Goals for 2020

[+hzoi]

It's that time of year again.  Post your geocaching goals for 2020 now, and then follow up next year to let us know how you did.

 

I'll start:

 

- Add at least two countries to our list.

- Add at least one US state

- Fill in Landkreise (county) maps for Hessen and Saarland

- Continue to make our Europe map more colorful with more finds in neighboring countries

- Make our 10,000th find an epic one -- maybe HQ?

- Log the Locationless cache for 2020!

 

(edited to add the locationless!)

Edited December 18, 2019 by hzoi

[+GeoElmo6000]

My goal for 2020 is to create a geocaching topic in the forums which will rally the entire geocaching community into peace and harmony throughout the ages.

 

And find some geocaches too.

[+thebruce0]

Give everyone the Geocaching Express 6000 and have the first ever 1,000,000+ attendee Tera-event!  (hey mega and giga aren't technically accurate to the count either :P)

 

But srsly... hopefully visit yet another continent.

And have enough money to get to Seattle and Abbottsford, as well as visit yet another continent.

And continue to share excellent geocaching adventures to inspire people in the geocaching hobby to get out there and enjoy exploring the world!

[+wimseyguy]

20 hours ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

My goal for 2020 is to create a geocaching topic in the forums which will rally the entire geocaching community into peace and harmony throughout the ages.

 

 

Aren't you just channeling Steve Martin's Christmas Wish?

 

 

[+Isonzo Karst]

Late summer in the Pacific North Wet, along with a lot of other geocachers, not that I've done any planning thus far.

Create some new paddle caches, there I have taken some actual steps;

also host at least one  event in 2020.

 

Edited December 28, 2019 by Isonzo Karst

[+thebruce0]

Hey I was just given a handful of those Iconho buttons - do you know where they're from?

[+Isonzo Karst]

The buttons,  I had them made......you must have gotten them from Colin.  If it really looks like we'll be in Seattle come August, I probably ought make a bunch more.

[+thebruce0]

Small world!

[+Harry Dolphin]

Continue my streak.  (Depends on whether I'll have to spend two nights in a hospital for a procedure.   I haven't spent a night in a hospital in 72 years!)

Finish the Jasmer Challenge,  Need two caches.  Hoping to find them with my sister.

Nope.  No new political entities (countries).  I've cached in the USA and Canada.  I've visited Mexico, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten and Saint Martin, but will not revisit.  

Should make it to 9000 finds, but probably not make it to 10000.

[+barefootjeff]

As I said last year, spontaneity is one of the attractions caching has for me, with me often deciding at a moment's notice to go off and do some, so setting goals kind of runs counter to that. Since I passed 1000 finds earlier this year and have a long way to go to reach the next official milestone, I don't have any find tally in mind for 2020, which is probably just as well because the supply of caches locally has just about dried up and most of my finds now require at least an hour each way of driving or train travel. So it now boils down to either spotting a particularly interesting cache to draw me to an area or to be travelling somewhere for other reasons and doing some caching when I arrive.

 

On the cache ownership side, the big question mark hanging over me right now is the huge fire burning just west of here. Brisbane Water National Park, which is behind my back neighbour, is currently closed until further notice as the fire front is only one gully away from moving into it, so I've disabled my eighteen caches that are either in the park or accessed through it. I was able to retrieve one particularly vulnerable one on Monday morning when the park was briefly opened (that might have been an administrative oversight), and if it reopens before catching fire I'll try to retrieve a few more for safe-keeping until the danger subsides. So any plans for future caches will depend very much on how that all plays out. Before the fires began, I'd been making enquiries with the local park ranger about putting a cache in the park above Woy Woy Bay, in the spot I was originally going to use for my Nemophilist Challenge, and I'd also been thinking about a cache near the Emerald Pool in Popran National Park, but all that will probably have to wait until next winter and will depend on whether either of those locations are still accessible.

 

I expect I'll be hosting an event in 2020, whether it's a Community Celebration one or something else, as I've been gradually been building up a stockpile of give-aways. The venue will depend on finding somewhere that isn't burnt.

