Congrats to:
Team Toyo – 1000+ caches
Mbackmeyer – 1300+ caches
Keep caching!
As we move to paperless caching, we download the cache information directly to our GPSrs. Many of the higher end GPSrs also provide a background map to assist the GPS user in navigating. When geoaching out of town, its also nice to haeva map with the geocaches shown. This helps with route planning, parking, and finding access points. There are several ways to create a map. Here is a simple one.
Sample:
Caches are rated on a 5 star system for both difficulty and terrain. A few caches locally are terrain 5 caches for one of the following reasons:
Some 5 Terrain caches are reaonably easy, requiring a short boat ride, a short, easy scramble, or just the use of a flashlight, but some are clearly 5 Terrain Caches and require preparation and resourcefulness:
Which caches would you nominate as true Level 5 Terrain caches?
When you host a geocaching event, you have to solve a basic dilemma. If you have all new cache listings published in advance, cachers can go on-line and download their own listings either individually or as a pocket query. This is the most convenient method for the cacher. But what does it do to the event? Is there any reason too show up for the event if the FTF’s are already claimed and the caches are already published?
On the other hand, if we withhold the publication of caches, people have to attend the event to get the listings. The event is more assured of participation levels, but the challenge is how we provide the listings to the participants.
When we first started, we got a piece of paper with the cache listing, coordinates, and basic information. We then hand-loaded them one at a time into our GPSr. This can be a frustrating and tedious process. Nowadays, many of us practice paperless geoacaching and we expect to have an electronic upload of cache listings. If done well, this takes only a few seconds per participant. There are some technical issues, though.
To get the cache listings into GPX format, we use a program like GSAK to enter the information, then we Export the data as a GPX file to the individual devices. The dilemma comes when the computer won’t recognize the device. For Garmin GPSrs, the program Garmin Communicator usually helps, but a few Garmins (like the 60 series) require the unit to be in communications (USB) mode to allow the transfer. When the GPSr owner doesn’t know this, we have to try to figure it out for them! A few of the lower end models also have trouble being recognized by the computer. Of course, the GPSr owner can go online and download whatever device driver file is needed to support this communication and ensure it is loaded oh his/her computer, but how is the event organizer supposed to predict the GPSr types and have all the necessary drivers downloaded and ready?
The other technical issue is that the exported GPX files usually show up as Waypoints and not as full geocaching listings, like the ones from geocaching.com. We never worry about this too much because searching using waypoints or a map showing waypoints is something we are used to, but there a few geocachers who have never done this and get frustrated because they only know one method.
So what is the answer? Our plans are to continue to withhold publication, but refine our export for the future. We will select a PC and download all the main device drives and GSAK macros we can to support the export/upload process. But, we will also start to advise cachers to bring their own laptops (with device drivers already installed) and learn how to set their GPSrs ready for upload (and not expect us to figure out their GPSrs for them). If cachers don’t understand how to use their GPSrs, they may have to hand-load each cache.
Is there another alternative? How can we support geocachers yet still run an event without having to be a technical support person?
Over 200 people attended the Great Copper Rush in Princeton. It was a well-organized event and had many challenges for cachers beyond the 100 new caches placed. Everyone comes to an event with different expectations and takes away different experiences. It will be interesting to hear other opinions on the event. Here are some observations:
Either way, the event is unique and worth attending. Our thanks to Kris, Jordy, Jeff, and their team!
While scouting out the terrain near the Black Tower, Coppermine88 and couloir probed into the slot canyons, looking for new places for a 5/5 cache. Stay tuned for more details.
Kamloops Cachers Trip to GeoWoodstock Mega Event July 3 – 5, 2010.
(contributed by ProCrasTin8)
Friday:
The Kpneiders, CGQ, Jazzpurrr and Pro & Cras Tin8 started their trip with a meeting at Starbucks at 8:00 am.( we were all on time ) We set out as a convoy to the border and all arrived at Sumas around the same time. We than stopped to explore and cache the Sumas and Lynden area.
We stopped for lunch/supper in Lynden and continued on to arrive at the Lake Sammamish State Park to take in the final hour of the Friday Night Meet & Greet Laua.
We got to sign the log book which was a giant surfboard. There were lots of displays, cachers and travel bugs to discover. We checked into our hotel after 8 pm ; Marriott Residence Inn Redmond ; spending just enough time in our room to drop our suitcases and load our gps. We than walked the downtown area of Redmond looking for a cache around a dog – having other cachers and an officer on a segway to help us. Later we walked through some lovely trails caching, using Pro’s flashlight for the last cache. We arrived back in our hotel well after dark and very tired.
