Spokane Cache Machine

[+The Navigatorz]

Hi Travsl, you may already be aware of this, but just in case, I thought I'd let you know about some caches on your route which have been either archived or are unavailable. They are:

 

NW Blvd Overlook by Headnut (Waypoint GCGJAT)

Greenthumb Challenge by Greenthumb (Waypoint GCE3C6)

Fill the Box by Fuzzybear (Waypoint GCC4C2)

Parkwater Neighborhood Park by Headnut (Waypoint GCGMX0)

 

Another hint, if you follow the route for Ben Bur Trail (GCC4C6) via Lacey Street it takes you into private property. We found a road on the backside of the hill, but its a dead end street and no real place to park. A homeowner came out to see why we were parked in front of his house (although parked legally on the street). I can't imagine his reaction when 15-20 cars pull up and park. Just thought you should know.

(Follow up: If you use the parking coordinates given on the cache page you should be all right, however its a 0.70 mile walk, which will take longer than the planned 5 minutes at the cache location).

 

Also if you'd like to add a nice easy one, we found The Children Are Watching (GCD425) last weekend. It was a quick stop and its along your route.

 

Looking forward to seeing how everyone does. Good Luck. The Navigatorz

 

[This message was edited by The Navigatorz on September 17, 2003 at 06:15 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by The Navigatorz on September 17, 2003 at 06:21 PM.]

[+travisl]

Thanks -- I'll make sure I pull these off of the final route, which I should have posted late on Sunday night (maybe sooner).

 

Any changes after that point will be announced at the pre-event gathering, which another cacher is working on.

 

WWJD? JW RTFM.

[lucyandrickie]

yipeee!

 

I just recieved confirmation on the meeting room at the Travel Lodge for Fri. Sept. 26, 5-8 p.m. Stop by after checking in to mingle and plot the next day's plan.

 

Look for the event page to pop up soon.

[+George501949]

At least we won't have to get up as early the next morning this time. LOL

 

Lets have fun out there, we are.

[+CachinCin]

Jeff an I just made our reservations. I was unable to get the 50% discount from orbitz.com -- worked fine for one person, smoking room, but not for 2 people non-smoking. I phoned and used the discount that Janet set up for us instead.

 

We'll be doing some caching on the way there Friday, probably detouring through Pullman before heading up to Spokane. Aurie the Wonder Dog will be with us, ready to have some caching fun.

 

Lucy, should we all bring snacks/drinks for the Club Babaloo (sp?) Friday evening?

 

Cin

[lucyandrickie]

We'll supply snacks and some wine. There is a lounge if anyone wants cocktails.

[+travisl]

I've posted the final route to the event cache page, along with a ZIP file containing a PDF containing all the cache pages for the route, plus a MS MapPoint .ptm file, which I think works with Streets & Trips.

 

Any other changes to the route will be discussed at the pre-event gathering.

 

WWJD? JW RTFM.

[+LadyStevenson]

just a quick note for everyone!! First of all, to go from #17-18 to #19-20, the map shows to go down on howard st....that's a no go, that goes right through Riverfront Park, it's a walk way. If you shift the route over two or three blocks, to Washington St. , then all is cool.

 

Secondly, everyone, bring a flashlight and make sure it's got strong batteries ...#85:Cache Explosion#1 is located in a blue spruce AND it is a micro capsule, a bison capsule(dark blue in color)

 

Enjoy and I must say, I will enjoy watching this one being searched for....

 

"All that I am or hope to be I owe to my mother" -- Abraham Lincoln

[Jamethiel]

Dean and I were looking over the final route sheet and had a thought. You have Downriver Overlook and Don't flog me as two seperate stops. When we did them during our last trip to Spokane it worked well for us to park at Don't flog me and walk up the hillside trail to Downriver overlook. The reason we did this was because the evening before one of the neighbor kids at the Downriver Overlook cache started yelling for his parents when we parked to get it and didn't stop the yelling until every house in the neighborhood had turned it's outside lights on and people were looking out the windows. This was at dusk or just before and the area was quiet until we parked. Very weird. The two caches are .1 from each other, and both are easily accessable from either direction.

