CTYankee9

Meh, sorry going to have to postpone this as my radiator seems to need replacing. I thought I asked someone to smooth-out those roads a little bit on the Bear Valley Loop in my absence! {Cracked the plastic end-cap resorvoir during my last bounce-fest, repairs to be done 1st thing Monday morning.}

The problem with printing that they probably won't hold up to moisture, especially if printed with an inkjet. Ordering custom chips is surprisingly inexpensive. You can get the chip printed and delivered for the price of the airtite container. Actually I have gone back 2 years later to caches with these tokens in them and found them to be in the same condition as I left them . This goes both for the ones in airtite containers as well as the ones just placed in zip-lock baggies. The key is the quality of the labels that you purchase, as described on the instruction page, use the high quality vinyl water resistant type; as the ink will "imbed" into the surface. Also a decent quality printer doesn't hurt as well as the proper output settings for that printer.

GeoCamera = Cannon PowerShot A1100IS, last of a dying breed that still features an optical viewfinder and is pocket-size for hiking. Also handles large memory cards. Looked them up and seem to be in my price range, will check further into it. Used to using my Olympus Camedia d-560, but after sitting so long unused with batteries in, doesn't seem to work with the rechargeable batterries anymore? 12MP vs. 3.2Mp would be a big upgrade and reviews seem to indicate optics are pretty good also for a point and shoot. Plus it would get me into the All Canon Team, as my main camera is a 40D set-up and my printers are all Canon products. Heck even have an A-1 I still use from time to time! Welcome back Ian. Missed you and Piglit on the trails. As for cameras, I prefer the ones that accept AA's 'cause that's what my GPS takes and are easy to find. My daughter had a SD1100IS - took it to the beach; got sand in it; now the lense is stuck shut. Thinking of getting her the more affordable Canon Powershot A480 for her next camera. Went with Harmon's recommendation and got a Canon PowerShot A1100 IS 12.1 Megapixel one. Actually got it way cheaper than my broken Olympus one from a few years back , funny how that works!

Ummm, bit late I work the midnight shift and don't get home til 10ish on Sunday mornings. But when I was out there the route to the Long Valley Peak Cache looked extremely clear! Didn't think to look at the way to Buckman Mountain though

Here's the link Poker Chip Customizer About $60 to make 300 chips. Refill kits are available too. I also leave behind custom made poker chips: I make them myself and the instructions are located at INSTRUCTIONS . I don't make them for others anymore, but they aren't all that hard to do once you get the hang of it. You will find the most expensive part of the process is the ink tanks for your printer.

GeoCamera = Cannon PowerShot A1100IS, last of a dying breed that still features an optical viewfinder and is pocket-size for hiking. Also handles large memory cards. Looked them up and seem to be in my price range, will check further into it. Used to using my Olympus Camedia d-560, but after sitting so long unused with batteries in, doesn't seem to work with the rechargeable batterries anymore? 12MP vs. 3.2Mp would be a big upgrade and reviews seem to indicate optics are pretty good also for a point and shoot. Plus it would get me into the All Canon Team, as my main camera is a 40D set-up and my printers are all Canon products. Heck even have an A-1 I still use from time to time!

Glad to see you back, Ian!! But I'm wondering, did you win the other game you were playing?!? No winning or loosing there ! Funny sort of game really; spend hours of your time researching how to efficiently obtain and where some meaningless items are, spend many more hours to go out and try to get those meaningless items, sometimes over and over in the same general location, only to find that The Powers That Be have put another meaningless item in that same location after you have been there numerous times and thought you had gotten all the meaningless items you wanted, so you can go back and search for that new one again over and over. Then to top it off The Powers That Be then emplace a whole new set of meaningless items in the game, just so you start the process all over again. Sorta silly isn't it? Why would anyone do something like that? Then you find it isn't really the accumulation of those meaningless items, but the fun you have in seeking them with other like minded people. Ah well all is fair in love and war, hey did someone put some new caches on Mother Miguel since I was last out there

Going out to Bear Valley Loop on Monday 9-14 at or about 05:30 for a cache, but mainly to test-out my truck again after some fixes. Would have room for one person if anyone is interested in going along and doesn't normally have access to these 4x4 caches. Would be willing to pick you up at the Rancho SD mall near the intersection of the 94 and Jamacha. Drive-ups only, not really intertested in hiking to the summits just yet, still way too hot! Must not be allergic to dogs nor mind riding with one.

Hello All! New cacher looking for some tips on the game, any suggestions on how to get to 10K finds real quick would be apreciated!!!! OMG wow gratz to all those that have been busy, busy, busy. Some tips of my own should you contemplate a 2 year hiatus: 1. After that last hike before your break, DO empty the water out of the camalbak bladder! 2. Check to see if there are any TBs or Coins in said Camelbak before your vacation {sorry } 3. Remove all batteries from any electronics in said Camelbak; anyone recommend a good geocamera? Hmmm speaking of said Camalbak, seems to be 2 pockets full of hockeypuck sized containers in there, any idea what I am supposed to do with those? Also seems I have a big pile of Ammo Cans sitting in the garage, need to get them out of there somehow But seriously, good to be back and look forward to meeting you all on the trails again! Thank-you to all those that sent the Emails, both during my vacation in another world {Dunemaul, look me up if you ever visit} and now that I am back.

