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SF Bay Area geocachers

Team Dralasites

By Team Dralasites
in West and Southwest

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Kealia

+Kealia

Posted
Posted

Where's your sense of adventure? :laughing:

 

--Marky

Adventure is wife+ lingerie + GPS :rolleyes:

 

Adventure is not tromping around known mountain lion country in the morning asa breakfast :rolleyes: .

 

Seriously, now that I've played with ExpertGPS I'm not sure how I ever cached without it before - it's nice.......

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Nazgul

+Nazgul

Posted
Posted
Adventure is wife+ lingerie + GPS :laughing:

TOP 10 GEOCACHING TERMS I HAVE TO RESIST MAKING A JOKE ABOUT NOW

 

10. FTF

9. DNF

8. Pocket Queries

7. EPE (Estimated Position Error)

6. Micro

5. TNLN

4. 5-star terrain

3. Caches that solicit

2. Off-limit physical caches

 

and the number one term.....

 

1. Premium Member

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Kealia

+Kealia

Posted
Posted

See the problem with going out on the weekend (last weekend) and getting 8 or 9 caches on a great hike, is that when you DON'T get to go out the next weekend you end up achin' to get back out.

 

Guess I'll have to live vicariously through some logs this weekend.....

 

Hope the Little Shop of Horrors was fun; really sorry I couldn't be there.

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Nazgul

+Nazgul

Posted
Posted (edited)

The Little Shop of Horrors was just terrific. It was very well-attended but not huge, and the fact that it was a cache workshop and not just a dinner (or whatever) really set this one apart. I had a great time.

 

If it makes you feel any better I managed to hunt just one cache today: a film can in the parking lot of the SF Zoo.

 

ps - Lots of pictures on the event cache page.

Edited by Team Nazgul
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workerofwood

+workerofwood

Posted
Posted

For those who have not yet ventured up to Mission Peak for all those great caches, now is the time... it doesn't get any better!

5 of us ventured up there Saturday and the weather was perfect. Just the right temperature, and not muddy. My hat's off to those that made this trek during the summer... I never would have made it past the first cache!

 

The views were amazing, and there are 2 good series up there (Trifecta and Inca Gold) that are each worth the trip on their own.

We found 23 caches over 7+ hours and 14 miles. WalruZ was a great help in planning a practical route too, thanks!

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Kealia

+Kealia

Posted
Posted

Nope. Haven't been there yet but will list in on the "list of places to cache" based on the recommendation. My wife's grandmother actually lives close (up Calaveras past Ed Levin) so I have cause to be in the area.

 

Maybe next time up there I'll go do some "errands" while she's visiting :ph34r: .

 

Now that I've discovered the wonders of ExpertGPS, Almaden Quicklsilver is on the short list as well. Althought it appears it could take a while to clear that area :D .

 

Looking forward to the mines and the old cemetery.....

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Nazgul

+Nazgul

Posted
Posted

I bought Keyhole 2 LT earlier this morning and have been wowing some of my coworkers with it. When the high resolution is available, it's pretty amazing and useful.

 

I downloaded ExpertGPS too, which helped nicely with my Limekiln/Priest Rock hike yesterday. I'd like to buy it but at $60 it's hard to justify for something that I only use to mark waypoints on a trail.

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JohnnyVegas

+JohnnyVegas

Posted
Posted
Adventure is wife+ lingerie + GPS  :anibad:

TOP 10 GEOCACHING TERMS I HAVE TO RESIST MAKING A JOKE ABOUT NOW

 

10. FTF

9. DNF

8. Pocket Queries

7. EPE (Estimated Position Error)

6. Micro

5. TNLN

4. 5-star terrain

3. Caches that solicit

2. Off-limit physical caches

 

and the number one term.....

 

1. Premium Member

Can EPE be cured with a shot?

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Marky

+Marky

Posted
Posted
I downloaded ExpertGPS too, which helped nicely with my Limekiln/Priest Rock hike yesterday. I'd like to buy it but at $60 it's hard to justify for something that I only use to mark waypoints on a trail.