But there may be more parking at Don't Flog me and some folks may want to just run up the hill to Downriver Overlook instead of having to park, get cache, drive to lower parking area, get out and join the group searching for the Don't flog me cache.

just at thought.

-Jennifer

 

Age does not bring wisdom, but it does give perspective.

[lucyandrickie]

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the official Pre-machine event has been approved. To view the details go to:

Club Babaloo

We hope to see lots of the locals show up as well as the Machine participants.

[+sharp88]

Well, Screed92, Wifeypoo and I will be there. Still working on the Friday night thing. All we can say is don't be surprised when you see our tactics.............flank and front!

[+Wienerdog]

I want to go to Spokane! Dang! I just don't know if I can make it yet. I want to see all of you. All you great people I have met geocaching. Maybe I can put something together. I hope! Donna

[+travisl]

Suddenly, my attendance is up in the air.

 

I had a major fire at my house on Thursday night -- thank goodness I decided to host the Cache Machine files off site instead of on my local PC, and thank goodness my daughter was sick on Thursday morning, giving me a chance to finalize and post the route early -- and it's probable that I'll be moving, cleaning, and dealing with the insurance company extensively next weekend. At this point, it's impossible for me to know what my life will be like in five days, and therefore I'm unable to know if I'll be there or not. If everything is settled down by then, my wife was planing to hit outlet stores in Post Falls anyway, and now that we need to replace just about everything, that's a good place to start. But if we're still moving and stuff, it's a no-go for me.

 

Also, as a result, my internet access is going to be much more limited than before (work or friends' houses only), so I won't be able to respond to questions as quickly as before.

 

I hope to still be able to make it, but I place the odds at about 25% today. If I don't, enjoy the pre-event Electric Babaloo, cache your brains out, and sign the bottle of catsup at the end.

 

WWJD? JW RTFM.

[+Peanuthead]

Truly sorry for your loss TravisL.

 

Keep smiling and may the Insurance Gods be kind.

 

[+Grandpa Rocks & Grouchy Gramma]

Truly sorry to hear of you loss Travis. Luckily no one was hurt and it was just things that can mostly be replaced. Hope you can make it still but we understand somewhat the trauma this kind of event causes. Take care and we wish you and your family well in getting over this and back to normal.

 

I've gone to look for myself, if I should return before I get back, please keep me here.

[+bilbo19]

WOW...Sorry to here about the fire Travis...hope all goes well and you get everything taken care. I take it everyone was safe and it was just property loss?!?!!?

 

If you need anything or if there is anything the phatboyz can do...let us know, we would be glad to help if we can.

bilbo19

[+CachinCin]

Oh, Travis, I'm so sorry to hear about the fire. It sounds like you and your family are safe, which is of course the most important thing.

 

I'll be sad that you aren't at my first Cache Machine. If you somehow do make it to Spokane, we'll all keep you distracted and happy for the day!

 

Cin

[+Cadence]

We wish we were closer so we could help, left our phone number on email for you.

 

I hope to get to meet you, but I understand if not.

 

Todd and Michele Cady

 

Cadence

(OddTodd-K7PKT and CheleBell-XYL)

[+kiltsurfer]

TravisL, sorry to hear about that and am glad everyone is safe. Let us know if you need any thing.

 

Team Phatboyz.

 

Kiltsurfer of Team Phatboyz

[Team Misguided]

Ditto the above. If you need anything let us know.

 

Need a slightly musty smelling but functional Motor home to stay in for a while?

 

Errand boy for the chick that works for the frog

__________________________________________________________

Don't mind us, we're just looking for tupperware in this bush.

[Moun10Bike]

Travis, I am so sorry to hear about your loss, but so relieved to hear that you and your family are okay. You will be in our thoughts and prayers.

