Anyone going Geocaching this weekend? **NEW CACHERS...POP IN!**

[Pin Wizard]

Sounds like fun, SplshMtn. I'll have to watch for something like that. Today went back to the spot I was at yesterday to pick up two red bell TBs that were placed there this morning. Took them and dropped them off while out today. Put my own TB in the one I picked up bells from. Can't wait to see a journey start. DS didn't care for the 5 mile walk around a lake. LOL! He made it though!

 

[Beth76]

Went out today made it 6 for 6. 4 micros, 2 regular. 95 degrees. This is really getting addictive but I do agree with a previous poster that it's hard to find things to do with teens and dd13 and dd15 love it, so for now, we'll keep at it!

Where in MO are you? STL area? We haven't been out for awhile although there are so many near our house. Most of them are in wooded areas and it's difficult to hike with the little ones. We've still only found one. Found parts of multi-caches, but only one final cache. I guess we're doing something wrong or we just don't have the patience. Carting around two whiners cuts the tolerance level a bit.

 

[Pin Wizard]

It's tough when you have little ones. I'll be looking for some "urban" caches this weekend. Should be a nice change from the woods. Found a new one right near work on my way home today! Last weekend we took a trail at a nearby park. It was a 5 mile walk around a lake, and we found two on the way. Wasn't going to the ones near poison ivy, had to stick my hand down in a DEEP hollow tree. No thanks! Not THAT enthusiastic! LOLOL! DS actually made the hike after all! Next time I'll have to take extra water. He went through it in no time.

 

[cheyita]

Okay, I've got what may sound like a ridiculous question:

How necessary is it to have the GPS for these hunts?

I was looking at the site and between the hints they give and the map, I have a reasonable idea where some of these are to be found. Am I being naive?

This looks like a lot of fun, but I don't want to purchase a GPS right now.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I would think if you know the area and can figure out pretty well where it is from the description and any clues, you might not need it. The one I found today...I had an idea it was where it was. Sure was. My GPS actually had me going around where it really was! Others, forget it. You really need it for some.

 

[cheyita]

Okay, thanks. There are a few within a mile of my house, so I'm quite familiar with the areas. I'm going to give it a try for the fun of it.

I'm going to my SIL's in Virginia Beach next weekend and to D.C. I'll have to check if there are any near her house.

Thanks for the fun!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Have fun!! There are lots in VA Beach! One of my areas! Today's was in Norfolk on the VA Beach line. Yup, one side of the street is Norfolk (where the cache was,) the other side is VA Beach.

 

[SplshMtn99]

If you are going to try it without a GPS, you're going to need to refer to the Topo maps & the arial photos. Both links are on the cache page.

It can be done.....but it will take you longer.
Even WITH the GPS, you don't always find them.

As we say around here in our geocaching circle of friends, the "FORCE" needs to be with you to find it.

WaldenRun is one of the longest cachers around here & he has found the most. Over 2000 I belive. WITHOUT A GPS! But, he's very woods savvy & knows his way around maps & compasses & uses alot of mapping websites to get him to the find.

 

[Pin Wizard]

That's too much! He's found all those without a GPS? Pretty amazing.

There's one that's annoying me no end. I know the general area where it is, someone that found it mentioned stopping before going to a restaurant near it...I know where that is. Strange though, the cache listing page has this as the closest to my home coordinates at just 0.8 miles away. Doesn't make sense!! I drive at least 2-3 miles to get to this place. Don't know what's up with that.

 

[cheyita]

WE DID IT!!!

We tried our hands on non-GPS caching this evening. We went to the easiest one first and found it quickly. It was so exciting and we became so cocky.

Then we went to the area where there were three to look for. Forget about it! The only way we'll be able to continue this is with the GPS. Hmmm....

 

[MELSMICE]

My brother told me about geocaching a few months ago. Sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[Pin Wizard]

WE DID IT!!!

We tried our hands on non-GPS caching this evening. We went to the easiest one first and found it quickly. It was so exciting and we became so cocky.

Then we went to the area where there were three to look for. Forget about it! The only way we'll be able to continue this is with the GPS. Hmmm....

Congrats on your first find!!

Melsmice...I find it a TON of fun!! Wish I knew about this the 9 months I was here and unemployed. I must be having a great time. It rained this past weekend, and we were out there any way!

 

[MiJo]

We went for an FTF (First To Find) Tuesday evening and came in second! The caching canines ruled on this one: "Trail hound" found it first and my DW and I, "Team SAR-Dogs", found it 2nd. We'll be attending a birthday picnic for two of our local caching friends on Monday at a park around 10 miles from our house. Usually for these events, someone places some temporary caches in the park and quite a few TB's attend. We have new, white Jeep TB's appearing now so we're looking forward to getting our paws on one of those.
Good caching!
Mike of Team SAR-Dogs

 

[cheyita]

Mike - congrats on coming in second. That must add even more fun to this, trying to be FTF. Since I am just starting out, how do you know about a new one being placed? Do you just keep checking, or are you notified some way? Thanks!

