Looking for Michigan Winter Geocachers

[Guest txstoryspinner]

I am researching an article about geocaching as a winter sport. I am looking for people in Michigan who are active with geocaching and can give me more information about the sport and how to incorporate it into their winter activities.

 

txstoryspinner@hotmail.com

[Guest Clay]

I just hit most of the caches in Lansing last Sunday. All thats left is 'the big boat'. Finally, I have something to do when there is no snow on the ground for x-c skiing, and too much ice on the lakes for kayaking, but not enough for fishing. Lansing was the closest cluster to my home, next will be Toledo or GR.

[Guest txstoryspinner]

Would you be willing to be interviewed for my article?

 

I am actually going to go out next Tuesday night after work (but before it gets too dark) with one of the people who has a cache around here in Lansing. I'd like to get into this sport and I'm trying to learn more about it.

 

I'm particularly interested in the travelers...the things that travel from one cache to another across the country. Have you ever been a part of that?

 

Thanks for responding to the email. I hope you can spare a few minutes to either email me or talk to me about your experiences.

 

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Originally posted by Clay:

I just hit most of the caches in Lansing last Sunday. All thats left is 'the big boat'. Finally, I have something to do when there is no snow on the ground for x-c skiing, and too much ice on the lakes for kayaking, but not enough for fishing. Lansing was the closest cluster to my home, next will be Toledo or GR.

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[Guest Clay]

Who are you hooking up with? Terry and Sandi? They are probably the most active cachers in the Lansing area at this time. I have picked up aprox. 6 travel bugs, I have 5 of my own out and about(two have been stolen, cache plundered, or just MIA) Last fall I picked up a traveler before the travel bugs came out. Some cachers made their own travelers, managing the sites, etc. This one started in May in GA, moved through SC, KY, OH, IN, then here and on to Ontario where it is now.

[Guest txstoryspinner]

Basically, how did you get interested in geocaching? What is the coolest cache you have found so far? What has been the hardest one to find? What seasons do you usually go hunting in? Is this an all year activity for you? What are some words of advice for newbies out there? What about some suggestions for people who want to take their kids geocaching?

 

Are there any things that we should know about ettiquette?

 

Who are some of the notable cachers? Where is the farthest cache you have traveled to find? Are there organizations for geocachers?

 

What is the financial outlay to get started?

 

What are some suggestions for things to leave behind?

 

What do you do if you want to set up your own cache? How do you get started? Where are some good places to hide them? What about hiding on private property or on nationally protected land? How do you avoid getting in trouble? Are you ever worried about hunters?

 

Can I quote you?

 

Thanks for your time. The guy I'm going with is not one of the two names you mentioned. He only has one cache here I think. But he knows of one near work that he hasn't found yet--Jolly and Aurelius that he wants to go out and look for.

 

D

[Guest Clay]

I started caching the end of June last year after the Oakland Press ran an article about it. I already had a GPSr for kayaking, but had not used it all that much, only when on the great lakes. The coolest cache I have found so far is Crypto cache, where yo;u have to decrypt clues at the first to find the second, then decrypt those to find the third, then decrypt those to find the last. This has been the most difficult mentally so far also. The most difficult physcally would be Garlic Island, 4 miles from the shore in Lk Erie. I have on on an isl in the Saginaw Bay, no ones been there yet. This can be done any time of year. Here in MI most can be found if there isn't more than a couple of inches of snow. The farthest I have traveled to a cache is the Garlic Isl one. I have done some in kGR but I have family there and did this on the side.

 

In some areas there are caching organizations, but not in MI yet.

 

SSuggestions for a newbie, any Gps will work, get a compass, a phanny pack, water bottle, bugspray for summer is a must!!, you can start from there. And a garbage bag. The latest thing is to 'cache in, trash out', picking up litter in the area while on the hunt helping improve the area. GPS's run from 100-500 dollars, for caching, any will do fine. Initial outlay would be 100 for a gps, 8.00 for a compass, you can go to the dollar stor for trade items, then pick a cache to find. A 1-2 star (difficulty factor)cache would be good to start with. If your taking children, most a kid frindly, usually if you read the cache discription, it will tell you the danger level. Danger, RR crossing is one I would NOT take children on, for two reasons, you have to cross through a rr yard with multiple tracks, and it is tresspassing, though sometimes you get the cachitis, and go for it anyway.

