ANNOUNCING THE 1ST ANNUAL TRAVELBUG CANNONBALL RUN!

March 13, 2003

How about a prize for the bug that gets logged into their first cache last? Or the last one to leave the event? I am still in the running for those!

March 13, 2003

I'm sorry I didn't hear about the race early enough to enter but I hope to see some of the racers in Pennsylvania soon so that I can help them along. The slow pace is driving me crazy. However, with the good weather coming this weekend maybe they'll pick up some speed (and head south).

9.1k · March 13, 2003

All roads from New York to California pass through Pennsylvania, unless a bug detours east, then south through New Jersey. So, Shoebox, it would seem that us Western PA cachers will have the next opportunity to participate in the race. I could be influenced to take the right travel bug to the right cache deep into Ohio. Or, on the other hand, I've been waiting for better weather so that I can log some more of Quest Master's remote 3/3 caches up in the Laurel Mountains. Wouldn't it be a shame if someone's racing bug ended up there?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I was formerly employed by the Department of Redundancy Department, but I don't work there anymore.

1.1k · March 13, 2003

Leprechauns,

I will gladly split my prize money with you if you are able to move 2003 Cannonball Mini Cooper or 2003 Cannonball X-men Camaro from PA into Central or Western OH!

March 13, 2003

Wouldn't you rather help another PA cachers bug? If it ever get's out of NY you could help our Humvee.

4.8k · March 13, 2003

If you help out my Racing Pika Bug I'll buy you and little Lep dinner if I ever am in your part of the country (or if you are ever in mine)!

Regardless, please don't take it to one of those multi caches!

March 13, 2003

While we all wait for the official site to be fully operational, you can visit my personal links/stats page. Trying to organize the various links posted already.

March 13, 2003

I promise that any bugs not grabbed off the event page by this Fri 03-14-03, I will personally e-mail the cacher in posession and GENTLY nudge them into doing so.... As for the webpage stuff I don't dare complain to anyone since I am not capable of the programming necessary to do this, but I will whine and cry a bit for us all.

March 13, 2003

Just got a barrage of emails of ones that were snagged. I've updated the map for the day, but I believe only two bugs moved. This weekend we're in for a real treat as around here (Cincinnati area) it's supposed to be close to 70 degrees! Woohoo!

-Mixster

March 14, 2003

Just an FYI sort of thing.......I know of 2 other cacher groups that are bringing bugs to the PA border......near Erie on tommorrow.

Hmmm......what cache to put them in? I did notice a level 4 cache....Would that help or hinder? It seems that a cacher who can find a 4 would be able to follow a new set of TB rules

Dx

"Have you no news on your travels?" the Book of fairy & folk tales of Ireland (1888)

1.1k · March 14, 2003

Just a rules clarification -

Do the TBs have to be placed in a NY cache or does the starting event cache count as a NY cache and the first logged cache can be in PA?

March 14, 2003

NAH

I think a 2 or a 1 would work just fiiiiiiine

Cycyclist (and that ISN'T a stutter)

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

1.8k · March 14, 2003

On January 13, Brogan wrote:

quote:
Qualifing laps are over and the TB Hot Shot has won pole position for the start of the race by virtue of arriving first!

Some pole position... Hot Shot is one of the nine bugs still stuck yet to be logged out of Byrncliff Event Gathering.

It's probably because whoever picked it up is busy taking it to Pittsburgh, right? (I can hope)

"I'm sure she would have been thrilled to find so much pooh in a little metal box."

9.1k · March 14, 2003

I've put a bunch of the Cannonball bugs on my watchlist:

1. Anyone who posted above, blatantly asking for help.

2. Carleenp's and travisl's bugs, because sharks always swim with other lawyers.

3. Bugs sponsored by my favorite forum posters and ClayJar's #geocache chat room buddies (several of whom received e-mails from me).

4. Bugs sponsored by Pennsylvania cachers.

If these bugs get within striking distance (Erie area), I'll move them along nicely, because the western edge of my unfound caches takes me into Ohio. The other logical route is for Cleveland cachers to come east for them. If anybody is moving bugs to Erie, as mentioned above, the farther south you move them, the easier it is for Pittsburghers to grab them.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I was formerly employed by the Department of Redundancy Department, but I don't work there anymore.

March 14, 2003

Okay so I've only been in the chat room twice, but hey, that counts right? Actually it's pretty fun to sit back and watch, as this weekend will really get them moving. Please be patient with me updating the maps as I have a feeling I'll have a ton of watch logs to parse through (haven't gotten the CSV to work that Egnix posted) but no big deal, a little typing as a lot of them are passing through the same caches... Go Cannonball Go!

