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Unorthodox personal goals


nekom

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I have a simple one to get a cache in all 50 states right now I only have 8 done yeah only 42 to go. I am getting ready to retire and I will get many more states on my trips, I just hope gas prices stop going higher or else I will have to drive the car and stay in hotels.

 

I can not afford to tow my 5th wheel at $4.50 for a gallon for deisel when I am only getting 10 MPG thats $.45 a miles just for fuel a round trip of 2000 mile would be $900 and I have taken 5000+ mile 2 week vacations in the past and was looking forward to some more 5000+ mile trips but streeching the out for a month or more but the cost of fuel is having me think twice about it. To fill up my truck at current costs is over $600 now that will get me 1300+ miles but that is a lot of money.

 

I have been to 47 of the 50 states only Alaska (which I am doing next summer), Washington and Oregon (trying to get to one or both of these this fall) to go and camped in 38 (at least I have pulled my camper through them). You better belive that any time I go to a new state I will find a cache in it.

Edited by dew cache
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Goals... I have many of them...

 

Get all of the virtual caches left in a given state (completed NJ, DE)

Get all the counties in NJ, DE, PA. (completed NJ, DE)

 

Have fun! (completed almost anywhere I cache!)

 

I just recently discovered geocaching so my goals are simple:

 

1. get out of the house and get some exercise so that I lose about 10-15 pounds

 

2. speak some quality time with hubby

 

3. share my fun and excitement of my finds with friends and family in hopes they too will take up the sport and get some exercise

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I would like to complete the Pennsylvania counties and DeLorme challenges. Planning for those are in the works.

 

Would like to host and event.

 

Do better taking care of our own caches and hide better ones. which we're working on now that life is no longer interfering.

 

The most important goal is to have fun.

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Good question. When I first started caching I was more concerned about trying to get numbers under my belt but after about a month, I realized I didn't remember much about half the caches I did. So I changed my idea of what I wanted to accomplish with this hobby.

 

1. Research caches and make it fun, I like hikes in the mountains or along lakes/rivers where I can bring the dogs and backpack/fish, etc. So, now I make little mini adventures to include all my hobbies. I could care less about numbers, I want to remember and enjoy what I'm doing even if it's only 1 cache a month.

 

2. Save the easy, "less exciting caches" for when I'm short on time and just need a cache fix.

 

3. Hides: Making them well thought-out, fun and adventurous. I've got a few I'm really proud of and a couple that aren't too exciting. I've learned alot over the months, what I like/don't like. Now I'm researching to place another multi-cache and I bought a bunch of halloween stuff on sale last October ;)

 

4. Place a nutella themed cache!

 

5. Place a cache that earns the finder a geocoin that can only be earned by finding the cache.

 

Thanks for the fun ~ tsun

Edited by tsunrisebey
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My personaly goals (no time frame, just general goals):

- finish D/T grid (currently at 49/81, see my profile)

- light up more counties for my INATN maps, maybe even find the TN County/Delorme challenges

- solve more 4-star and above puzzles

- find more of the puzzles I've found

- obtain Platinum Earthcache Master status (currently at Bronze, but almost to Gold)

 

I would imagine that 1/5 and 5/5 caches would be few and far between

You would be surprised at the number of caches that are rated at 5-stars terrain just because the owner rode in a rented canoe or kayak to get there. The fact that the cache is a 2.5-star walk down a trail from the road didn't count in their rating. Also some people assume that if it's a 5-star terrain it's automatically a 5-star difficulty. There is a string of half a dozen or more 5/5's down the flat-water river a few miles north-west of Chattanooga. It's all about who's doing the rating, and whether or not they actually follow the standard clayjar system.

 

Have you found all the Mafia puzzle caches?

The OP said "Unorthadox personal goals", not "insane". Besides, I thought one of the rules was that if someone finds all the Mafia caches then all the members have to each go hide a new cache. Personally, I still apparently can't count steps, and I also think there is a banana missing.
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Here's the link for the Original Fizzy Challenge. I'm happy to say that a year later it's spawned caches like it in at least 11 different places (I have them all bookmarked from that page as do a few people).

 

My small goals are:

- Finish the Bay Area Quad Challenge (mentioend eariler)

- Finish the California COunty Challenge (why is this state so darn big?!)

- Find a cache in all 50 states (a LONG way to go, something like 45 left!)

