Since I'm feeling too lazy to do any caching today, I spent some time poring over the GOWT forums. As expected, most of the new posts are in the off-topic area. I was surprised to find almost no mention of the reorganization. I guess most people really don't care. 76Stinger has computer problems, nothing new there. I've been silent on the forums lately because I have nothing to say.
I spent some time reading about the GOWT leadership structure. It operates mostly in the way I had intended when I proposed it to the reorganization committee. Other than the makeup of its committees, I don't really have a problem with how it operates. As I expected, the group decided that representing all areas of GOWT was more important than just picking competent people. I can't waste any more of my time worrying about that, though. For the record, one reason the committees are so large is so that do-nothings like chibongo can continue to do absolutely nothing and it should not affect the operations of the committees.
I found it odd that GOWT chose to post its paid membership list online in the form of a rankings list. Especially at this time. Not only does it allow the likes of JAG to see what percentage of GOWT is comprised of JAG members, but it also will allow GOWT members to see how many of its current membership does not renew its membership when it expires shortly. It is unknown how many members will simply not bother to renew their membership, especially since they can enjoy the vast majority of the benefits of GOWT for free.
I will be renewing my membership whenever I get around to it. Mostly because I like using the GOWT logo on my blog.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Christmas 2007
I had no big caching plans for this day. My primary objectives were to move a travel bug out of a cache in Atoka and make it to Christmas dinner in Rosemark with my family. Since it was a perfect day, I thought I'd hunt a few caches on the way if I had time. Turns out I should have set aside more time!
The first cache I went after was Potter's Field by Chance Encounter (GCVB16) in beautiful Frayser. Frayser is a part of North Memphis that normally I avoid like the plague. The area where Potter's Field is located is now a park with a commuinity center nearby. The neighborhood is a bit rundown, but the park looked nice. I found a good place to park/hide my car and walked across the park to the cache location. Even though the park was empty, I stayed low and out of sight of any possible muggles. The cache was a quick find and I got out safely. I hunted two more quick caches Skeeter by masmason12 and Poptart12 (GC120T7) and GS - Goin' To The Park by cgeek (GCWKNM) before heading north up Hwy 51 to Atoka.
Upon arriving in Atoka, I decided to get a couple of park and grabs at places that are normally very busy. On this day there was nobody around and I got both caches found and logged in about 5 minutes.
I then headed for Atoka Ball Park to check out my adopted cache Atoka Park Nature Trail by Spencersb (GCKR81) and also hunt O, IC ! by minismiths (GCW3E9) if I had time.
I adopted this cache fairly recently and had not personally visited it since January 2005 when I originally hunted it. I had read over the logs online and knew that it had been found exposed before so I hoped everything was in place. I found it at its coordinates which seemed to be away from where it was two years ago. All the better for me since its current spot isn't covered in thorns. The cache was well-hidden, but when I opened it up, I found mostly junk inside. All of the listed travel bugs are gone. The log book still has plenty of room, so I won't need to change it out for a while. I will go back soon to put in some fresh contents and investigate possible alternate spots to relocate it.
After coming out of the woods, I realized that I didn't leave myself enough time to hunt the nearby caboose cache, so I'll have to get it next time I'm out that way. I went after one more cache - Meteor Madness by 76Stinger (GC14YVE) on my way to Christmas dinner.
The first cache I went after was Potter's Field by Chance Encounter (GCVB16) in beautiful Frayser. Frayser is a part of North Memphis that normally I avoid like the plague. The area where Potter's Field is located is now a park with a commuinity center nearby. The neighborhood is a bit rundown, but the park looked nice. I found a good place to park/hide my car and walked across the park to the cache location. Even though the park was empty, I stayed low and out of sight of any possible muggles. The cache was a quick find and I got out safely. I hunted two more quick caches Skeeter by masmason12 and Poptart12 (GC120T7) and GS - Goin' To The Park by cgeek (GCWKNM) before heading north up Hwy 51 to Atoka.
Upon arriving in Atoka, I decided to get a couple of park and grabs at places that are normally very busy. On this day there was nobody around and I got both caches found and logged in about 5 minutes.