-Mixster

March 14, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Mixster:
(haven't gotten the CSV to work that Egnix posted)

Anyone else having problems?

Here's what I do...

from S&T select "Import Data Wizard..." from the Data menu

select the csv file

make sure it's set use Comma as the separating field

make sure the "First row contains column headings" box is checked

and bingo! you should have pushpins....

March 14, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Cache'N'Carry:
Just a rules clarification -

Do the TBs have to be placed in a NY cache or does the starting event cache count as a NY cache and the first logged cache can be in PA?

I believe we came to an agreement at the event that the event cache was a cache, and therefore they didn't need to be placed again in NY. Onward!

- Dekaner of Team KKF2A

March 14, 2003

The Byrncliff Event was a physical cache as required by the CannonBall Run rules, no need to stop in NY again.

March 15, 2003

Thanks to scubadive for the kick start for TOMAHAWK....most appreciated

March 15, 2003

Stomach was acting up so we 'cached' in early. However, I did update the map and two bugs have managed to make it into PA!! We'll see how the rest of the logs go as I imagine everyone was out today!

-Mixster

March 15, 2003

" Any CannonBall Run TB Racer owner MAY NOT be in possession of any other racer except their own! This is deemed an automatic disqualification. " as quoted from the race rules.

How is this intrepreted???

cycyclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

March 15, 2003

I just drove a TB to Pennsylvania, and I'm hoping it's the first to cross state lines. Any confirmation or otherwise of this fact? I took the Whidbey Flier from Buffalo, NY, to Erie, PA. I drove there JUST to deliver the Travel Bug. Yeah, I'm just that freaking cool. Plus, it was a beautiful day so it was a very nice drive and hike.

March 15, 2003

No. You're third...

My bug and another was hijacked after being IN Penn. earlier today.

Cycyclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

March 16, 2003

Now maybe disqualification is a bit steep for a TB racer owner touching another recer owners TB As what has happened in -=(GEO)=- dropping off his racer in Alpha and picking up both Cannonball Jack and the TICK as shown in these logs.

quote

March 15 by -=(GEO)=- (57 found)

Looks like I came in right after DxChallenged and Co...with the same goal no less! I dropped off 'DemonGlider', which is also a contestant in the CannonBall Run race...but I could not help it and grabbed the other bugs ;-) TNLNSL. Thanks for the hunt!

Saturday, March 15, 2003

-=(GEO)=- retrieved it from ALPHA by The Alpha-Operator:

Intercepted! Cannonball Jack just caught a speeding ticket ;-)

Saturday, March 15, 2003

-=(GEO)=- retrieved it from ALPHA by The Alpha-Operator:

Intercepted! The Tick just caught a speeding ticket ;-)

end quote

Now I feel proper restitution might be that -=(GEO)=- at least take both offended TB's back to a HIGH TRAFFIC cache further along, (ie;closer to the finish line), than from whence they were grabbed. This should be accomplished the very next day.

This would at least get the derailed TB's back into the game and keep the offenders TB entered into the race.

cycyclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

March 16, 2003

Geo has already received an e-mail informing him that he has been disqualified from winning the race for being in possession of another racer's Travel Bug. He may choose to contest the ruling if he feels it is unfair, at that point the details of the incident will be presented in the Forum and all racers will be allowed to vote.

Just because his Demon Glider has been disqualified from winning the race dose not mean that it can no longer continue to the endpoint and it MAY still compete for other awards. ( shortest distance, longest distance, most handlers, etc)

I think all the other racers out there can use this as a learning experience..., it might not be a bad idea to carry a list of all the entrants with you when caching, so you don't inadvertantly grab one.

March 16, 2003

We dropped off the 2 TBs yesterday......glorious day for caching and the cache we found wasn't frozen shut (2 out of the 4 we targeted were yesterday).

The family was a bit disapointed to hear that the bugs we helped along the way were sent in the opposite direction...

Did I mention what happens if you keep a tick too long? Last Easter we released a hord of the nasty beasties while on the trails in NC ... I believe that I have a live one just waiting should the TB hijack last long

"Have you no news on your travels?" the Book of fairy & folk tales of Ireland (1888)

6.5k · March 16, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by cycyclist:
Checking on the racer owner possession rule

" Any CannonBall Run TB Racer owner MAY NOT be in possession of any other racer except their own! This is deemed an automatic disqualification. " as quoted from the race rules.

How is this intrepreted???