- Get average terrain rating over 2.0

 

I enjoy the longer hikes and tougher terrain so this one SHOULD be easy, but it isn't . For every 1 or 1.5 star cache I pick up (I'm selective and don't cache out an area) I need a 3 or higher terrain to balance it.

 

I'm currently at 1.99. Looks like one more good DeathMarch should do it!

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I forgot one:

- get Average Terrain and Difficulty of found Physical caches over 2.0 (currently about 1.9).

 

And for those who didn't follow the earlier link, if you find three Earthcaches in at least 2 different states you can fill out an online form and the USGS will mail a Bronze Earthcache Master pin to you. Stick it on your caching hat or pack. Then as you find more cache in different states and PLACE earthcaches you can apply for and get more pins:

 

Bronze: 3 finds in at least 2 states/countries

Silver: 6 finds in at least 3 states/countries + 1 placement

Gold: 12 finds in at least 4 states/countries + 2 placements

Platinum:20 finds in at least 5 states/countries + 3 placements

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For each of my 100th milestone finds my goal is to find the oldest in a different State. It isn't always easy to time it right but so far I've been able to continue it for the last 5 times. Number 200 was "Gorilla Stash" [GC1B] the oldest in my own State , #300 was the oldest in Kansas (and the world) "Mingo" [GC30], .....and the last #600 was "Tom Sawyer" [GC39E] in Kentucky. The oldest in New Mexico "Open Space letterbox 6" [GC109] was supposed to be #500 but very heavy show ran me back home and I settled for Tennessee "LPS001" [GC132] . I plan to make the original cache location #1,000 but we will just have to see how it works out. It is obvious my caching is not about the numbers but my "Unorthadox personal goals" IS about the numbers. It is just my small way of paying my respects to the pioneers of the sport and to the caches that have held up the longest and kept the sport going and growing. If a cache doesn't last there is a reason for it and if one does last, there is a reason for that too.

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I forgot one:

- get Average Terrain and Difficulty of found Physical caches over 2.0 (currently about 1.9).

That's hard, isn't it? That was my own goal - get my terrain average above 2.0, and I just barely made it. But I'm not sure if I can keep it up there. There are so many interesting/fun 1.5 hides out there.

 

Also, with over 1000 finds so far, I've got the sheer dead weight of all my existing finds pulling the average right back to ...average. Argh!

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I would imagine that 1/5 and 5/5 caches would be few and far between

 

I really want to do a 5/5 cache - I guess that isn't an out there goal however :)

 

I've actually done two 5/5 caches (though I'm not sure that the terrain actually qualified as 5). One of them took us almost a year to figure out! And one 1/5 cache. We hiked two days, with about 6000' of climb, to sign a log book in a shelter. There is an easier way, with 1000' of climb, but we did it the hard way! Also have a 4.5/5. Can't remember which one that was. :mad: The rees tof the 5's might take borrowing a kayak. Hmm...

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I would love to FTF a cache, any cache, that has been unfound for years. The more years, the better.

 

These are few and far between!

 

That is an awesome one!! I managed to do just that last month. It was a puzzle cache that was placed over a year and a half ago.

 

What a great feeling!

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I have two goals that are the same as some others here - every grid on the terrain/difficulty scale and a find in every county in my state. Eventually, a find in every state.

 

at $4.00 US/gallon though, the latter two will be less important to me.

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I forgot one:

- get Average Terrain and Difficulty of found Physical caches over 2.0 (currently about 1.9).

That's hard, isn't it? That was my own goal - get my terrain average above 2.0, and I just barely made it. But I'm not sure if I can keep it up there. There are so many interesting/fun 1.5 hides out there.

The terrain part is REALLY hard if most of your caching involves bringing a 3-year-old along for the trip. Plus I was wrong - my terrain average is currently only 1.81 (physical caches only), so I'm a lot farther away than I thought. Difficulty is 1.94, and every hard puzzle cache I find helps that one out :)

Edited by J-Way
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I have two personal "games" or goals:

 

1) I want to keep my average of "caches / day" at 1.00 or above.

 

2) I like to try and expand the range my local Pocket Query covers. You know, oh, today it only reaches 45.4km because six new caches were hidden...I hope I can find enough caches to get it to stretch back out to 45.8km or such." (In our area this is a losing battle for anyone who works full time it seems.)

