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Quad Cities Cache Machine April 18


travisl

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(Note: circumstances may change after this initial posting. Look for my posts (with the icon13.gif) in this thread for all the important details and changes. The draft route will be posted in this thread in early March.)

 

The Quad Cities. The Palouse. Cougar Country. Pullman. Lewiston. Clarkston. Moscow. They're all Cacheville.

 

Fill up the tank, toss down some breakfast at way-too-early o'clock, and meet a mob of fellow cachers at sunrise on Saturday, April 18, at 5:45 a.m.

 

14 hours later, we'll see how many caches we've found. My initial route has more than 80 caches to get.

 

Follow all traffic laws, and drive safely. This is not a race; there are no winners. The only loser will be someone who gets hurt.

 

If you're still out on the road at dinner time (7:30 p.m.), skip the rest of the route and come on in. Socializing at dinner is one of the best parts of machine events (and that's coming from me -- someone who usually hates socializing). There will be travel bugs to discover, a buffet to gorge yourself at, and more geocachers to commiserate with than you can shake a walking stick at. The most important rule:

 

As with all cache machines, if you find the cache, you'll be the one who has to re-hide it. Hide it as well as you found it.

 

For any micro cache with a tiny logbook that we find on the event, one "QCCM" log entry should suffice for the group. We tend to fill up log books too quickly, and our stickers tend to make micro log books hard to re-stash. For normal-sized caches, or even large micros (like key holders), everyone should sign in.

 

Bring FRS radios if you’ve got them. We’ll use Channel 2 to communicate among caching vehicles and to say 'Howdy' to listening locals. Suggestions and ''Count me ins'' are welcome on the event page, which will be up soon.

 

If you’ve already found a couple of these caches, that’s fine - give us a chance to find the cache, and then we may turn to you for a hint.

 

-----

 

The Quad Cities Cache Machine FAQ:

 

When is it?

5:45 a.m., Saturday, April 18, 2009. Latecomers can track us down en route.

 

Where are people staying?

See the thread below. Lewiston is your best bet. Inn America (702 21st St, 208-746-4600) is offering a special geocachers rate of $55 a night (+$4.68 tax) for a double or single room. In order to get that rate, call the hotel direct and tell them you are with the geocaching event.

 

Will it be one large group, will we be split into teams, or what?

We start the day as one giant group, which means we'll hopefully find each cache quickly. Then it's on to the next one. The group tends to fragment after the first few caches, though. The longer we can keep the big group together, the more fun it is!

 

Is anything going on before, during, or after?

- Friday, April 17, there may be an informal pre-event dinner. Watch this thread.

- Saturday,April 18, at 7:30 p.m., dinner will be at The Last Waypoint, N 46° 22.638 W 117° 00.666. Could our final stop have a better name? I've created an event page for this dinner event.

- Sunday, you're on your own. Go get the ones you missed.

 

A cache on your map shows the wrong place to park.

Let me know, and I'll incorporate it into the route.

 

It sounds fun, but I've already found some of them.

Then come laugh at us, or guess when we'll be at the caches you haven't hit yet. Monitor FRS channel 2.

 

You don't have X cache on the route. Why aren't we getting that one?

I'm skipping a lot. I'll be avoiding longer multicaches, puzzle caches, caches that appear to be overly time consuming, and caches that the owner has asked us to avoid.

 

You have X cache on the route, but it's disabled/archived.

Let me know, and I'll remove it from the route (if archived) or will check with the owner (if disabled).

 

X cache is in an environmentally sensitive area.

By all means, let me know. I'll work with the cache owner to minimize our impact, or skip the cache altogether.

 

I disagree with the whole idea of cache machines. I don't want you finding my cache.

Sorry to hear that. It's too bad you've got a neat place to show us that we won't be able to see. Let me know, and I'll remove it from the route.

 

What's this gonna cost me?

Nothing for the caching. Or, at least, nothing more than it would cost than if you did the trip solo (e.g., paying for your own gas, hotel, and dinner). I'm not collecting any money for this.

 

Lunch? Breaks? Bathrooms?

Lunch: You should probably bring a sack lunch to eat on the road.

Breaks and Bathrooms: There's no breaks in cache machines! Just hold it. :-P Or find something on the way.