May I suggest a cache trip to GCJXV2, followed by GC88DD ! Jk Harmon but you did ask. But, I would also re-think my geocaching friends list... With friends like that, who needs Muggles!

I have archived my three caches that I placed out there and will be camping out in the desert this week-end starting with the Indian Forks area and then a drive north "OUT OF THE PARK" to the north end of Salton Sea to do some caching up that way near the Ladder/Painted Canyon area. If anyone wants their caches recovered and think I might go near them, let me know and I will pick them up and store them at my house until you have time to get them.

HONK! and thanks for the replace of cache Harmon. Although it was the third time missing, so I think a critter along those rocks enjoys the flavor of plastic or was gathering Xmas gifts for his family.

The Dairy Queen in Rancho San Diego showing the aftermath when the cow refused to give enough milk for the after-caching Sundaes?

Harmon, 'tis the season for giving: I have them in .mov format, but can't figure out how to make a link to them here or get them into my Photobucket account. Every time I upload to Photobucket, it converts it to some odd format {.flv} that doesn't work right. Ohh well, they look cool to me when you rotate them around. Maybe this will work: Panoramic view in Crest Seems to work!!! OK, Camera used: Olympus D560, no tripod, just a steady hand and some Kentucky windage while turning. Programs to make panoramas: The Panorama Factory v4.5 QuicktimePro v7 {for viewing} or RealPlayer v10 {for viewing} The above programs did all the work, especially the Panorama Factory, it is fully automated or you can nudge it if you want in manual mode. Just plug in the series of photos that you took and set the paramaters and off it goes!

Another 13 photo stitched together. Photos taken from the cache "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" near Crest. I know, but it has been quiet in here and it was wet out today, so no caching for me.

Ahhhhh!!!! Got the panorama to work from this area. Panorama shot stitched from 13 photos from one of the "Peace" caches on a round-top in the area.

TBAG!!!!

Piglit9 & CTYankee9 We'll join in! Happy Holidays!

Mt. Gower, itself, is inside the area still closed by the Witch Fire Closure Order 02-07-9. See here for a map of the closure area. Witch Fire Forest Closure Map (This is Cleveland National Forest.) The Mt. Gower Open Space Preserve (west of Mt Gower), however, has been reopened according the County Parks and Recs webpage. Thanks for the info, I was hoping to go up to the peak itself , maybe some other time when it reopens.

Would anyone know if Gower Peak, southeast of Ramona is open to hiking? I was thinking of doing the caches on it Tuesday morning the 11th, also if it is open and any of the owners of the caches that may have been damaged in the fire want them replaced/fixed-up, let me know. If I do hike it I will bring some small replacement caches with me to keep the spots until the owner can get back out there to put it back to the way it was.

Harmon feel free to edit to your heart's content for anything I may post or that you dig-up, and thanks for the in-depth anaysis of the shots. I have noticed going from computer to computer here at home that the settings of the monitor's gamma, brightness, contrast, and what-not have a large impact on the image as viewed. Each one is a little different and the main one I use; actually I have corrected to showing the photo pretty good for color now. Piglit only carries her own stuff, not mine! But, the trick, for her at least, is lots of treats for a job well done, and a firm hand when the job isn't so well done. For her its milkbones and a rolled newspaper, but I am sure the Dairy Queen treats, if continued, will work for Splashette !

I don't have fingernails left after today's game.... Elvis will not leave the building!

For the record: Metal: Chuy!, Duncan!, Flagman, Sledhead Wood: Map4Navigation, Auld Pro Sans stick: CTYankee9, Habu! Yeah, I noticed ... ... but what about the socks? Beautiful shots, thank you very much. Thank You for the compliments Harmon, like I said I am not the best with the photo-editing software, yet. Also, thanks for cleaning them up some, it is nice to know what is supposed to be in the shot or at least what I saw through the viewfinder is actually there, even if the camera couldn't handle the exposure fully or that I can't bring it back out. You are welcome to browse through the rest of them at: My Photobucket If you get bored, there are some more there to play with, I know it is work and you tried to cover it before in another thread. But, if you don't mind posting just an outline of what you did for enhancements to the photos, I know I would appreciate it as would others. Not the settings really, just what feature you are using to get it to the final product that you post here. Just for info; I use Paint Shop Pro XI by Corel { used to be JASC}, although I do have one of the later PhotoShop versions, CS I think or something like that. I am just not as quick or familiar with that one as I am with the Paint Shop program. Here may be a toughy, at night too far from the flash: I wasn't keping track of socks, most of us had on long pants for the weather, although one person had them displayed: But he was in in specs, by wearing the proper length sock for hiking shoes

For the record: Metal: Chuy!, Duncan!, Flagman, Sledhead Wood: Map4Navigation, Auld Pro Sans stick: CTYankee9, Habu!

A couple of the better shots from a recent adventure had by Auld Pro, Chuy, CTYankee9, Duncan, Flagman, Habu, Map4Navigation, and Sledhead to the "Dos Hombres, The World's Longest Trestle" cache in the south-west part of Anza Borrego SP.