 

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

 

[+TotemLake]

Bummer TravisL. Sorry to hear about the fire. We had a little one last month. Scared the bejeebers out of us as it was early enough in the morning I had actually incorporated it into my dreams. Best of fortune to you and yours as you recover from this disaster.

 

Cheers!

TL

[+Pepper]

Travis all I can say it ditto on the thoughts and prayers.

Sure hope things work out for you and yours in godspeed.

Also hope your able to make to your own cache machine if not you will be missed!

 

Pepper

 

Horizontals where it's at!

[+evergreenhiker!]

Sorry to hear about the fire, man. The importatn thing is that you and your family are ok.

[KimAndMollie]

Oh,Travis, I'm so sorry. MBC and I went through this TWICE in 18 months, so we know how overwhelming it can be. Fortunately, everyone is OK at your end. Just remember: stuff can be replaced-YOU can't be!! Please let us know if there's anything we can do, or if you just want to talk. Please take care. You're in our thoughts and prayers.

 

Real cachers don't smell like Fleecy.

[+travisl]

Thanks, all of you. We've received a tremendous outpouring of support, both here, in private e-mails, and from family and other friends. Fortunately (?) the only injuries were two hermit crab deaths -- my family wasn't home at the time, and the cats were outside. We have excellent insurance coverage, so even donations of clothing and money would probably be better spent on someone who really needs them.

 

Thanks in particular to the folks who have offered manpower, various lodging, and truckage. Groundspeak really should have won the "Community" Webby award, and this is a great example of why.

 

WWJD? JW RTFM.

[+wizonkiz]

I see Turtletrax is puttin' on a feast for all you crazy CACHE MACHINERS:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=93534

 

Hope to see you all there......Wiz

[+Cadence]

hey Wizonkiz!

You turn 2 tomorrow! Happy 2nd Geo Birthday!

 

Cadence

(OddTodd-K7PKT and CheleBell-XYL)

[+wizonkiz]

Candence:

I was wonderin' what you were talking about and how you knew, then I looked above your message and "DUH", I eventually figgered it out.

I guess now I've got an excuse for acting the way I do, Sal is always tellin me to "grow up, you're actin like a two year old"....Wiz

[+Wander Lost]

For anyone who is interested, Misguided One and I plan to be at Martha's Inn Cafe, in George about 1:30 Friday for lunch. If you are passing through about that time stop in and say hi. We'll be caching our way over to Spokane from there.

 

I hope you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you've heard is not what I meant. --Richard Nixon

 

[+Grandpa Rocks & Grouchy Gramma]

So I'm caching my way up from Portland on Thursday and looking to see who is up for doing a mini machine on Friday during the day on caches not set for the real machine. Anyone else getting there early or some local folks want to go caching on Friday?

 

I've gone to look for myself, if I should return before I get back, please keep me here.

[+kiltsurfer]

Just a little FYI, Phatboyz 1/2 Way to WSU, is a nice easy cache to grab just past the Bridge at Vantage. It should take you less than 15 minutes from I-90 back to I-90.

 

Good luck hunting this weekend, I'll see everyone Friday night.

 

Kiltsurfer of Team Phatboyz

[Peanut Butter Brigade]

Geocacher Quilt Raffle: the Peanut Butter Brigade will be raffling off extra-special hand-made by Pepper, autographed quilts of many colors. To enter the drawing for a quilt, bring us a gently-used blanket or coat for donation to a local charity. We’ll collect the blankets and give away the quilts at this year’s WSGA Holiday Party.

 

***** ***** ***** ***** ****

An extra-talented member of the Peanut Butter Brigade (Pepper) has volunteered to make do some special sewing to use as a prize/gift at this year’s holiday party. She’s going to sew quilts made from bandanas signed by geocachers. To create this colorful quilt, she needs YOU! What do you need to do?

 

(1) Trade for a bandana in a cache or buy your own bandana.

(2) Cut the bandana into 4 same-sized squares.

