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Chelan Cache Machine, September 21, 2019


travisl

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I'm so far behind in planning this one. I've not contacted a dinner spot yet, and just last week put together a draft route. Here it is. You know the routine by now -- if you know the area, or if you're ambitious, take a look and let me know what I can do to improve it. Do I have us fording the Columbia? Going to a library after hours? Entering a restricted area? Did I miss an amazing cache? Am I including a micro hidden in a pile of garbage bags? Let me know.

 

There's no dinner location yet. Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

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You might note that stops 37-40 are a single hike (only one trail up that I know of) of 4+ miles with over 700 foot elevation climb.  Part of it (going to 40) has no formal trail all the way.

 

ETA:  That means about 2-2.5 hours at the speed most people hike.

 

Edited by The Jester
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On 8/28/2019 at 11:28 AM, The Jester said:

You might note that stops 37-40 are a single hike (only one trail up that I know of) of 4+ miles with over 700 foot elevation climb.  Part of it (going to 40) has no formal trail all the way.

 

ETA:  That means about 2-2.5 hours at the speed most people hike.

 

Yeah, Steamboat Rock is a great place to visit, but not sure it's Cache Machine material. It's a scrambly steep climb up, and as Craig said, the round trip with caches will take 2-3 hours for most folks. (Been there, done that, twice.)

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Caches of concern:

 

001 - Todd The Turtle

- cache is missing and disabled by CO.

 

027 - Holey Rock

- per recent log, cache was destroyed in fire last year and hasn't been replaced.

 

 060 - "Sing Like There's Nobody Listening"

- one DNF, but it's an easy find and hasn't been logged in almost a year.

 

091 - Chelan River Trail-Where Glaciers Clashed 

- one recent (duplicated) DNF, warning of wasps under bench. Cache probably still there.

 

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And we're live! 

Note: circumstances may change after this initial posting. Look for my posts (with the icon13.gif icon) in this thread for all the important details and changes. If you think you've seen this all before, focus on the unique-to-this-event information in red.

 

(Link to dinner event cache)

 

The city of Lake Chelan describes its region as one that "offers four seasons of recreation, charming shopping districts, and bountiful agriculture including an emerging wine industry." It's also got a lot of geocaches, and will be our gateway to Grand Coulee..

 

So fill up the tank, grab your gear, toss down some breakfast at way-too-early o'clock, and start on the route at GC2530F Kirk at work. From there, move at your own pace and get as many as you can.

 

Dinner will be at Company Creek Pizza (they've got burgers and sandwiches, too) at 502 W. Manson Highway in Chelan, N 47° 50.640 W 120° 01.422. Be there at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, 2019. Please log your "will attends" on the event page so I can let the restaurant know how many to expect.

 

Note that some caches on the route map may be marked with a "do not enter" icon icon_disabled.gif. Those cache owners have justifiably asked for their cache to not be on the route, and for the cache to not be sought during the cache machine. The cache is, in the owner's opinion, in a sensitive area, whether it's environmentally unwise, socially sensitive, or physically fragile. Just don't get it. It's not like there's a shortage of caches in the area.

 

Rules:

1) 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. When someone asks what you're doing, the right answer is honesty: "geocaching".

2) Respect private property, even if the cache owner didn't. Post your DNFs proudly.

3) One logbook entry for "CCM" is fine for most small and micros. Don't go filling up the logbook just because you want to mark your territory. 50 people's names and dates will fill up most one-sheets. Be kind and bring extra paper to add to caches with full logbooks.

4) 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. Handing it off to someone else and pointing down saying "it goes there" isn't good enough. Don't be a jerk. The extra 45 seconds isn't going to ruin your day.

5) Be gentle. Some cache containers are fragile, delicate, or weather sensitive. Take your time, double check the cache description, do it right.

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. Suggestions and ''Count me ins'' are welcome on the event page.

----

The Chelan Cache Machine FAQ:

 

When is it? 

Saturday, September 21, 2019. Start time is 6:00 a.m at  GC2530F Kirk at work.

 

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

We'll start as one large group, but after a dozen caches or so, the large groups will likely fragment, and on a long day like this, you'll probably be on your own by the time most people in town are waking up. If you want to go off-route to find letterboxes, Pokémon, portals, or Starbucks, well, you do you.

 

Is anything going on before, during, or after?

An unofficial informal they-don't-know-we're-coming pre-event dinner will be at Marcela's Cocina Mexicana, 119 E Woodin Ave, at 7:00 PM on Friday, September 20. The official event dinner is this event cache.

 

Hey, there's a cache *right there!* Why aren't we getting that one?

My standard answer here is that I try to avoid most multicaches, most puzzle caches, caches that appear to be overly time consuming, and caches that the owner has asked us to avoid. The route is built around highly-favorited caches, so some just didn't make the cut.

 

A cache on your map shows the wrong place to park. // Hey, that road doesn't exist! // That's a long hike! // What's with making us ford the river?

Thanks for catching that! Let me know, and I'll incorporate it your fix into the route.

 

Why does the route go way past the dinner time? Is this a two-day event?

The extra time is a buffer, in case you're so good that you'd run out of caches before you run out of daylight. I don't expect anyone would be able to hit all of them between sunrise and sunset. Of course, if you wanted to hit them after dinner, or on Sunday, I'm sure you'll be able to find folks to join you.

 

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

Then come laugh at us, try to remember where they were, look at the old logbook signatures, or guess when we'll be at the caches you haven't hit yet. Maybe pass your phone number around for us to call when we get stumped.

 

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

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

 

X cache is in an environmentally sensitive area. // My cache is physically fragile and I don't want it broken.

By all means, let me know. I don't want to send dozens of people there to stomp all over it.

 

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?

There's no breaks in cache machines! Just hold it. ? Or find something on the way.

 

Rain? Snow? Heat? Landslides? Flooding? Rattlesnakes?

Probably, yes. Do what you safely can, and skip ahead when reality or your capabilities don't match the plan. Be prepared and flexible.

 

What do the map symbols mean?

Turquoise lines show my suggested route, but if there's a brown trail or grey road that I've drawn in, ignore the turquoise. Red car icons show places to park a car for a short time (usually a trailhead).

ce16d180-40c2-423d-a3ab-b976b7b4a2b2.jpg

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#27 Holey Rock was just replaced this past weekend. I hadn't gotten around to posting an update. I wanted to keep this cache active because I drive past it frequently. I am not sure if the CO is an active cacher so I replaced the container. The parking is not the greatest and you have to cross the road to get to it, but it is ready to go if needed. 

 

My caches #26 Hotel Del Rio and #28 Douglas/Grant are good to go. I will do another maintenance check on the 20th and make sure fresh logs are in place. I wish I could this cache machine but I have another commitment on Saturday. Drats!

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