Like how its written. If you have a racer in the cannonball your not suppose to have or move anothers racer. Gimpy and Brogan have already do this, but Brogan had DQed himself from the start, and Gimpy had the pace car(which cant win). So my understanding is it didn't matter.

quote:
Brogan:
I think all the other racers out there can use this as a learning experience..., it might not be a bad idea to carry a list of all the entrants with you when caching, so you don't inadvertantly grab one.

Your joking right? Who's really going to carry about a list of 70something TBs! Wouldn't the racer itself have something explaining about the cannonball??

March 16, 2003

Actually I wasn't joking.

If you are entered in the race and want to be sure that you don't inadvertantly pick up a CannonBall Run TB and disqualify yourself I would recommend that you carry a list of the racing bugs with you or just don't pick up any bugs until the race is won! Your choice of course...

Two new rules that have been proposed for NEXT YEARS race are that all bugs must be vehicles, and that they must have a card identifing them as CannonBall Run participants.

March 16, 2003

Allow me to offer my perspective on what happened to me and how I got to be DQ'ed. Btw, this is -not- an appeal for my case. Just finishing the race is winning enough for me.

Anyways...

It all started when I picked up 'Jelly Belly' from a new cache nearby. It was among other CB racers, but because it had -NO- identifying marker that it was a racer, I picked it up. I only realized my mistake after I logged the bug on the site. At that point, it was too late and I had shot myself in the foot with an honest mistake.

When I drove to PA to drop off 'DemonGlider' my own racer, I encountered the 2 other racers in the ALPHA cache... Being DQ'ed already, I had nothing to lose and I picked them up ;-) I would not have interfered if that stupid 'Jelly Belly' had not screwed me in the first place!

So, 'The Tick' and 'CB Jack' are still in my possesion and I am planning on letting them go today...they'd better behave or else ;-)

March 16, 2003

Team SueShe and the Lyndon Road Gang deposited a total of 8 racers in the Erie PA community.

6.5k · March 16, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Brogan:
Two new rules that have been proposed for NEXT YEARS race are that all bugs must be vehicles, and that they must have a card identifing them as CannonBall Run participants.

Having some sort of ID would be an implied requirement IMO.

what are vehicles?

March 16, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by welch:

quote:
Originally posted by Brogan:
Two new rules that have been proposed for NEXT YEARS race are that all bugs must be vehicles, and that they must have a card identifing them as CannonBall Run participants.

Having some sort of ID would be an implied requirement IMO.

what are vehicles?

http://brillig.com/geocaching/http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/22008_1700.gif http://www.gpgeocaching.com/

I can see the need for a requirement for a race tag attached to the TB. Mine had a road atlas with instructions written inside...it was a rush job what with the three hours needed before boarding the flight across country.

As for Vehicles... They mean that the racer needs to resemble some sort of transportation. I guess that rules out turtles, wasps and antenna balls.

cycyclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

March 16, 2003

I would like to point out that there are currently no turtles in the race. Tortoises yes, turtles no. One lives on land, the other in water. They are very different animals from one another.

Next year I will have to find a tortoise driving a car!

Scott

March 16, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team GeoDillo:
I would like to point out that there are currently no turtles in the race. Tortoises yes, turtles no. One lives on land, the other in water. They are very different animals from one another.

Next year I will have to find a tortoise driving a car!

Scott

WELLLL At least I got it right in the subject line...

But then again I don't know JACK

Oh yea, He's my racer.

My criteria is that Jack resides on cars.

Cycmrphmrmphmphclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

March 16, 2003

As of 3:30PM March 15, two travel bugs were seen in York, PA

Captain America and Dreamweaver

i know they are not closest to Kali, but I think they may be the first two bugs to travel the farthest distance in one move.

Do they get a prize for THAT?

Art

www.yankeetoys.org

www.BudBuilt.com

http://www.ttora-ne.mainpage.net/

March 17, 2003

Boy, this stinks.

The BIG WM has help across the country. somebody needs to intercept this movin machine. UNLESS of course if these WM guys are fans of Jack....a free Chipolte burger to any WM guy that helps Jack toward the finish to hang out with Oscar. Honest, He's happy with second.

Cycyclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

March 17, 2003

Well, as fate would have it, I am one of the lucky 9 TBs still left at the starting line. What the heck happened? Did I stall? Help! Someone please get some ether and start spraying in the carborator!

Brogan? Have the "nudge nudge" emails been sent yet?

6.5k · March 17, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by The NTKRWLR:
Well, as fate would have it, I am one of the lucky 9 TBs still left at the starting line. What the heck happened? Did I stall? Help! Someone please get some ether and start spraying in the carborator!