Yeah, especially when you can do some interesting things for free with TerraServer. Maybe I should add the capability to plot from a .GPX file. Would anyone be interested in that?

 

I haven't ever tested to see what the maximum number of points I can plot on TerraServer.

 

--Marky

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Nazgul

+Nazgul

Posted
Posted

Importing a .gpx file into Keyhole would be even better, it's like having a super-duper 3D Terraserver. For kicks I did a search on the coords for Priest Rock Hopper, and it was great watching it pan over and zoom in on the location. But besides the fun aspect of it, the fact that you can easily pan around and change the angle is really nice.

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Lamneth

+Lamneth

Posted
Posted (edited)

I haven't read the forum for awhile and I see that I missed the resurgence of Venona. I'll participate of course... Since I'm the owner of the "FTF! Bug" I will take the initiative and contact Venona. I started a new thread for future Venona discussions. If you're interested please post to that forum... We'll need all the help we can get (and may God help us all).

Edited by Lamneth
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Kealia

+Kealia

Posted
Posted
I bought Keyhole 2 LT earlier this morning and have been wowing some of my coworkers with it. When the high resolution is available, it's pretty amazing and useful.

 

Great.

 

Something else I'm gonna spend hours playing with now (going to check it out now) - thanks for nothing! :D

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Green Gables

+Green Gables

Posted
Posted
Yeah, especially when you can do some interesting things for free with TerraServer.  Maybe I should add the capability to plot from a .GPX file.  Would anyone be interested in that?

 

I haven't ever tested to see what the maximum number of points I can plot on TerraServer.

 

--Marky

I sure would be intrested since I found that I can use Terra server from GSAK.

I followed this link thinking that I'd get the standard Microsoft Terraserver stuff. What a pleasant suprise to find a GC-friendly interface instead...thanks, Marky.

 

I've replaced the standard Terraserver link in my GSAK with a links to photo, hi-res and topo images through Marky's viewer -- it works like a charm. Instructions are on my profile page if you're interested. Custom URLs are:

 

Aerial Photo=http://www.yvanovich.com/geocaching/index.php?coord1=%code&mkr1=26&autoinc=yes&type=1&zoom=10&width=900&height=600

Hi-Res Aerial=http://www.yvanovich.com/geocaching/index.php?coord1=%code&mkr1=26&autoinc=yes&type=4&zoom=8&width=900&height=600

Topo Map=http://www.yvanovich.com/geocaching/index.php?coord1=%code&mkr1=26&autoinc=yes&type=2&zoom=8&width=900&height=600

 

I'm thinking I'll be using ExpertGPS a whole lot less now.

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MotorBug

+MotorBug

Posted
Posted
I've replaced the standard Terraserver link in my GSAK with a links to photo, hi-res and topo images through Marky's viewer -- it works like a charm.  Instructions are on my profile page if you're interested.  Custom URLs are:<snip>

 

This is cool, I never explored all the GSAK features before. Took me awhile to discover how to view the various pages. So where do I log my find for GSAK features? :unsure:

 

From the Green Gables profile page, I don't understand how to "use the batch command facility to load Microsoft Streets & Trips, Delorme StreetAtlas USA, Cachemate and my Magellan GPSr on a weekly basis."

 

Does that mean I can do that in one step, rather than in making the conversions individually, in my case for Streets & Trips, ExpertGPS, Garmin and sometimes MapSource?

 

Is it possible to change the GSAK menu bar to eliminate some buttons that I never use?

 

I'd ask directly, but I figure there must be a few others following this thread that grew up with a typewriter instead of a computer who would like to know....

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Green Gables

+Green Gables

Posted
Posted
I've replaced the standard Terraserver link in my GSAK with a links to photo, hi-res and topo images through Marky's viewer -- it works like a charm.  Instructions are on my profile page if you're interested.  Custom URLs are:<snip>

 

This is cool, I never explored all the GSAK features before. Took me awhile to discover how to view the various pages. So where do I log my find for GSAK features? :P

 

From the Green Gables profile page, I don't understand how to "use the batch command facility to load Microsoft Streets & Trips, Delorme StreetAtlas USA, Cachemate and my Magellan GPSr on a weekly basis."