(3) Use a laundryproof pen to sign the CENTER of each of your 4 squares.

 

Members of the PBB will collect your 4 signed bandana squares at the Spokane Cache Machine.

 

Cin

[+TotemLake]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss this machine. Personal events are causing conflicts.

 

I hope everybody that is going on it will have a great time!

 

Cheers!

TL

[+CachinCin]

To help organize myself, I created a checklist of all the caches we might do Saturday. I thought others might be interested, so the checklist is now on my web site at:

 

http://wambeam.net/geocaching/SCMchecklist.html

 

It has space for notes, and it’s 5 or 6 pages long if you print it. You can also follow the link at the top to a shorter 2-page version.

 

I based this list on TravisL’s final version of the route, so all numbers match his (and the order is the same).

 

As long as I was creating the checklist, I figured it might be helpful to link each cache to its page. This way you can return to the page after the cache machine, and follow the links through as you log each find.

 

Cin

[+NomadRaven]

Oh man, I hadn't been following this thread... so sorry to hear about the fire, Travis. Glad to see that you're all ok, though... what a mess, though.

 

RomulusNR and I have been mulling over whether we could make it to this event, and it looks like we can pull it off! We'll be in too late for the pre-gathering, but maybe somebody would be kind enough to fill us in on any last-minute logistic changes we won't know about?

 

I'm psyched!

[+CachinCin]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nomad Raven:

RomulusNR and I have been mulling over whether we could make it to this event, and it looks like we can pull it off! We'll be in too late for the pre-gathering, but maybe somebody would be kind enough to fill us in on any last-minute logistic changes we won't know about?

 

I'm psyched!

---

 

Yay -- this is going to be a fun event!

 

I'll have my computer on Friday night, so I can post any changes to the forums. Will you have computer access?

 

Cin

[+NomadRaven]

Sure, that would be wonderful! We'll be sure to bring the laptop along. Thanks a bunch.

[+George501949]

We're here, where the heck are the rest of you?

 

Lets have fun out there, we are.

[+Grandpa Rocks & Grouchy Gramma]

MarinerBC, Evergreenhiker, and Grandpa Rocks got in about seven last night and we met in MBC's room for a Survivor get together and to talk about the caches we did on the way up or down here and what to do today (Friday). We are meeting for breakfast about 9 AM to see what transpires for today. I am in room 310 at the Travel Lodge but am leaving the computer on cause each local call costs $.50 so being cheap I will leave it on all weekend.

 

I've gone to look for myself, if I should return before I get back, please keep me here.

[lucyandrickie]

The last updates from TravisL for those not attending the pre-event:

 

1) To go from #17-18 to #19-20, the map shows to go down on Howard St. ..that's a no go, that goes right through Riverfront Park, it's a walk way. If we shift the route over two or three blocks, to Washington St., then all is cool.

 

2) #85:Cache Explosion#1 is located in a blue spruce AND it is a micro capsule, a bison capsule(dark blue in color). Flashlights may help

 

3) Downriver Overlook and Don't flog me should be combined into the same stop.

 

4) Lunch is "Spokane Cache Machine Lunch Break by Turtletrax GCGY45 (3/1)", 47° 37.835 W 117° 21.876, near the lunch stop indicated on the route.

 

We're taking off at 9 am. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

[+Grandpa Rocks & Grouchy Gramma]

Hope everyone is making it home alright. I just wanted to thank everyone who helped put this on and especially the local cachers who put on the lunch event for us. We really appreciate that a bunch. Thanks to everyone who participated also, great to see old and new friends getting together and having a great time. I had just a bit of excitementon the way home. Blew a tire about twenty miles out of Spokane, good thing we didn't use my car to drive around the machine with. Managed to get it stopped safely and the tire changed and managed the slow drive to the Tri-Cities with the small spare. Still got one cache on the way back.

 

Hope to see everyone and some more new people at the next one. Thanks.

 

I've gone to look for myself, if I should return before I get back, please keep me here.

[+evergreenhiker!]