 

Beyond that no great plans or goals, I'll just keep taking each caching day as it comes.

Edited December 12, 2019 by barefootjeff

[+JoJoUK]

More caching and maybe 29 Feb cache

[+CAVinoGal]

Here are my goals for 2020:

• Get my total find count to 2020.  My goal for 2019 was to reach 2000 finds; I'm still over 200 away from that goal, and maybe 2020 in 2020 is attainable!
• Find a cache on Feb. 29 to finish my calendar grid.  We filled every day in 2018 except for Feb. 29, and this will be our first opportunity to fill that day since we began geocaching in 2017.
• Host an event.  We've attended events, but never hosted one.  I applied for one of the Celebration events - we'll see if that comes through.
• Hide 12 more caches.  Same goal as 2019, and I only got 6 hidden then.  I'll go for 12 again!
• Complete at least one Adventure Lab Cache.  A few have popped up in reasonable driving distance, and I'm curious to see how it goes.  I enjoy Wherigo caches, when they work!

 

Modest, yes, but hopefully attainable.

Edited December 12, 2019 by CAVinoGal

[+ottieolsen]

1.) Reach 12,000 favorites on our caches

2.) Reach 3,000 finds

[+DerDiedler]

My goals:

Hosting at least 2 events.

 

That's about it. I'm kind of done with Geocaching 

 

[+bruzie]

Finish the (now archived) challenge series of 250 finds in each month - Februrary and May to go. Feb shouldn't be an issue - going to Sydney for a conference so booked in an extra day to make sure I grab Lane Cove - the only cache outside of the US that's older than the one I have.

 

Hopefully the fires will be under control so I can breathe crossing the SHB.

[+Forest Forager]

I don't have any definite goals, but some things I'm looking forward to are:

- placing some high quality caches that are really enjoyable to find.  I'm not a numbers person so not interested in a series of micros.  I really appreciate either location or ingenuity of cache container, so hoping to achieve a few that offer both.

-GeoWoodstock XVIII.  I live fairly close, so.....

-generally broadening my experience of the game.  I cached from 2007-2011 and then dropped out for several years.   I have almost always cached solo.  Recently a few friends have discovered caching and it's brought me back into the game.  I have almost always gone after Traditionals, but their enthusiasm to participate in events and various types of caches has really motivated me.  We recently visited HQ, something I probably wouldn't have done on my own.  Looking forward to meeting more people from the community; I think that will make the game a richer experience.

[+cerberus1]

I'd really like to get out more in the yak this Spring, a few caches tempting me.  Will need OM on two of mine first.

I was asked about my stats by another, surprised that I'm still less than 2T.  Maybe I'll fix that.

The PM that I've been after for a 5T hide moved.  Two years shot.  Back to the drawing board...

Still like to get at least one cache a month.  Found a nice rural park with 2+T hides for promotions.

 -  Yet this week, if I can do more, I'm not because this latest promotion requires separate days. 

Maybe a goal could be conning the other 2/3rds to do promotions...

An ailment from this year will continue into next a bit.

 - An incident (while caching) a couple years ago somehow created/aggravated others, or the docs noticed because of it. 

It's been three years, and I'm ready to get outta slo-mo again.

[+JL_HSTRE]

This is a tough question for me. I've had lists the last couple years that I've mostly not met. This has been an especially slow year for me, with most of my finds coming on vacation. It has been difficult getting my job, weather, hotel availability (for weekend trips), and personal life to align. Especially because after a decade most places I want to cache are a couple hours away and the best caching weather in Florida is also prime tourist season. 

 

January marks my 10th Geoversary. I'd like to get to 6000 Finds for the anniversary date but that's very doubtful. I want to get over 500 Finds in 2020 as I haven't done that in a calendar year in awhile. I need to find some good, reliable caching partners. 