 

[MiJo]

cheyita - I just keep checking. However, geocaching.com is supposedly adding a feature for Premium Members soon that will notify them of new caches fairly quickly. In our area, new caches can appear at various times during the day and night, depending on the cache approver. So, I usually check early in the morning, when I get home from work and in the early evening. We have a tremendous amount of competition around here for FTF's so they aren't easy to get. I think we have 10 in 2 years. It's fun to go for them, though. We have a geo-buddy who is closing in on 200 FTF's!
Good caching!
Mike of Team SAR-Dogs

 

[Pin Wizard]

Congratulations on being the second to find the FTF, Mike! That's GREAT!!! We have one guy around here that's usually the FTF. I sent him an e-mail last week and told him I'm doubting he works and sleeps. He said the past week he was on leave from work.

What works to keep the ticks off? I've been using a lotion for ticks and mosquitoes. They still manage to get me.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Finds at the bay yesterday!! I will do the park/woods thing if I have to, but I'm definitely an anti-tick person...and ticks LOVE me! I come out with them, DS doesn't have one. Why is that? Don't get me wrong...I'm glad he doesn't get them, but I don't want them either. We went out last weekend. Did the check afterwards. Well, on Wednesday there was one feasting away. I'm sticking to urbans and the water!!


Anyone else going?

 

[MiJo]

Pin Wizard,
Having spent 8 years plus in Search and Rescue, we came to regard ticks as more of a nuisance than a worry. My DW has had Lyme Disease once, about 10 years ago, but the antibiotics cleared it up pretty quickly. Our dogs have never had a problem despite all the time they have been in the woods. Usually a product with DEET will help but ticks are persistent little buggers. After summertime SAR and geocaching adventures, we always throw our clothes right into the laundry and take showers. That helps.
I may have mentioned already that we have a fellow cacher here who has nearly 200 FTF's (Tyson Sprandel). We will be seeing him today at a Geo-Picnic to celebrate his birthday as well as that of another fellow cacher (Art Vandelay). Quite a few local cachers are planning to attend and the weather looks perfect. There are a whole bunch of TB's already logged in including quite a few of the new, white Jeep TB's. We're dropping off a Maryland Crabby Crab TB.
We have a bunch of finds this weekend, including another Second To Find (STF) so we are now up to 132 all together.
Good caching!
Mike of Team SAR-Dogs

 

[Pin Wizard]

Sorry your wife had experience with Lyme. Have a friend up in CT who has had it come back constantly. Seems she's always on antibiotics. I've been told Lyme isn't a huge problem in this area. Looked up Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever on the internet the other day so I know what to look for. Okay...will not let it get to me. Ticks are a nuisance, ticks are a nuisance, ticks are a nuisance...keep going! Will have to jump in the shower sooner...always seem to get involved with darling son in something before getting there. A mistake I see!

Happy Birthday to your fellow Geocacher! Hope the Geo-picnic goes well. I'm sure everyone will have a GREAT time! Maryland Crabby Crab TB? Sounds appropriate! I sent a TB out a couple weeks ago. Someone here picked it up and took it to the midwest on his vacation. Trying to get this TB to historical sites, etc. that show history of the US. He shocked me! He put it in a cache in a graveyard! A really old one which I'm under the impression that there's only a few graves there, the markers have pretty much worn away, and these people did have historical significance. I was thinking...anywhere BUT a graveyard, please! Have my own hangups with them. So I looked at the owner's profile and saw they became a member of www.geocaching.com on November 16 a few years ago. Stranger yet! My husband died on November 16...longer ago though. STRANGE!!! I felt like maybe he's trying to send me a message. LOL! Maybe he would like Geocaching...he was the camping/hunting/fishing/outdoorsy type.

Congrats on this weekend's finds! Another STF...GREAT! I was a third to find this weekend. My first at that. On the website there was a note posted by the guy that almost always is the FTF. He didn't find it after searching 15 minutes and said..."Difficulty 1?" LOLOL! I think the problem was he was there at 11:45 p.m.! Not a problem in the day light. But I envision him being one who would have a flashlight with him.

Better get going. Want to get out there hunting around again. Maybe in Norfolk today. Have a wonderful time at the picnic!

 

[MiJo]

The Birthday Bash picnic was great. We probably had around 60 people or so in attendance. Since this was for 2 cachers, there were 129 candles on the cake! We had a fire extinguisher nearby! I posted a bunch of pictures on our local geocaching site:Lehigh Valley Geocachers Group
One of the birthday boys (Tyson) is our local FTF fanatic. He has nearly 200! He's quite a character. We hooked up with him for a cache after the picnic and he found it in some rocks after I had found the first part micro. I think we managed 7 finds this weekend, including the picnic event cache. One was an ammo box that was huge called "Big, Bigger, Biggest". It could probably hold 6 volley balls. Someone lugged it up near the top of a small mountain.
I don't know when we'll get out again as we're pretty busy with our daughter's upcoming wedding on the 23rd. We're closing in on #150, though; maybe this month.
Sorry to hear about your DH. I'm sure he would have enjoyed caching with his outdoor interests. It's nice to know you do this with your DS.
Good caching and congratulations on your TTF (Third to Find)!
Mike of Team SAR-Dogs