Well, this proved to be a blast! I went over with MBC and CacheRunner and hit some on the way...including taking them to a couple of my boxes. Like Rocks said, we had pizza and watched Survivor the first night...Thurs. The next day we ganged up with Wienerdog, George501949, TennisKid to hit some caches...around 18 give or take. Three DNFs, but had a great time. Went night caching with the machine after the Club event. A lot of fun! Hung back with Wienerdog and LucyandRickie for the machine. over 50 caches for us. Went home iwth Wienerdog and grabbed a couple more on the way home. Great weekend!

 

oh yeah, last but not least, special thanks to TurtleTrax for cooking lunch and to the rest of the locals who pitched in to welcome us to Spokane. I've never been to Spokane before and I am very impressed with the area!

[+CachinCin]

Wow -- I really had a great time. It was fun to meet so many new people. In many ways, this reminded me of what it's like to run into other cachers on the trail. You help each other out, chat a minute or two, then head off to your next cache.

 

Many, many thanks to Turtletrax for cooking lunch. I couldn't believe how hungry I was! I'm not sure who made the great potato salad, but after inhaling my first serving I returned for more.

 

Another extra special treat was the signs of welcome at a few of the caches.

 

Next time, Jeff and I will both be healthy. Right now, he's listening jealously to my caching tales.

 

Cin

[+Pepper]

1. Travis we missed you!

2. Travis you out did your self yet once again the SCM went off without a hitch. Thank you for all of you time and efforts they are very much appreciated.

3. Turtletrtax YOU THA MAN! yummmm!!!!!

4. lucyandrickie Culb Babaloo was rockin' Friday night I had FUN!!!!

5. I need rest!!!

 

Pepper

 

Horizontals where it's at!

[+George501949]

Well I just got home from dropping off TennisKid. We did a bunch more caches today, on our way home. Will talk more later, need rest. Had to much fun.

 

Lets have fun out there, we are.

[+Wander Lost]

Travis! What can I say?? With out you it just wasn't the same, we only did about 12 u-turns.

 

Oh, by the way, how long do you think it will take you to do all 85 by yourself??

 

We got about 50 but then the heat and the hiking got to us and we headed back to the hotel. With our pre and post event caches we got 65 for the weekend.

 

I'd been to Spokane many times while going to school in Pullman. But didn't truely appreciate how beautiful the scenery is until this trip. I still prefer my green trees, but this trip gave me a chance to appreciate the beauty of the high desert.

 

I hope you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you've heard is not what I meant. --Richard Nixon

 

[+Solar Max]

First off, to all those that were so kind to as to be concerned for the Cachecruiser, and my fragile wallet, all it needed was a regular rear brake job. All is well. Thanks for the kind words.

 

I honestly don't know what to say about having that much fun. The caches are mostly a blur, but CR is remimding me slowly but surely. All close friends were at this event, and many more new ones. I think that is the lasting legacy of SCM.

 

Travis, you were missed. Don't stray again, or we'll make a "Drag Travis to a CM" event cache.

 

83 finds. 2 DNF's. An hour and 10 minutes at the border on the way home, a 10 hour trip, and memories to last a lifetime. Thanks all.

 

And now we rest.

 

How much intelligence does it take to sneak up on a piece of tupperware?

[+Wienerdog]

Hey Mariner and Cacheruner...

 

You have been on the top of my worry list all day. I'm so glad you are home and okay.

 

You two little speed demons! I couldn't believe how fast you can cache! That first day with Chloe and George (hee, hee) in the car really slowed us up.

 

Hey you two, I hope you just come down to the Seattle area for a visit and caching. You are part of the gang now!

 

PS Thanks for your generosity Mr BC!

[+CachinCin]

On Friday night, at the Electric Babaloo gathering, I turned my camera over to Pepper's girls. They snapped many great shots, and I've weeded out the best ones. You can view them here:

 

http://wambeam.net/geocaching/SCM/twinsphotos.html

 

Cin