[+mustakorppi]

I’m now 247 finds into my streak and the highest streak challenge in my country is 500 so that’s the goal. Doing that will also complete my find calendar and get me to 1000 finds total so I guess I’m set as far as stats and milestones go. Maybe try to do 11 12 13 cache types in a single day as that seems uniquely doable in 2020.

 

Other than that, there are a few slightly hard local caches that I’d like to finally find next summer, maybe hide a few more of my own. Geocaching for me is largely an excuse to ride my bike around, but perhaps I could plan some more ambitious rides/caching trips in 2020.

Edited December 18, 2019 by mustakorppi
More cache types have become available

[+DreamMachine74]

Going from last year, I'll try and set some real goals that don't sound so wimpy.

 

#1. Hide more unique caches. I want to try for more mystery, multi and other types of caches....not so many traditionals….although I do have one or two ideas for some wacky traditionals. Not setting a formal amount for hides, though increasing my presence in my hometown is a goal I like working on.

 

#2 Host an event somewhere interesting. I started doing events late into the year, when I became busier and the weather became too bothersome to be outside for long....I have some ideas for new kinds of events....the special one for next year sounds great, but I don't see myself getting it. I choose to believe my luck will be terrible.

 

#3 Find my 1000th cache. As of typing this, I sit at 699 hides.....by January 1st, I'll be at least 710. And find more multi's....even though they can e frustrating.

 

#4 Fill out more of my grids. I have 50 D/T combinations found...I'll have one or two more found by 2020, but push up that number. Same for my found dates....and Jasmer and yadayadayada. 

 

#5 Find my first webcam cache. I know of one now in Canada....and it's a ways away, but at least it's two train rides away....and a few hundred miles.

 

#6 Find more counties. A goal from last year, I just want to push my map a bit...maybe even find another state.

[+VAVAPAM]

I'm generally not so good with New Year Resolutions - too specific, and what do you do if you fulfill them early? - so I came up with the idea of having a New Year Theme.  My 2020 theme is going to be "Git 'Er Done!"

 

So, for my 2020 Geocaching Goal:  I will NOT step foot in a home improvement or hobby store (where new cache ideas broadside me right and left) until I've cleared my geoworkbench of caches-in-progress.

 

Git 'er done.

That's the most specific I can get.

[+Ragnemalm]

My goals are pretty clear:

• Make a decent contribution for the Mega event in september that I am involved in. Primarily electronic lab caches.
• Fill a few empty spaces in my D/T "placed" matrix. But that is getting hard.
• Archive about 50 caches in order to keep the maintenance reasonable. That includes removing all parts.
• And related to the previous, not having any caches archived by reviewers but maintaining or archiving myself.
• Organize a new T4.5 bathing event.
• Find some caches, primarily ones far out in the woods so I get some exercise, and some that sound particularly good, plus bunch of decent ones (no PTs!) to get FPs for the good ones.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Ragnemalm

[+funkymunkyzone]

My primary goal for 2020 is:

 

Organise and run a truly awesome mega event - NZ Mega 2020 (celebrating 20 years of geocaching worldwide, and 20 years since New Zealand had the first cache hidden outside of the US) and make it a great event that brings together the local geo-community and our international geo-guests together for a massive and truly memorable celebration.

[+JoLTeam]

- Fill the Jasmer, visit HQ, log the APE, go to the HQ Celebration Event on Aug 15.

- Add one ore more new countries.

- Continue to have fun.

 

[+psychpineapple]

2020 will be my first full year of caching (started in spring this past year). I am also now a premium member. My goals are:

-Add at least 3 new countries (suprisingly I don't even have the states now even though I live in Southern Ontario)

-End 2020 with 400 caches in total (as of now, I have 155)

-Explore Toronto (while caching of course) and see new areas of the city

-Hide 4 new caches.