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10. To find 100 caches in 24 hours, solo with no advance assistance, phone-a-friend or other support of any kind. (I've picked out three likely areas in Ohio where I think I can do this.)

 

Oh, my, I have that goal as well. At least, it's at the top of my list of goals for if I get well enough someday. I think about it a lot, but I have patience. I hope that you are able to accomplish it! :)

Edited by Ambrosia
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I forgot one:

- get Average Terrain and Difficulty of found Physical caches over 2.0 (currently about 1.9).

That's hard, isn't it? That was my own goal - get my terrain average above 2.0, and I just barely made it. But I'm not sure if I can keep it up there. There are so many interesting/fun 1.5 hides out there.

 

Also, with over 1000 finds so far, I've got the sheer dead weight of all my existing finds pulling the average right back to ...average. Argh!

 

Get yourself a kayak or canoe and go after caches that require a boat. They automatically get a 5 terrain rating due to the "requires special equipment and/or skills" but once you have the boat the terrain difficulty is usually way overratted.

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Well, I don't know about unorthodox, but some of my goals (and some of them I just started, due to this thread) include:

1) Find all caches within 20 miles of my home

2) Find and Document a variety of benchmarks

3) Create at least one cache for every 100 caches' found, incorporating elements of my favorite caches each time

4) I like the geocoin cache idea - I'm gonna "borrow it", and make a multi-cache with a geocoin as a reward

5) Join the rest of the ranks & earn some earthcache pins (I've already got a couple ideas for placing some!)

6) Verifying each cache I find. Obviously a logbook must be signed if it's a cache, but for virtuals or benchmarks I take a photograph. The topic was unorthodox goals....

7) To log a cache in every county in Kansas

8) To take a moment at each and every cache to find something to appreciate, be it new knowledge, a beautiful view, a clever cache idea.

9) To NEVER go caching without my camera (so far so good!)

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1. Competed - All 50 States & DC the first year of caching

 

2. Find - 10 caches North of the Arctic Circle (July 2008)

 

3. Find - Caches in every Canadian Province

 

4. Find - 100 caches in every state (in progress)

 

5. Find - Delorme Challenge MD & DE (soon)

 

6. Find - Delorme Challenge ME

 

7. Find - Delorme Challenge PA

 

8. Complete - Fizzy Challenge

 

9. Rack up 500,000 miles geocaching (currently at 320,000)

 

10. Never hide another nano cache

 

11. Find another 1100 caches by the end of August (doubtful)

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Okay mine might be a little odd. I am new to geocaching and my goal is to lose 20 lbs geocaching.

 

I look for caches that I park and have to do a bit of walking to, of If I am doing urbans I park and walk my route.

 

So far it is much better than the treadmill!

 

Froboz

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9) To NEVER go caching without my camera (so far so good!)

 

I try to keep that up as well. Lately I've been trying to upload at least one photo for each find log. I know I really enjoy the pictures people upload when they find my caches, and I can only imagine most other cache owners enjoy that as well.

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I am looking to list Earthcaches in as many US National Park Units as possible. I'm up to 11, I think. Right now I working on Yosemite, but they are a little reluctant. I may have to settle for finding Earthcaches in some parks as they already have Earthcaches.

Edited by TerryDad2
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I am looking to list Earthcaches in as many US National Park Units as possible. I'm up to 11, I think. Right now I working on Yosemite, but they are a little reluctant. I may have to settle for finding Earthcaches in some parks as they already have Earthcaches.

 

Why are you having problem they already have several Earthcaches in Yosemite. I am goiong there for a wedding in 3 weeks and have looked them up already.

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OK, I'll play:

 

- I'd like to see one of my caches have at least 7 people "watching" it (the most I've seen locally is 6).

 

-

 

Yes yes yes I have now achieved this, 9 people are "watching" my latest cache, what a cool goal. My guess is all the cachers with large number finds in NZ don't want anyone else to claim ftf on this before them. :D

click here to see

I know of one local who has set up a self calculating spreadsheet to work out which ones they have and what their score is.

I love it, its a race for first - in slow motion.

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I originally set the goal of 100 FTF by the time I hit 1,000 finds. I was amazed that I made it. After that I changed the goal to getting 200 FTF by the time I hit 2,000 finds. Hmmmmm........ guess that won't be a problem. I have 1,410 finds and, counting the 5 new FTF I got yesterday, I now stand at 170 FTF. I think when I hit 200 I'll back off on the FTF madness.

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