Edited by travisl
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Huge thanks go out already to QuadsInTheMudd for their legwork in finding dinner and hotel locations for us. About dinner: the manager of The Last Waypoint (what a name!) thinks we should have a buffet type so people can eat immediately, while a handful can order off the menu. If 100+ people all come and order at the same time it could and a hour and a half or longer. Vegetarian off-menu items are available, too. They can seat 150 people easily.

 

QuadsInTheMudd will also be selling event shirts for $17 (you might be able to get them early at the maze event in Seattle) and path tags for $3. All the proceeds go to defray costs of event extras like breakfast, coffee, water pit stop, and lunch. (Yeah, I'm grinning in amazement already.)

 

This is gonna be a fun one, I can tell already.

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It's not just me! We have a group down here planning this thing and Ogeo and Isplash get credit for the pathtags. You dont want to miss this we are going to make this the best machine we have attended.

 

pathtag2_qccm.png

 

I think Dale and Debbie did a great job on the pathtag!

 

The shirts are in the final art work stage and I should have more info next week. Ogoe Isplash and I will be at the Maze event in Seattle on the 28th with the shirts and pathtags. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...d2-14aee7681b5e

 

Cant wait for both

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You guys are killing me!!! This cache machine sounds like so much fun! And it's at my end of the world. Unfortunely, I can't be there! I am in a wedding that day. Anyone willing to come and break the groom's legs or kidnap him or SOMETHING so the wedding gets postponed??? LOL I am just kidding....I think....

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You guys are killing me!!! This cache machine sounds like so much fun! And it's at my end of the world. Unfortunely, I can't be there! I am in a wedding that day. Anyone willing to come and break the groom's legs or kidnap him or SOMETHING so the wedding gets postponed??? LOL I am just kidding....I think....

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Thanks, Travis, for getting the thread going. I've booked a room.

 

Brad, thanks for your work and planning. I've had to miss the last couple and I'm excited to attend this one.

What the Goat said. :D Got my room booked at Inn America for Fri/Sat nights. Thanks to Travis and Brad - looking forward to it!

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Well just stay tuned. When the page is posted it will all become clear. we have a deal on hotel rooms in Lewiston so please hang on

I'm staying tuned but haven't seen any details on the hotel deal. Is that resolved yet?

 

First post had a telephone number and a price of $55 + $4.68 tax per night. This has changed? I called and made reservations and no indication of a problem or that it was unresolved. The person taking my reservations seemed to know all about it. EEEEK! Will I have to sleep in my car?

 

Jim

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Well just stay tuned. When the page is posted it will all become clear. we have a deal on hotel rooms in Lewiston so please hang on

I'm staying tuned but haven't seen any details on the hotel deal. Is that resolved yet?

 

Lewiston is your best bet. Inn America (702 21st St, 208-746-4600) is offering a special geocachers rate of $55 a night (+$4.68 tax) for a double or single room. In order to get that rate, call the hotel direct and tell them you are with the geocaching event.

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I havnt seen anything on the cache page about the deals it is in the opening post of this thread. Inn america $55 a night + tax but you must call them directly and say you are with the geocaching event. the info is at the top post.

Yep, I got my room at Inn America at the geocaching rate, just as advertised in the earlier post.

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Well just stay tuned. When the page is posted it will all become clear. we have a deal on hotel rooms in Lewiston so please hang on

I'm staying tuned but haven't seen any details on the hotel deal. Is that resolved yet?

 

First post had a telephone number and a price of $55 + $4.68 tax per night. This has changed? I called and made reservations and no indication of a problem or that it was unresolved. The person taking my reservations seemed to know all about it. EEEEK! Will I have to sleep in my car?

 

Jim

No, there was no problem. I just couldn't find where the info was posted. I see it now.

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No, there was no problem. I just couldn't find where the info was posted. I see it now.

 

Sorry for the confusion. The event cache page is for the dinner; this forum thread is for the cache machine itself. Hotel information isn't for dinner, so it's in the first post of this thread. The listing guidelines say that "an event cache should not be set up for the sole purpose of drawing together cachers for an organized hunt of another cache or caches. Such group hunts are best organized using the forums...", so that's what I've done. The only drawback I've seen is that I can't modify the first post in the thread when information gets updated, which is why I say to watch for my posts with the "!" icon flagging them.