Should be a good year

[+Oxford Stone]

7000th cache (~460 to go)

4th loop of found date calendar (6 to go)

Furthest south (sales conference in Rio likely in May); furthest north? (possible conference in N Scotland; or we just invite ourselves to a Finnish caching buddy's for Christmas)

Put out two new series of caches, but wait until I have inspiration for som Wow factor before hiding Tupperware in trees

Go camping at a mega (Junior and I have been given a tent for Christmas - DHL / Santa came early - so there will be some more ambitious trips)

 

2019 brought 2 new countries, some new UK counties, furthest east, 4 countries and 7 states / counties in a day, 6000th cache, 4000th and DT completed for Junior.

[+maristua]

My goals are to:

Visit Alaska

Attend the Geocaching 20th Anniversary Celebration event

Attend a Community Celebration event

Log Find Signal the Frog - Locationless in 2020

Hide a geocache

Attend GeoWoodstock in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Attend Going APE Mega-Event

Find and log a geocache on 29th February

Find and log a geocache on 2nd May

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+hzoi]

Ah, good.  I can finally edit my last secret goal.

 

- Add at least two countries to our list.

- Add at least one US state

- Fill in Landkreise (county) maps for Hessen and Saarland

- Continue to make our Europe map more colorful with more finds in neighboring countries

- Make our 10,000th find an epic one -- maybe HQ?

- Log the Locationless cache for 2020!

[+thebruce0]

6 hours ago, hzoi said:

- Log the Locationless cache for 2020!

ditto

[+rosebud55112]

Goals for 2020:

 

1. Get my NonTraditional/Total Finds ratio over 50%.  Once I've hit that, I may start picking up more trads, so I won't necessarily end the year over 50%

2. Add 12+ new US Counties

3. Add 2+ US states

4. Add 2+ Canadian Provinces

5. Publish 5+ Puzzle caches

[+Ragnemalm]

On 12/24/2019 at 5:59 PM, rosebud55112 said:

5. Publish 5+ Puzzle caches

 

Please tell me that you mean mystery caches or field puzzles, and not online jigsaws. They are everywhere.

[+SwineFlew]

Stop geocaching.  

[+Ragnemalm]

On 12/28/2019 at 7:30 AM, SwineFlew said:

Stop geocaching.  

 

I decided that in 2016, but when I felt that my body protested over too little exercise after a week of two, it gave me two choices: Go out and find some fairly tough cache, or find some other means of exercise. I took a reflex trail cache, pretty long and hard, and immediately felt better.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Ragnemalm

[+Vooruit!]

Nice to see this topic return. Here are my goals, though nothing set in stone of course:

• Fill the D/T grid for the 28th, 29th and 30th time. Only 7 caches in total needed for that, shouldn't be that big of a problem.
• Fill the D/T grid for LARGE caches. Coincidentally, this needs 7 more finds as well, but it's WAY harder.
• Find the Signal Locationless cache. Lots of Megas here, no problem. Gotta get that new icon!
• Attend (and/or, if I'm lucky, organize) a Community Celebration Event. Again, new icon...
• Add a whole bunch of new country finds. 15 are already planned.
• Wishful thinking, but: complete the Jasmer grid! Will have to visit Sweden for this one.

[+Ragnemalm]

On 1/10/2020 at 4:33 PM, Vooruit! said:

Nice to see this topic return. Here are my goals, though nothing set in stone of course:

• Fill the D/T grid for the 28th, 29th and 30th time. Only 7 caches in total needed for that, shouldn't be that big of a problem.
• ...
• Wishful thinking, but: complete the Jasmer grid! Will have to visit Sweden for this one.

 

I am still working on the second round on the D/T. High T is not a problem, the big problems are high D. I can solve that with jigsaw mysts, but that feels like cheating, it is trivial, just takes time. But where can I then find a 5/3 or a 4.5/5? They are rare and extremely hard, like unsolvable mysteries or descending down *very* high cliffs with a rope (meaning working a whole day with multiple descents for a DNF...). Maybe high D are unusually hard here?

 

Sweden? Can it possibly be Match Stash or Americana?