 

Does that mean I can do that in one step, rather than in making the conversions individually, in my case for Streets & Trips, ExpertGPS, Garmin and sometimes MapSource?

 

Is it possible to change the GSAK menu bar to eliminate some buttons that I never use?

 

I'd ask directly, but I figure there must be a few others following this thread that grew up with a typewriter instead of a computer who would like to know....

GSAK has a rudimentary macro capability that allows you to place commands in a .txt file and then execute them using a batch file.

 

The macros I use are:

DEBUG status=off

LOAD File="C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\Geocaching\1111.gpx"

LOAD File="C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\Geocaching\2222.gpx"

LOAD File="C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\Geocaching\3333.gpx"

FILTER Name="Not Found"

EXPORT Type=SAT

EXPORT Type=SNT

FILTER Name=Cachemate

EXPORT Type=CMT

EXIT

 

The entire process is kicked off when I run a .bat file that contains the following command:

 

GSAK /run "C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\Geocaching\GSAKmacro.txt"

 

This process creates the files to be imported into StreetAtlas and Streets & Trips and prepares the Cachemate file for HotSynch. There's more information under the help topic "Automating GSAK".

 

As for the buttons, I don't believe they're customizable - it's a feature I'd like as well.

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sammydee

+sammydee

Posted
Posted

I see how to convert .Groundspeak gpx files into Keyhole .kml files, and am imagining that I'll write a converter. They're both just XML files, so it ought to be simple. That would let you run a pocket query then import the caches into Keyhole.

 

Yep, I'll write a converter. Right away.

 

Yep. Soon.

 

Probably. Someday.

 

Sigh. Time to go watch TV.... :blink:

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Kealia

+Kealia

Posted
Posted
I am HOPING to do the NorthEast caches in Lexington tomorrow morning and will be dropping off a few. Won't know until later tonight, but am hopeful.

 

(never quoted myself before.....I think smeagol is kicking in :D )

 

A day late, but I was able to make it up the caches in Lexington/St Joseph's that I hadn't hit yet. Dropped a couple of shotglasses up there for those interested.

 

Hopefully, the Quicksilver area will be next on my list; 'course I still need to clear out Nisense Marks....

 

Oh, and for those that know what I'm talking about:

 

Mine is bigger than Nurse Dave's! :angry:

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Nazgul

+Nazgul

Posted
Posted

If you get over there when it's not pouring rain or extremely muddy, this is probably the best time of year over at Quicksilver. It's not too hot or cold, and the leave are great colors and falling. I expect that a lot of them will be gone from the trees in the next couple of weeks.

 

Unless you really concentrate on high-speed caching via mountain bike and perhaps with more than one car available, getting all of the caches in the park is going to take more than one day. But it's such an interesting area that it would be a shame to not take your time anyway.

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GeoBrowns

+GeoBrowns

Posted
Posted (edited)

We did the Quicksilver ones, most of them anyways, a couple of weeks ago with our kids and grandkids. We parked one car at the bottom and all jumped in the second one and parked at the top at the Hicks/Woods Road entrance and worked our way down. Much easier than working your way up which at one section is extremely steep. Weather is perfect right now, can't imagine trying to do it mid summer, that Almaden Valley can be several degrees hotter than the city.

We will have to return to finish up a few more and perhaps do the Sierra Azul side.

Edited by geobrowns
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Kealia

+Kealia

Posted
Posted

You guys both nailed my plans.

 

1) Multiple trips so I can enjoy the area. Love to see old mines, limekilns, etc.

 

2) On one trip, park at the bottom and take a second car to the top.

 

Speaking of limekilns....are there any up off the Limekiln trail in Sierra Azul? In all the logs, I've never read of anybody saying that they saw the limekilns off the trail.

