miss in our normal rushing about. This area is pretty much devoid of any eartcaches or virtuals, so seems it would be any interesting opportunity for someone interested (and closer that I am here in Wisconsin).

I don't think you're going to hear the real story because of what it will mean. ( <-- The conspiracy theorist part of me.) Think about it. First, the power trail guideline is completely thrown out the window. No requirement for making the caches a multi considering the close proximity, similarity, and ownership. Second, let's place it on major infrastructure with questionable permission assumptions and no questions asked. Let some other "insiders" break a record or two. Then, let's archive the vast majority of the individual caches claiming unforeseen circumstances so wrists don't get slapped for placing temporary caches. Sure. Pretty elaborate undertaking simply to forge an unbreakable record. Still... I'm just wondering how this will bode for the power trail guideline that was thrown out the window that wasn't really thrown out the window because the guidelines still say "please don't hide a cache every 600 feet just because you can". Many a power trail has been placed during this confusing period in the past year; rural Maine, rural Illinois, near New Orleans, Ontario Canada, Spain, Denmark and Sweden. Those are just off the top of my head. Do you happen to know where the power trail in rural Illinois is? I'm back. South of Peoria and Bloomington. By username MutherandSun. I only have Geocaching.com Google Maps at my disposal right now, so I can't zoom out enough. But I'm rather certain she spelled the word MUTHER along rural roads. That user has 900 hides, and I'm sure I've heard of a bike trail power trail in Illinois by them as well. The Muther and Sun caches are laid out along Illinois county lines, and average approx 1 mile apart. Each batch of four or five dozen caches encircling the county appears to be part of a puzzle cache. Considering the distance between caches, it isn't quite "power trail" material.

Totally get that this is way down on the list of "Things To Worry About". I still think the folks out NW have a fungus problem. http://www.extremescience.com/zoom/index.p...st-living-thing

Saw this -- my guess is that it probably isn't worth a full blown freak out, but a good reminder that Mother Nature can be a b***h. Around here, you hear occasionally about folks (mostly hunters) and dogs getting ill from blasto. http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/hig...oregon/19451049

Also check out the WGA website (http://www.wi-geocaching.com/). And do consider joining -- nice people, fun events and the price is right (free).

FWIW, my eTrex Legend has had controls that got dodgy. The toggle that allows you to scroll around is the usual culprit -- sometimes it refuses to let me move the scroll bar or pan. My guess is it is an electrical connection that is weak -- these units will take a good drop or two (unlike an iPhone) but that doesn't mean the shock helps matters. A few gentle taps usually clears things up (emphasis on gentle!)

The point isn't that they aren't replacing the aging satellites, it's that they aren't replacing fast enough. For geocaching and car navigation, probably not too big of a deal, since we aren't demanding too much accuracy. For military and land surveyors that demand very high precision, it has turned into something of a scramble. Rising fuel prices present a way bigger threat to geocaching.

I would spend just a little more for a Legend H -- the basic mapping function really helps. (The maps are not good enough for turn-by-turn navigation -- just major roads and geographic features show up). Being able to hook up to a computer with a USB cable is pretty important. Skip models with the old serial port cables. Color displays, altimeters, and magnetic compasses are nice but will add dollars for marginal utility.

Believe me, you didn't miss anything. I had a <very> temporary suspension of "intelligence" and was pipe-dreaming about what I'd really love to find on these hunts. Sorry. Here's what I have been led to believe about searching for artifacts. the first thing you'll need to know is where did they hunt. There's no sense looking for arrowheads where none were used. after an arrow is lost, and then the organic parts rot away(Wood, Feathers, Sinew) the arrowhead will be just like any other stone in that it will work it's way downhill through erosion. Eventually they will end up in creeks and washes. Continuously flowing creeks will quickly wear them down and they will become just another smooth stone. Intermitent creeks will move them, but will not wear them down as quickly. Finding them in the slower parts of intermittent creeks in the traditional hunting grounds should be the easiest place. Or more likely, at old settlements, also near creeks and streams. (North American Indians were smart enough not to try to settle far from reliable sources of fresh water.)