[+thebruce0]

For high T's try looking for tree climbs or caches on small islands or along rivers (find a friend with a canoe or rent :))

For high D's look for old liar caches or challenge caches you may qualify for (or are near qualification) or puzzles from newer geocachers who may pubish a puzzle they think is unique but actually quite common

Availability of these caches will vary from region to region unfortunately, so hopefully you're able to find some near you.

[+MNTA]

Last weekend I completed my first wish. 100 Finds in one day. I never thought I'd do that but did it anyway.

 

Since I'm 1/10 of the way there why not try for the 1000 in a year. 

 

I'd like to make a trek to Potter's pond and complete my last missing month. 

[+thebruce0]

36 minutes ago, MNTA said:

I'd like to make a trek to Potter's pond and complete my last missing month. 

 

That's on my intended itinerary for this year too.

[+brodiebunch]

Goals for 2020:

 

Continue my pattern I started in 2019 of taking short road trips (about 3 days) around my state to geocache rather than go out every weekend which actually helped our numbers in 2019 (yes, it is about the numbers sometimes)

 

I have a modest goal of finding at least 100 caches in every Washington county, so far I have achieved that in 13 of our 39 counties, this year I may add 2 or 3 more counties. 

 

Save up money for our 2021 trip to South America where we will geocache on all the inhabited continents. 

 

 

[+RocTheCacheBox]

Goals for 2020 - Just enjoy life.

 

For us, Geocaching is mainly a supplemental something to do when....

 

We're camping. - We like to drive around and explore new places. See back-road America. Get lost. Geocaching pairs well with that. Especially when it comes to local history and sights to see. 

 

We're hiking. - Caches along trails add a nice little something extra to the hike.

 

On a Sunday drive. - Wander around our little section of the world and find places we've never been. Maybe find some caches along the way. Especially in cemetery's. Around here most have a cache and lots of history.

 

Or even once or twice a year we spend the day just geocaching. 

 

 

[+OldLog]

to get back in the game

[+BethDaddyKaty]

On 12/12/2019 at 9:01 PM, ottieolsen said:

1.) Reach 12,000 favorites on our caches

2.) Reach 3,000 finds

I love this one. Due to poor health meaning I'm on crutches at the moment my focus at least for the start of the year will be creating some interesting caches that are low terrain (so I can get to them and maintain them!) but the containers, design, decoys etc make them interesting.

 

Last year I placed a river series which I enjoyed but I feel really guilty now because for the most part I can't physically get to them as the path is under a few centimetres of water in places.

 

One of my newest ones has 15 favourite points/75% which I'm really pleased with.

 

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC8H744_neighbourhood-watch

Edited January 16, 2020 by BethDaddyKaty

[+The Leprechauns]

My 2020 goals are a mix of 2019 carryovers that I didn't meet, updates for some that I did meet (challenge caches, Fizzy) and several new ones (items 2 through 6).

 

1. To find at least 400 "Challenge Caches" (309 found so far).

2. To complete the Ohio History Challenge (38 old school caches down, 4 to go).

3. To complete the 360 Degrees of Ohio Challenge (Caches found in 339 degrees, 21 to go).
4. To have at least two finds on each calendar date (32 days left with only one find).

5. To log the Signal the Frog locationless as part of a new "Busy Day" personal best.

6. To host a successful Community Celebration Event.
7. To find caches in contiguous counties from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast (8 counties to go).

8. To find caches in contiguous counties from the US northern border to southern border (6 counties to go).

9 To log at least 5 finds on each of the 81 Terrain & Difficulty Star combinations ("Fizzy") (1 short of 4th loop).

10. To find at least two caches hidden in each month since May 2000 ("Double Jasmer" - 4 months left).

11. To find caches in all 50 US states and DC (46 down, 5 to go).

12. To find 360 virtual caches (288 down, 72 to go).

13. To find 150 letterbox hybrid caches (139 down, 11 to go).

14. To hide and maintain 50 active, quality caches (32 active hides, owned/co-owned).

[+NYPaddleCacher]

No goals for 2020, though my son has become interested enough that he created his own account and we did a little geocaching together while out in California, so geocaching more with my son might be a goal.  He had found a handful of caches me a few years ago but never mentioned wanting to go.   I only found 20 caches last year so I think it's pretty doable.  