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Looks like I get to go!!! Dragging Tessa1 along from Whidbey for this one. We've got reservations at Inn America through my Entertainment Book for half price - get this - $34 a night. YAY!!!! I'm so glad they had rooms left at that promo rate!! See ya there!

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I called Inn America and they Have eight more rooms we can get at that rate. The counter person said that there is an outdoor show that weekend and an archery shoot event so they are starting to fill up fast. If you call and they do not have any rooms left I suggest callin the comfort inn or motel 6 in clarkston. stay away from the super 8 it is on the highway real close to the paper mill and next to a 24 hour truck stop.

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I called Inn America and they Have eight more rooms we can get at that rate. The counter person said that there is an outdoor show that weekend and an archery shoot event so they are starting to fill up fast. If you call and they do not have any rooms left I suggest callin the comfort inn or motel 6 in clarkston. stay away from the super 8 it is on the highway real close to the paper mill and next to a 24 hour truck stop.

 

Oh, does that mean you can get a really good rate there? <_<

 

Jim

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I called Inn America and they Have eight more rooms we can get at that rate. The counter person said that there is an outdoor show that weekend and an archery shoot event so they are starting to fill up fast. If you call and they do not have any rooms left I suggest callin the comfort inn or motel 6 in clarkston. stay away from the super 8 it is on the highway real close to the paper mill and next to a 24 hour truck stop.

 

Oh, does that mean you can get a really good rate there? :laughing:

 

Jim

 

WAIT, did you Not get your room at the Inn America <_<:D

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Wow - just out of curiosity, I checked Inn America reservations. It appears they are booked up now. Nothing was left available for Friday or Saturday night. I wonder if we're ALL geocachers filling the place up?!

 

Sorry for setting off the alarms :rolleyes:. I didn't call them, I just did a little fake booking on line to see what would pop up & the rooms were all showing unavailable. Guess calling is the way to go now.

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Two things:

 

Most importantly, the dinner location is changing to the Wayback Café, 46.40700 -117.0000, 2138 13th Ave, Lewiston, ID 83501. The coordinates on the cache page will catch up to this soon.

 

Secondly, I plan for the first draft of the route to be up this weekend. Sorry for the delay. I've been slacking :)

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1) The first draft route is up (2.1MB .PDF). Take a look, and if you know the area, let me know what I've done wrong. I'm still going to need to pare out some caches from the route -- as it stands now, there's an extra seven hours worth.

 

2) Dinner at the Wayback Café will be $14.75 per person, including tax and 15% tip. They will have a buffet consisting of Vegetable Lasagna, Baked Chicken, BBQ Boneless Pork Ribs, Hamburger Bar, Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, Fruit Salad, Broccoli Salad, Green Salad w/Dressings, Assorted Dinner Rolls, and beverage (Coffee, Hot Tea, Iced Tea, Lemonade or Soft Drink). Milkshakes and adult beverages will be available, for extra cost.

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GCQPP5 Splish Splash Plop -- Need a boat? It's on a island, but cache owner's terrain rating is a 2.

GCGDFZ Vandal Art Walk -- 11 multi-waypoint virtual tour. Last log 12/20/2007. Looks time consuming.

GC14TAV WSU Tower -- .30 mile hike from parking lot.

GC13NX4 It's Beachy! -- DNF? questionable.

GC18MNQ Rest Hollow -- Cache been replaced?

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all caches that are on the route will be found by the cache amchine group over here so dont worry about the dnf's we will have the whole route done the week before for and have a call a caher list for out of towners. and splish splash plop yo do not need a boat to get to... you will need to now how to swim or use a life vest, tube, water wings......

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GCQPP5 Splish Splash Plop -- Need a boat? It's on a island, but cache owner's terrain rating is a 2.

GCGDFZ Vandal Art Walk -- 11 multi-waypoint virtual tour. Last log 12/20/2007. Looks time consuming.

GC14TAV WSU Tower -- .30 mile hike from parking lot.

GC13NX4 It's Beachy! -- DNF? questionable.