Brogan? Have the "nudge nudge" emails been sent yet?

Uh, Could we get Road Rescue back to the starting line to call some tow trucks??

*cough* Or at least to find where they're stalled at

March 17, 2003

Road Rescue should head out to TN, as I hear that Oscar's express had some engine trouble... (Flat tire would be fine too). J/K, looks like there are some dedicated Cannonballers out there! I've updated the map for today (remind me not to 'watch' all 70+ bugs in the future. 133 new messages to read today... geez! Any word on Silver & Gold or Superfly? I thought these were entries too, but no logs yet...

-Mixster

2.6k · March 17, 2003

Didn't someone mention that earlier?

I think my truck is probablly up on blocks in some back alley in NY. I wish I had ONSTAR.

george

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.

March 17, 2003

I asked this question before the race started (bottom of page 3) but no one answered, and now it has occurred. I assumed that "physically placed in a cache" (rule #2) meant that a cacher had to actually place it in the cache and leave it for another cacher to pick up. However, it looks like Oscar's Express was logged through 4 caches over 24 hours by the same cacher! I am not questioning whether or not “tenalley” actually visited all the caches that Oscar's Expressed had logged, but that travel bug never was physically "placed" in any cache except the last (GC72FB). I'm also not trying to disqualify Oscar's Express since this interpretation of the rules has not been answered yet, but should this electronic "drop-and-go" be allowed? If so, one could conceivably take a bug on a 3 day road trip to California, electronically touching a cache in every westward state and yet never be physically placed in any cache except the Pheromone, AND it could all be done by the owner of the racer (or a single cacher)!

Is this what was intended by the phrase "physically placed"?

...kicking some friendly dirt...

Scott

6.5k · March 17, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team GeoDillo:
...I assumed that "physically placed in a cache" (rule #2) meant that a cacher had to actually place it in the cache and leave it for another cacher to pick up. However, it looks like Oscar's Express was logged through 4 caches over 24 hours by the same cacher! I am not questioning whether or not “tenalley” actually visited all the caches that Oscar's Expressed had logged, but that travel bug never was physically "placed" in any cache except the last (GC72FB). I'm also not trying to disqualify Oscar's Express since this interpretation of the rules has not been answered yet, but should this electronic "drop-and-go" be allowed?

I think this was covered in the question about "can someone road-trip the bug all the way?"

quote:
If so, one could conceivably take a bug on a 3 day road trip to California, electronically touching a cache in every westward state and yet never be physically placed in any cache except the Pheromone, AND it could all be done by the owner of the racer (or a single cacher)!

I think the answer given was Yes. I would point that How do you know this person hasnt physically placed the traveler in each of the caches and then physically removed it?

AFAIK- All the talk of physical was more relating to the caches needing to be physical, anyways....

Guess ill have to read this whole thread (again)

Edit: Found it! Referring to page2 of this thread. On Jan. 25 at 11am I asked if someone could road-trip westward across the country stoping at a cache in each state. On (still on page2) Jan. 27 at 6am Brogan replies to several questions about the upcoming cannonball, in the 4th paragraph he says:

quote:
Fourth, I see nothing wrong with someone traveling cross country logging their bug in a cache in each state along the way, Sounds like a rather expensive proposition, and who out of us really has that kind of time anyways? Even if I choose to rule this out it won't stop someone from using multiple user names to accomplish the same thing. This may be something that gets changed in future races though.

quote:
From Brogan's other account:
I agree that it is possible for someone to do this and would be very surprised if someone hasn't already been checking with their "caching buddies" across the country trying to plan the perfect route to take advantage of this. As I said above, even if I make a rule against it, there are ways around it.

We've said right from the beginning this is going to be a learning experience for us all, so let's just race and see what we learn!

[This message was edited by welch on March 17, 2003 at 09:03 PM.]

March 17, 2003

Curious stat. If you notice on the stats board that IF a bug status is "other" it has 7882.3 miles to go.

Does that mean it is in Perth, Australia?

Could it be that when the info is parsed that if the last log entry is a "note" then it screws with the stat board for that TB?

Cycyclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

[This message was edited by cycyclist on March 17, 2003 at 10:06 PM.]

March 18, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by cycyclist:
Could it be that when the info is parsed that if the last log entry is a "note" then it screws with the stat board for that TB?

Yep, That's a problem with the current stats board. If there's no cache related to the last log then distance isn't properly calculated.

(If you really want to see the correct distance for those, my temporary stats page has them.)