[+Isonzo Karst]

On 1/16/2020 at 1:24 PM, The Leprechauns said:

To log the Signal the Frog locationless as part of a new "Busy Day" personal best.

 

Interesting idea. I have a busy day from Tennessee GeoWoodstock that could have been a lot 'busier' had i made the effort - I would have had to be thinking about that. Wasn't. There were webcams within range that day, and Earthcaches - just didn't fool with it.

 

I suspect that my only shot at Signal will be in August, and I'm not planning to hustle much around either of those events.

 

A person could look at the Midwest Geobash - might make for some 'busy' options.  July in Ohio. It won't be hot will it?

[+CAVinoGal]

On 12/12/2019 at 9:50 AM, CAVinoGal said:

Here are my goals for 2020:

• Get my total find count to 2020.  My goal for 2019 was to reach 2000 finds; I'm still over 200 away from that goal, and maybe 2020 in 2020 is attainable!
• Find a cache on Feb. 29 to finish my calendar grid.  We filled every day in 2018 except for Feb. 29, and this will be our first opportunity to fill that day since we began geocaching in 2017.
• Host an event.  We've attended events, but never hosted one.  I applied for one of the Celebration events - we'll see if that comes through.
• Hide 12 more caches.  Same goal as 2019, and I only got 6 hidden then.  I'll go for 12 again!
• Complete at least one Adventure Lab Cache.  A few have popped up in reasonable driving distance, and I'm curious to see how it goes.  I enjoy Wherigo caches, when they work!

 

This thread came to mind the other day - I managed to reach a few of my goals before the pandemic.  We'll see how the rest of the year plays out.

• Still working my way to 2020 caches in 2020 - my count today is at 1864, adding a few during the sheltering.
• Yes,  I did find a cache on Feb. 29 (found more than one, but I did fill the grid!)
• I have not yet hosted an event.  That's obviously on hold!
• I have hidden a few, and working on more.  This goal is still doable.
• Yes, I have done 5 Adventure labs now.  I was also awarded one to publish, just as all the Coronavirus stuff started happening.  I'm just thinking now, getting ideas.  I haven't begun the process of creating it yet.

It's a bit early for a mid-year check on goals, but I was curious to review mine and see if I could still stay on track in spite of the disruption.  How are the rest of you doing?  And I hope you all are staying healthy!

[+barefootjeff]

For me, it now looks like this year's milestone will be my longest slump. My most recent find was on the 17th of March so my current slump is 25 days, still another 9 days short of setting a personal "best". No doubt that statistic will grow considerably grander, perhaps even into three digits, before I next get to record a find.

Edited April 29, 2020 by barefootjeff

[+lee737]

Our longest slump is 200-odd days, way back after a false-start, I hope we don't beat that.... we are watching a bunch of needed find-dates go by though, which will be hard to rectify in the next few years, as those dates head into weekdays rather than weekends....

 

[+frostengel]

Geoaching goals for 2020?

 

1) Have fun! (That is the most and only important goal, isn't it?)

2) Be outside and stay fit.

3) Find more multi caches - I love them. (So "the numbers game" is only at place 3. :-))

 

I did a 97 kilometre bicycle tour lately. It was fun, exhausting and I found some nice long multi caches. 2020 works for me!

 

4) Stay healthy - special goal at the moment! :-)

[+Isonzo Karst]

My goal of August in the Pacific North Wet seems extremely unlikely.  I wouldn't bet on an big public gathering designed to attract national and international travelers being allowed to take place that soon, and personally won't undertake overnight travel until I've been vaccinated (or some other miracle occurs ;-) ...sometime second quarter 2021 by common estimates.  )

 

Because I live in State Forest, I can check my caches, short drives to hikes, my daily exercise. Hey, maintenance, something Geocache related.