entogeek

Glad to see that there is still interest in this challenge.

You can always ask, but as you know, you can't make it a requirement. Some cachers will respect your request, others may not - just human nature.

I think I just p'd myself reading Paul n Susan's post. Yep, I checked, and I did.

I do agree with the common consensus that it's considered bad form to log a find on one's own cache. But what about logging finds on one's own challenge caches? I know of CO's who do that, especially if the challenges are difficult to achieve, e.g. an 81 grid fizzy challenge. I see nothing wrong with them doing that, but that is merely my opinion and that and a buck and a half might buy you a cup of coffee.

As long as it doesn't rain on our parade! For those who stick around after signing the log (assuming you are there just after midnight) you can put your names into a hat (really another ammo can) for a chance to win 1 of 9 unactivated geocoins.

FTF "might" still be available.

First time caller here! Willow Island Cache south of Lake Winnipeg.

As with any other cache I visit, if I see something of interest and take a photo, I'll upload it with my log. As an EC owner who has removed the photo logging requirements, I still very much enjoy seeing photos that visitors post.

Just added 3 more, up to 52nd.

Hope you're bringing the goodies on Family Day for the official opening of the cache!

Having read through the EC Guidelines, FAQ and Knowledge Book, as far as I can tell, there is nothing that states that you have to wait for approval from the EC CO before logging your visit. However in order to log a visit to the EC, you do have to carry out the logging requirements which are to be verified by the EC CO. As you know, it is the responsibility of each EC CO to ensure that their logging requirements have been met. As an EC CO myself, if someone doesn't answer my questions correctly, I will work with them to see if they can come up with the answers. I don't have a problem with someone logging their visit without waiting to hear from me about their answers. Sometimes they want to log as soon as they get back home when their visit is still fresh in their mind. I would think those logs tend to be better than ones that are a day or more older. But that's just my opinion.

From my personal experience, I place my more creative caches in more remote locations. By remote, I mean you are going to have to go for a 3-5 km round trip hike through a forest with varying terrain half an hour's drive north of the city . This tends to encourage those cachers who are in this activity more for the experience than the numbers to go for these caches. From the logs I receive, they appreciate the effort gone into the cache and they themselves take the extra effort to make sure everything goes back the way it should be. If anything goes amiss with the cache, then I would attribute it to an honest mistake and not negligence.

These are all awesome. Looks like a road trip is needed this summer.

The image on their website looks like Hawk Lake Log Chute and there happens to be an Earthcache there (there's some shameless self-promotion there for you )

Avernar's new goal for 2010 is to find something else to bug entogeek about. Doh! We both missed our goal by 22 days! Moon-Cacher I hear we may be going out on the ice together soon, real soon.

Don't know if this works with the 60CSx but here is the link on how to do it.

I've just sought and received approval from Hilton Falls Conservation Authority to develop two Earthcaches in their area. I consider the Conservation Authority not as landowners (strictly speaking) rather I see them as stewards of the land. I recognize that a conservation area is developed for a variety of reasons, not least of which is to protect vulnerable habitats and species. To your specific question. One could potentially find a great location for an Earthcache in a conservation area (a public place) but to access the site could require one to trek through breeding grounds of a number of species at risk, or to trample on top of protected wildflowers. I honestly believe that no geocacher would knowingly engage in such behaviour. But not every geocacher is a biologist by training (which I happen to be). Therefore the Conservation Authority, as stewards of the land (call them landowners if you like) have the responsibility to protect these species at risk. One way of doing that is by requiring us to seek their permission to develop Earthcaches, or any other type of cache, outside of these specific locations in order to ensure the continued existence of these species at risk. This is why their guidelines typically state that a cache should be no more than 1-2 m from an approved trail. Otherwise, the placement of an Earthcache, even with the best of intentions, might very well have a very significant negative impact on the environment.

Tick-tock, tick-tock

Highland Creek is an example of an Earthcache with a focus on erosion in a creek.

Just found an Ontario souvenir on my profile. At first glance on my iPhone I thought the bird was a cormorant and immediately went "Gaahh", and wondered why it wasn't a loon. Then looking at it on the PC I see it is a loon! Personally I like this one and glad to see that it has finally arrived. Here's to looking forward to the rest of them.

Pickering, Ontario here and winter can be one of the best times of the year to go caching thanks to the geotrail - footprints in the snow! My advice for now is to stick with some easy Traditionals with a D/T rating of 2/2 or lower that have the snowflake (winter accessible) attribute. Try and look for small, regular or large size containers first - leave the nanos alone for a few weeks unless it's a guardrail nano which should be easy to find. That way you won't run into DNF after DNF. Then when you start to feel adventurous, branch out into some easy multis and mysteries. Don't forget the virtuals either as they are a dying breed. Feel free to contact the cache owners for help if you can't find their cache. We hide them so they can be found!

Go to my profile and pick anyone you like. I'm happy to oblige. Except for my first one as I still remember how excited I was to finally get one. There are a few other memorable ones for me but for me it's not about the numbers, it's about keeping the monthly streak alive.

Consider putting the log book inside a heavy duty freezer ziplock to prevent the paper from becoming a brick. Don't know how many I ran across today that were frozen solid even though they were in Lock n' Locks but weren't in ziplocks. Moisture can still penetrate a Lock 'n Lock a bit, the paper accumulates the moisture and then freezes. A thick freezer ziplock is just another level of added protection. If you really want to play it safe then do as I have done with a couple of island caches where the log book is in a freezer ziplock which is placed inside a Lock 'n Lock which is placed inside an ammo can.

From the Cache Listing Requirements / Guidelines page: Logging of All Physical Caches Geocaches can be logged online as Found once the physical log has been signed. So how can one claim a find if they didn't sign the physical log? The outside of the container is not the log unless the log is of course on the outside of the container.

1. Find the cache, sign the log, claim a smiley. 2. Find the cache, don't sign the log, then it's up to your own ethics. Here's a scenario. You arrive at a locked Mystery cache that has a field puzzle. You solve the puzzle, unlock the cache and are the first to sign the log. You get home happy with your FTF only to see someone else claims an FTF. They state they couldn't solve the puzzle, nor unlock the cache to sign the log but since they found the cache they signed their name on the outside of the container. If it were my cache, the smiley goes bye-bye.