 

Hhhmm, maybe just answered own question. :D

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sammydee

+sammydee

Posted
Posted

We will have to return to finish up a few more and perhaps do the Sierra Azul side.

Yes, the Sierra Azul size has some amazing spots. My favorite is Bald Mountain 2. I sat up there for about an hour and looked around with binoculars. I was there on a clear day, and could easily see downtown San Francisco.

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GeoBrowns

+GeoBrowns

Posted
Posted

We will have to return to finish up a few more and perhaps do the Sierra Azul side.

Yes, the Sierra Azul size has some amazing spots. My favorite is Bald Mountain 2. I sat up there for about an hour and looked around with binoculars. I was there on a clear day, and could easily see downtown San Francisco.

Sammydee, what is the terrain like compared to Quicksilver? Pretty much the same? There are less caches that side it seems and I wondered why.

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Marky

+Marky

Posted
Posted

We will have to return to finish up a few more and perhaps do the Sierra Azul side.

Yes, the Sierra Azul size has some amazing spots. My favorite is Bald Mountain 2. I sat up there for about an hour and looked around with binoculars. I was there on a clear day, and could easily see downtown San Francisco.

Sammydee, what is the terrain like compared to Quicksilver? Pretty much the same? There are less caches that side it seems and I wondered why.

The terrain is pretty much the same as Quicksilver, with most of the trails being of the fireroad variety. It is a big area that requires lenghy hikes. That is part of the reason there are fewer caches.

 

However, Bald Mountain 2 is "practically" a drive by, requiring only about 0.5 mile hike on a level dirt road. You will be rewarded with some really amazing views of the valley (not to mention, two caches).

 

--Marky

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Nazgul

+Nazgul

Posted
Posted
When I was hiking to the bald mountain caches I passed a family with two strollers. There's no elevation change to speak of. It's the drive thats a bear, even though it's paved.

Hey, I *like* that drive!

 

If you're going caching in Quicksilver via the Wood Rd. entrance, the Bald Mountain caches (plus the two near the parking) make a nice easy side trip before or after. The other Sierra Azul caches get iincreasingly more involved.

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Marky

+Marky

Posted
Posted
I'm negotiating a swap for one.  I haven't even seen what they look like yet.

 

--Marky

For those who haven't seen them yet:

 

0dfbbc22-e246-4b11-9bff-a5063ac74ada.jpg

And the pictures DO NOT do them justice!

 

BB - Congrats on #600!

Oh man, I'm going to have to throw in some extra swag for the trade. They kind of put our Calif geocoins to shame. :laughing: I want color on our next minting. :P

 

--Marky

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Touchstone

+Touchstone

Posted
Posted

I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of with regards to the CA coins. I think they're great too. The WA coins are quite impressive with the color though. You can't tell from Kealia's picture, but the backside with the mountain scene is kind of three dimensional. It's a pretty neat effect. Both sides are sealed in epoxy. It was a pretty pricey coin, which was also a consideration when minting the CA coins.

 

I put out a couple ones locally yesterday, and hopefully I can get up to SC in the next couple of weeks to plant a few more (I've got a couple of Sgt Stitches puzzles worked out that I need to snag).

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GeoSharks

+GeoSharks

Posted
Posted

GeoRoo placed this message in the CVC forum. Might have better luck here.

 

Are there any geocachers in the Livermore area that could help me out? My daughters The Dog TB was dropped off at Buzzards Roost at Del Valle Lake in June and has been stuck there. The cache is a easy walk from the parking lot and in a beautiful park, so I'm surprised it's had so few finds. This is my daughters first TB and she keeps asking about it. Any help to get it moving would be greatly appreciated.

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bykenut

+bykenut

Posted
Posted

FYI - The 2004 Winter issue of The Bark magazine has an article about geocaching with dogs and features Zoe and me along with two other folks who cache with their dogs. If you're a subscriber, you probably just received the winter issue. If not, they should be at Tower Records, Barnes and Noble, and Borders at the beginning of December (at least that's what the person at Tower Records told me). http://www.thebark.com/exploreBark/explore...xplore29_1.html

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