March 18, 2003

Ummm...maybe I'm missing something, but Oscar's last log states that it was retrieved by and is in the possesion of '96 Olympic-Volunteer & Siggy, the bug's owners. Isnt this against the rules, and grounds for disqualification?

Art

www.yankeetoys.org

www.BudBuilt.com

http://www.ttora-ne.mainpage.net/

2k · March 18, 2003

quote:
If so, one could conceivably take a bug on a 3 day road trip to California, electronically touching a cache in every westward state and yet never be physically placed in any cache except the Pheromone, AND it could all be done by the owner of the racer (or a single cacher)!

I think the answer given was Yes. I would point that How do you know this person hasnt physically placed the traveler in each of the caches and then physically removed it?

As a non participating watcher couldn't this be verified by one of the race commisioners posting a note on certain cache pages asking the next finder to e-mail him to let him know if "person X" wrote a physical log in the book. Also, with as many people as there are participating there should be someone close to just about any cache that could verify a log book. Just my 2 cents.

Get your trackable USA geocoins at http://www.usageocoins.com

6.5k · March 18, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Eric K:
As a non participating watcher couldn't this be verified by one of the race commisioners posting a note on certain cache pages asking the next finder to e-mail him to let him know if "person X" wrote a physical log in the book. .

That would only prove cacherX had been to the cache(not that he had the traveler with him or that he placed and retrieved it), or at least someone signed them in as being there. As Brogan has stated before this race is largely on the honor system. If you want to cheat or otherwise brake the rules you could probly do so and get away with it.

quote:
Cracker7m
Ummm...maybe I'm missing something, but Oscar's last log states that it was retrieved by and is in the possesion of '96 Olympic-Volunteer & Siggy, the bug's owners. Isnt this against the rules, and grounds for disqualification?

If I understand what your asking, NO. A person who has a racer in the cannonball may ONLY have possession of their OWN BUG. If someone that has a racer in the cannonball and has someone else's racer, then yes, they are DQed by the rules (which means?? They can't win the prize even if they are first in whatever catogory )

March 18, 2003

This is the rule as I had posted earlier in this thread albeit it was for possession of anothers bug.

Having possession of one's own bug is kosher.

" Any CannonBall Run TB Racer owner MAY NOT be in possession of any other racer except their own! This is deemed an automatic disqualification. " as quoted from the race rules.

Cycyclist

I'm in need of direction, I can't see the satelites for the trees there.

March 18, 2003

Well, I wouldn't BUT....

If I have a beer in may hand and open the refrigerator and set the beer inside, and then immediately take it back out and leave it on the counter, I wouldn't say that I "placed" the beer in the refrigerator, it may have touched the refrigerator, but I didn't' place it there. I placed it on the counter, where it stayed, until I drank it of course!

I guess what it boils down to for me is I don't consider just putting the travel bug into the container and pulling it right back out to be "physically placing" it in the cache, because you're not leavening it there. I feel that each geocacher picks up a bug once and then places a bug once. Which is more fun, to have one or two geocachers travel across the US and just carry your bug with them through 30-40 caches so at the end only 2 cachers have handled him, or to have your bug be picked up and placed in 30-40 caches across the US and handled by 30-40 geocachers, all with different experiences?

I am not arguing the rules that Welch pointed out on page 2 here, I am merely stating my opinion about the term “physically placed”.

There is obviously no way anyone can know whether the bug was every physically in the cache or not, but come on, do you really think they pulled the travel bug out of their backpack, placed it into the Ziploc bag and into the container, put the container back into it’s spot and then pulled it back out and opened it up and placed the travel bug in the backpack again? Get Real.

Even if they did, is that really “physical placement”?

Scott

March 18, 2003

I realize what this makes both of us; however it was a natural assumption.

The requirement was to send a bug to be entered, with as much extra information as you wanted to add to help your chances.

So upon reading this in the rules:

"Any bugs without prepaid mailers will be

Re-released without their race tags."

I assumed some sort of "race tag" would be attached to the bug I sent in, identifying it as a participant in this event. This would be an easy task, just a manila tag with a stamp or a brass tag with some marking on it added as an official endorsement of entering.

This would have also eliminated the worry of picking up a racer unintentionally, as all would be identified. Not to mention a nifty item to place in your geocache treasure box when returned.

This makes the following;

Originally posted by Brogan:

Two new rules that have been proposed for NEXT YEARS race are that all bugs must be vehicles, and that they must have a card identifying them as Cannonball Run participants.

even more appealing. I would be willing to pay an entry fee if costs seemed prohibitive.

Just some thoughts.

ANNOUNCING THE 1ST ANNUAL TRAVELBUG CANNONBALL RUN!

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