 

To get an idea of what to leave behind, read some of the cache login's on here, many will say what they took and left. Some caches are speciffically (sp) geared to children. There is also a thread in the forum here "What is your signiture item". I leave a Tibetian prayer flag. I was in Nepal in 2000, brought back a couple strings of these, they don't stay in the cache for long before someone picks them up. Fortunatly, I now have a source in A2 to purchase more.

 

For setting up your own cache, there is a thread discussing this too. One of the most common suggestions is to first find 6-10 caches to get an idea of containers, hiding places, etc. then place your own. Most are placed on public property, private property would be ok if you get permission from a land owner and state that on the cache page. I have one hidden in Highland Recreation Area, the first person looking for it even got help trying to find it from rangers. National Park land is off limits. They have speciffically said so. There is a long thread about this here too. In hunting season, it is best to wear orange, or avoid the area till the season is closed. Again, the hider will usually state this on the info page for the cache.

 

Hope this answers some of your questions. Oh yeah, my name is Clayton Lucey. On the cache logs, I'm clatmandu. You can tell who is big into the caching by looking at the logs. It list how many finds that person has. So if you pulled up any of the Lansing ones, you'll see me with 92-93, Terry and Sandi(homebrew) 80's, T'dog, 80's.

[Guest rusty]

It's about time we got some press here in Michigan. We need to get the word out to people that there is a great activity to get nerds off their couches.

 

I'm over in the Ada/Lowell area and have travelled all over the state caching, from Mackinaw to Detroit to St Joe. My wife and I have always enjoyed hiking and this just gives us the perfect excuse to hike new areas. Our first grandbaby in September slowed us down but we are just getting back into it. Winter adds a bit of difficulty in the rural areas but city caches should not be a problem. We are stuck at 59 finds but hope to increase that number this weekend. If I can be of any help just let me know.

 

Rusty...

 

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Rusty & Libby's Geocache Page

[Guest rusty]

he financial outlay to get started?

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I got my GPS for Christmas 2000 and went online looking for uses for it. That is when I found the Geocaching website and thought it would be a good way to learn. It only took my wife and I one trip to get hooked. GPS units are well under $100 now.

 

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How do you avoid getting in trouble?

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The main thing is to use common sense. Stay off private property, respect property rights. Don?t attempt a cache if the terrain is beyond your ability or equipment. Basically the same cautions as any other outdoor activity.

 

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Are you ever worried about hunters?

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Yes! We don?t go in the woods from Nov 15 till the beginning of the year. Maybe we are just paranoid but I have no intention of becoming a statistic.

 

Please don't portray geocaching as hunting "buried" treasure. Buried caches are discouraged in most areas becuase of the possiblity of someone digging up a large area looking for them and the potential environmental impact. That is what causes apprehension in the park services. There have been quite a few thread on here about that subject.

 

That is all I have to add and I hope your article goes well. You may quote me if you wish. Check out our website too, a lot of cachers have setup personal sites dedicated to geocaching.

 

Rusty Payne

 

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Rusty & Libby's Geocache Page

[Guest Betty]

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Lansing was the closest cluster to my home.

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Check out Jackson. My "Michigan Space Center" cache is still out there, practically a virgin too! Check out these others too. You could make a very full day of it.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=5112

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=11537

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=4626

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=13036

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=1993

[Guest txstoryspinner]

Thanks to all of you for your information and insights. I'm really looking forward to going out this Tuesday and to writing the article. I'll let y'all know when it is going to be published so you can check it out.

 

If you have any other pointers or suggestions, don't hesitate to add on.

 

Thanks!

[Guest Betty]

Winter really ought to be an ideal time to hide caches, if the snow isn't too deep. You can see the lay of the land through the woods better. The satelite pickup is terrific without the leaf foliage overhead. There aren't so many people out on the trails to wonder what you are doing. Trails are sometimes a little harder to see and follow when snow-covered though.

[Guest txstoryspinner]

quote:

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Originally posted by Don&Betty:

Winter really ought to be an ideal time to hide caches, if the snow isn't too deep. You can see the lay of the land through the woods better. The satelite pickup is terrific without the leaf foliage overhead. There aren't so many people out on the trails to wonder what you are doing. Trails are sometimes a little harder to see and follow when snow-covered though.

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That is a good point. I'll be sure to mention that as well. I will be writing the article tonight and tomorrow. It should appear in the City Pulse (for Lansing) on January 30th. Hope I did this great topic justice.