Saturday:
We were up by 8:00 and off to Carnation once all our gps’s finally got loaded. We cached the lovely Carnation area and than off to GeoWoodstock held at Remlinger Farms. Parking was about a km from the event but we discovered many car travel bugs along the way and saw many different license plates from all over the US.
As we arrived we all got our pictures taken in front of the GeoWoodstock sign and the largest ammo box we have ever seen. Keith got interviewed for some groundspeak video that they were making on GeoWoodstock.
We spent the next few hours visiting the different booths, talking to fellow cachers, doing an accuracy gps activity and getting a BC cachers picture taken. We also got to meet Mountainman and some of us even got pictures with him and Signal.
After GeoWoodstock we cached in the area along an old railway bed and the trails with many other cachers. We then cached around the community of Carnation while CGQ and Jazzpurrr went for refreshments we decided to do a simple multi. This simple multi for us was not simple and involved climbing fences with the help of Keith. We than cached our way back to our hotel by ll:30 just in time to attend the end of the Midnight Geocoin Madness II. We saw many beautiful and unique geocoin collections, some being as large as 500 coins. It was finally time for some refreshments and off to bed around 1:30.
Sunday:
We set out to travel to the Original Cache placed in 2000. We started to cache along the way but soon realized it would take 2 days to get there at this rate so we headed straight to the cache. It was quite a trip we left at l0:00 in the morning and arrived at the Original around 5:00 to have our pictures taken. This worked out to be CGQ’s 1000th find so it is a very memorable occasion for Craig. We continued to cache in the area for the next couple of hours.
One that will stick out in our minds other than the Original cache is called Holy Macro
It consisted of a huge red barrel about 4 feet tall that held 3,500 film canister one with the logbook in it. On arriving we could hear all this snapping and popping when we investigated 3 lady cachers were already hard at work searching for the canister with the log. We joined in without hesitation for what seemed to be forever and finally Jazzpurrr found the log after about 2500 empties.
We continued to cache until dark approached and we realized we had a 5 hour drive back to Redmond. Later we decided it was time for supper so at l:30 in the morning we filled the cars and our bellies and drove on arriving back at our hotel at 3:30 after a long but fun day.
Monday:
We were off to do the Misson 9: Tunnel of Light (APE cache). But of course before we got there we had to pick a few caches along the way. Saw some really great old trains and nice little parks. We stopped and did an earth cache at Snoqualmin Falls. We arrived at the Snoqualmin Forest Trails and started up the mountain for the APE cache. It was a nice climb up to the cache and the scenery was beautiful.
This was Jazzpurrr’s l,000th cache. Congrats. We had to do one more cache and down the mountain. It was time for farewells as CGQ, Jazzpurrr and Kpneider’s were heading home after a great weekend.
When we first planned to attend Pro noticed that Kpneiders had completed the Peace Series on a previous trip. It soon became our goal to solve the 42 Puzzle caches before we left and we succeeded the night before we departed. This is a great series of puzzle caches they are all different and fun to solve. Since we did not have time during the weekend we decided to stay in Seattle for a couple of days to complete the Peace series. This was an interesting 2 days of intense caching as you had to find all of them to get the coordinates to the final cache. They are split between the two sides of Lake Washington.
If you want more information on the Peace Series it is located on Lake Washington and you can see the great Peace Sign.
- ProCrasTin8
Hello – 2010 Cache Blitz
The Blitz voting will be ending on August 1st. Remember to vote for all the blitz caches you have visited over the past 3 months.
Look for the Blitz wrap-up event near you, where the prizes will be awarded.
August 12th:
BCGA 2010 Blitz Wrap Up – Thompson Okanagan
August 14th:
BCGA 2010 Blitz Wrap Up – Lower Mainland
BCGA 2010 Blitz Wrap Up – Fraser Valley
BCGA 2010 Blitz Wrap Up – Northern BC
BCGA 2010 Blitz Wrap Up – Island South
BCGA 2010 Blitz Wrap Up – Island Central/North
August 21st:
BCGA 2010 Blitz Wrap Up – Kootenay Rockies
Coin update
We are just in the process of getting samples from the mint. Once they are approved and we have chosen all the platings and colours, we will start sales on the website. We will also be selling BCGA pins at the same time.
We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer of caching!
Ted, Kelly, Sharon, Irene, Ginger, Andrew and Tom
When we first started caching in 2005 there was 1 cache at Lac Le Jeune. Since we spend a lot of weekends up there throughout the year we placed a few caches in the area. Five years later and there are over 60 caches in the area. I have started placing caches around the lake along the Gus Johnson trail and hope to have caches all along the 10km loop sometime in the near future. This begs the question “Is the Lac Le Jeune area getting too cache saturated?” (if there is such a thing)
Comments welcome.
