How would one determine the oldest cache in a given county?

[+Driver Carries Cache]

I'm planning a bit of travel to grab a few caches and was thinking it would be neat to grab the oldest cache in each county I visit. I found a bookmark list of the oldest caches in each California county, but a couple of them have been archived. So I'm trying to figure out the oldest active cache in a given county. Has anyone done this, and how would you go about it?

 

Thanks!

 

Driver Carries Cache

[+qurlix]

I'm planning a bit of travel to grab a few caches and was thinking it would be neat to grab the oldest cache in each county I visit. I found a bookmark list of the oldest caches in each California county, but a couple of them have been archived. So I'm trying to figure out the oldest active cache in a given county. Has anyone done this, and how would you go about it?

 

Thanks!

 

Driver Carries Cache

 

Hmmm. Well if you are visiting Sheboygan County, WI, I have a bookmark list for you.

 

In all seriousness, though, I imagine you could sort caches you downloaded by placement date using a third party program. I think I recall lurking a recent thread about determining county boundaries and the resolution was that GSAK could do it. I wouldn't know though. I currently use a mac, and I don't bother playing around with MacCaching. I did my list by seaching from the center and selecting old caches within the county by hand.

 

Of course there's always the chance someone has done the work for you. If you know one oldest active there already, you should definitely check its bookmark lists first. EDIT: Umm I can't read. You already tried that.

Edited July 29, 2010 by qurlix

[+GeoGeeBee]

GSAK.

 

Download all of the caches in the area. Load them into GSAK. Run the County/Country macro to add the county name to each cache. Use a filter to show only caches in the desired county. Sort by Date Placed.

 

I thought about, and actually started working on, creating a bookmark list for the oldest cache in each county in North Carolina. But I gave it up after realizing how many pocket queries it was going to take to create a database that covers the whole state.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Has anyone done this, and how would you go about it?

 

Yes. I was interested in a small number counties in Florida, so I used DeLorme maps to find a rough center point for each county, and a mileage from that point that would include the entire county. I'm sure there are other map programs you could use. Then using that center and radius asked for caches placed from 2000 - 6/2001. Kept advancing the placed date until I got some returns, dumped that in GSAK and ran GSAK county macro to determine county. Because the radius from center is obviously going to return caches in a circle, and there aren't many circular counties.

 

Alternately. run date ranged queries for the whole darn state, but limit yourself to caches placed before 12/2001 (or some suitable date) and then sort using the GSAK macro.

 

The oldest cache in Pasco County Florida dates from July 2002, and there are counties in the state where the oldest cache dates from 2003. This complicates matters, but you'll fill in an awful lot of counties by limiting to 12/2001, and not need too many queries to get it done either.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Isonzo Karst

[+TABjuggler]

Has anyone done this, and how would you go about it?

 

Yes. I was interested in a small number counties in Florida, so I used DeLorme maps to find a rough center point for each county, and a mileage from that point that would include the entire county. I'm sure there are other map programs you could use. Then using that center and radius asked for caches placed from 2000 - 6/2001. Kept advancing the placed date until I got some returns, dumped that in GSAK and ran GSAK county macro to determine county. Because the radius from center is obviously going to return caches in a circle, and there aren't many circular counties.

 

Alternately. run date ranged queries for the whole darn state, but limit yourself to caches placed before 12/2001 (or some suitable date) and then sort using the GSAK macro.

 

The oldest cache in Pasco County Florida dates from July 2002, and there are counties in the state where the oldest cache dates from 2003. This complicates matters, but you'll fill in an awful lot of counties by limiting to 12/2001, and not need too many queries to get it done either.

 

I was going to tell you to check out this challenge:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...59-6ee79c8114ef

 

But then I noticed that you were the one that made it

 

 

It is on my list of challenges to do eventually. It looks well worth the trip. (Plus I'm from Pinellas county)

[+Castle Mischief]

Start sawing ammo cans in half and counting the rings. It's the only real way to tell.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Castle Mischief