GC18MNQ Rest Hollow -- Cache been replaced?

 

Thanks, I'll make sure to incorporate this info into the next draft.

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Ok this is my two cents...well maybe it’s more like twelve cents but here it is anyway

 

GC1F0DN Fun and Games This is kind of in the open right in the middle of campus and in a bush that has no leaves right now. My take is drop there are a lot of other great caches to get but it’s up to you.

 

GCQPP5 Splish Splash Plop not a great cache machine cache but a lot of maps don’t show it on an island.

 

You have added a do not enter sign in between GC1DD4V Rock of Ages and GCV4YZ Your Choice you should change the order to go down old 95 to your choice it is gravel but what the hay

 

GCQMAQ Creekside Oasis is the parking cords for GCTCAN first aid station.

 

GCGB33 Buffalo Coat one of the stops is two miles away from this vert.

 

GC1G451 Don't get steamed no parking close and may get the campus cops a little upset on this one

 

GCGDFZ Vandal Art Walk way to many stops for a cache machine

 

GCMY66 JOHN : 94 I will have to check on the way into this one but some of the streets are closed to cars as are a few roads that you are using on campus but we will sort them out for you

 

GC1H2JJ Round Top keep it! It has a great view not that bad people can skip if they want same for GC14TAV WSU Tower

 

GC1DBRD Hatchets and Pointy Stic… this one is off the trail under a bridge. Not bad unless you read the don’t leave the trail sign you have to go past to get to it and it is on a very busy walk bike running trail between moscow and pullman

 

GC18MNQ Rest Hollow been muggled many times no way to know if it will be there for the machine and if it is will we cause it to disappear again?

 

GCVJAR Three Fork this one should be added for downtown pullman once you find a spot to park it is very quick to grab the three downtown caches.

 

GC127Y5 Flying J Gardens has about a .25 mile walk each way no big deal just a heads up

 

GC1NE7X Hot Wheels Stash Cac… not a lot of parking at the parking spot and you cant pull over on the hwy….. Well I did but you have to read my log for it to find out why.

 

There are a lot of changes that need to be made for parking, one way roads and walkways that are not roads. Over the next week while we prepare for the maze trip our group will go out and get you some parking cords.

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It appears to me there are a lot more caches in Moscow / Pullman than Lewiston / Clarkstson and since the cache starts and ends in the valley it might be better to have more caches in the LC valley. Also, I'd like to make a recommendation to the route starting at #74 Ferrets TB Hotel (GCRYZC). After this cache you should go to Crabbin (GCMKZV) -->Just In Case (GCTH87) --> Cross Country (GC10187) -->CSD Tech 1 (GC1493X) --> TradeMark (GC17D9Q)--> Replace the Cat Stash (GCY982) --> Wild Goose Macro (GC12D8E). This route eliminates Where's Arnold (GC1DXBR), Leaf Something Nice (GC1MZ4P) & Welcome to Clarkston (GC1KRDP). Where's Arnold is frequently muggled and usually in / around a garbage can --> not FUN. Leaf Something New is too new and not well hidden...will be muggled soon, plus a cheesey container and bad neighborhood. Welcome to Clarkston is my cache and I am sure the property owner will not be thrilled with all the extra traffic from a Cache Machine.

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Another FYI:

 

"Big Rubber Band Ball GCNXJ1" is on a really tiny road (partially paved/partial dirt), it's a dead end, and a VERY residential neighborhood. The cache is in some trees very near a house.

 

"Buffalo Coat GCGB33" is a virtual two step multi-cache.

 

 

Just an option here, if you'd like. There are two caches here in Moscow at Mountain View Park with International Flairs and the timing with the route wouldn't be but maybe a handful of minutes. Here are the two suggestions:

 

"Spuds and Herring: Spuds (ReDux) GC1JBWG" (Isle of Man)

"A Little Bit of Norway GC1JHFH"

Edited by LadyStevenson
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I've just posted the second draft. It doesn't incorporate LadyStevenson's suggestions yet (sorry - didn't check before posting), but I did consider the advice of everyone else. I'll have the final draft up on Monday, April 13. Take another look and let me know if I've done anything dumb.

Edited by travisl
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