Geocache Leads to Mountain Rescue

[+egami]

To help this back on track...

 

It was good news to see they were found in good, healthy shape. And, it'll be interesting to see if anyone becomes a geocacher out of hearing about this on the news.

[+eagletrek]

Yes, it is good that they're safe and sound. Target, Cease Fire!!!!

Edited January 18, 2008 by eagletrek

[+showme69]

CNN has renamed our activity. Listen carefully and you'll hear the guy say "geocatch" more than once.

 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/0...ers.rescued.kgw

[+Weaselden]

Another cache not only muggled but the muggling was reported on the news! People should learn that if they find a cache and they don't have a GPSr they should not touch it!

 

 

I'm glad they made it out and that a cache helped them even if they might not have actually needed it. Just goes to show that the world is a crazy place.

Edited January 18, 2008 by Weaselden

[+BigFurryMonster]

It says the guys found the cache. Do you think the searches signed the log too?

 

Yeah, the log must have looked something like this:

 

"Left Travel Bug, Took Two Lost Hikers. Thanks for the cache!"

[+MissJenn]

eveyaj, the cache owner of GCRZCP, performed maintenance on his cache on January 30. eveyaj wrote:

 

For all those that have made a posting this is not the cache that the missing Mt. Hood climbers found. Please see GC-PNWSAR3 as this is the cache that they found. I had a hard time trying to verifiy if this cache was the one they found. Finally got solid confirmation this week that it was in fact GC-PNWSAR3 that played a role in getting those guys rescued.

 

Have a look at GC-PNWSAR3. Let's save that cache page for cache logs and send all the other posts to this forum thread which is better suited to handle the conversation.

[+Mopar]

eveyaj, the cache owner of GCRZCP, performed maintenance on his cache on January 30:

 

For all those that have made a posting this is not the cache that the missing Mt. Hood climbers found. Please see GC-PNWSAR3 as this is the cache that they found. I had a hard time trying to verifiy if this cache was the one they found. Finally got solid confirmation this week that it was in fact GC-PNWSAR3 that played a role in getting those guys rescued.

 

Have a look at GC-PNWSAR3. Let's save that cache page for cache logs and send all the other posts to this forum thread which is better suited to handle the conversation.

 

Looks like that cache is classified wrong. Since it uses a nonstandard (for GPS and geocaching.com) datum as the listed coords, shouldnt it be a puzzle/mystery cache instead of a traditional? If you enter the posted coords into a GPS without modifying the default settings you will be nowhere near the cache.

[+DrAwKwArD]

Perhaps this is why it has only been found twice in 2 1/2 years? From the map view it only appears to be 2/3 of a mile from hwy 26.

Looks like that cache is classified wrong. Since it uses a nonstandard (for GPS and geocaching.com) datum as the listed coords, shouldnt it be a puzzle/mystery cache instead of a traditional? If you enter the posted coords into a GPS without modifying the default settings you will be nowhere near the cache.

[MarcusArelius]

The listed cache coords are N 45° 18.609 W 121° 46.427

 

I would hope that the owner converted the NAD27 coords to NAD84 when he posted the cache. If so the NAD27 coords would be N 45° 18.620 W 121° 46.357.

 

Note the difference is only .011 minutes North but .130 minutes East which is about 308 feet bearing 257 degrees true. It would be easy to check both places.

 

And yes, the cache is half a mile north of the highway regardless of which datum is used.

 

This is about 3.5 miles SE of, and about 2500 feet lower than their intended destination, Timberline Lodge which is around 6000'. They actually camped at about 5000 feet about 1.5 miles east of the lodge.

THey started hiking down at 5AM and found the cache sometime before SAR met up with them at 11AM.

Edited February 6, 2008 by MarcusArelius

[+PhxChem]

COORDINATES ARE NAD 27 CONTINENTAL US DATUM TO MATCH THE MAPS IN THE AREA!

 

[MarcusArelius]

Yes I read that. It wouldn't be the first time the text of a cache page was wrong.

 

It doesn't really matter since the coords are still going to be only 300 feet off. Just in the other direction. So maybe you have to check 3 spots.

 

If the listed coords are NAD27 then the WGS84 coords are N45 18.598 W121 46.496.

 

Now for those that don't know, you don't need to understand how to make these conversions since your GPSr will do it for you. Set it to the unusual map datum, enter the coords, the set it back to WGS84. Presto you have the coords in WGS84.

 

I also note that neither the cache page, nor the online reporting form specifies a map datum. I'm sure it written somewhere but I can't find it with a cursory search. It is at least implied that the site uses WGS84 due to the cache placemtn on maps and what your get when you click the "Other Conversions" link on the cache page. It would be an easy mistake for someone to make.

Edited February 6, 2008 by MarcusArelius

[+The Jester]

I also note that neither the cache page, nor the online reporting form specifies a map datum. I'm sure it written somewhere but I can't find it with a cursory search. It is at least implied that the site uses WGS84 due to the cache placemtn on maps and what your get when you click the "Other Conversions" link on the cache page. It would be an easy mistake for someone to make.

I hadn't noticed that. It used to be listed right after the co-ords, but that reference was removed sometime with the updates to the cache page.

[+Silfron Mandotheneset]

I also note that neither the cache page, nor the online reporting form specifies a map datum. I'm sure it written somewhere but I can't find it with a cursory search. It is at least implied that the site uses WGS84 due to the cache placemtn on maps and what your get when you click the "Other Conversions" link on the cache page. It would be an easy mistake for someone to make.

I hadn't noticed that. It used to be listed right after the co-ords, but that reference was removed sometime with the updates to the cache page.

 

Well, I found this in the official glossary:

 

Geocaching uses the WGS84 datum by default. We also use the format HDDD MM.MM, which is a standard for GPS receivers (like the eTrex).