I then headed for Atoka Ball Park to check out my adopted cache Atoka Park Nature Trail by Spencersb (GCKR81) and also hunt O, IC ! by minismiths (GCW3E9) if I had time.
I adopted this cache fairly recently and had not personally visited it since January 2005 when I originally hunted it. I had read over the logs online and knew that it had been found exposed before so I hoped everything was in place. I found it at its coordinates which seemed to be away from where it was two years ago. All the better for me since its current spot isn't covered in thorns. The cache was well-hidden, but when I opened it up, I found mostly junk inside. All of the listed travel bugs are gone. The log book still has plenty of room, so I won't need to change it out for a while. I will go back soon to put in some fresh contents and investigate possible alternate spots to relocate it.
After coming out of the woods, I realized that I didn't leave myself enough time to hunt the nearby caboose cache, so I'll have to get it next time I'm out that way. I went after one more cache - Meteor Madness by 76Stinger (GC14YVE) on my way to Christmas dinner.
Monday, December 17, 2007
GOWT Reopens for Business
I received a form letter from GOWT this morning informing me that the forums were back online. I was already aware of the majority of changes made to GOWT - some of which necessitated my resignation from the Reorganization Committee.
I didn't really care for GOWT's version of the "Patriot Act" that I had to agree to before my forum account would be reactivated. If they had competent moderators and leadership lined up, they wouldn't have needed such a document. Fear does not inspire confidence. I found this line particularly odd: “This will allow a member to re-commit to serving the GOWT community in the proper way.” I’m not really sure I even understand what that means.
I like the new design of the forums. The new content areas will be great if they can find people willing to provide relevant content. It won't be easy finding volunteers who are willing to actually put in the work to keep it up to date. The forum guidelines were adapted from fark.com and are basicallly a wordier version of what we had before. The guidelines were never the problem. It was a lack of enforcement that caused our forums to descend into utter chaos.
I was disappointed to see that anonymous accounts were created for the administrators, webmaster, and moderators. These actions were taken so that members would not know who was responsible for doing what. The problem I have with this is that it violates the spirit of "openness" under which I believe GOWT was intended to operate. People who fail to take personal responsibility for their decisions and actions do not inspire confidence in their leadership abilities.
I was pleased to note many respected members of GOWT were appointed to the Leadership and Advisory Commmittees. Although many of them remained silent during GOWT’s troubled period, I believe they are good people at heart. Unfortunately a few bad choices were made as well during the committee selections. Since I can't remain silent on this issue:
I call for the immediate resignation of prontopup from the Leadership Committee.
I call for the immediate resignation of chibongo from the Advisory Committee.
If they choose not to resign, I respectfully request that their respective committees remove them.
Prontopup will leave when somebody hurts his feelings which usually occurs when someone disagrees with him or chibongo.
When GOWT's problems became visible to the majority of the members through our discussion forums in February 2007, Prontopup, chibongo, and cgeek immediately set to work forming Delta Area Geocachers whose forums came online in March 2007. Chibongo and cgeek, two members of GOWT's 2007 Executive Committee literally had to be drug back to fulfill their duties as GOWT's officers. As moderators, they failed miserably at maintaining order and in fact only acted when they personally were offended by posted content. Prontopup is merely a sycophant supporting whatever crazy position chibongo supports. Nothing can be expected to change in that regard and GOWT deserves better.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Cypress Grove CITO - October 1, 2005
This was my first CITO event and only one of two that I have done outside of Memphis. The event was at 10am in Jackson, TN and since I was find-hungry at that time, I wanted to cache before and after the event. I left my house fairly early that day and arrived in Brownsville shortly after sunrise.
Back Porch Blues by Canoe Guy (GCQEGW)
The location of this cache is an information center just off of I-40 in Brownsville. I struck out on this day, but came back 3 weeks later and found it.
Metal and Magnolias by Canoe Guy (GCQEGZ)
This cache was in the heart of Brownsville and was a two-stage cache. It's funny now that I remember the second stage more than the first given the oddness of the structure at stage 1. In fact, until I re-read the logs, I had completely forgotten about the 1st stage!
Good Hope Cemetery by i_am_wood (GCPX4E)
This cemetery was located just outside of Bells, TN. The only thing I remember about this cache is that I had problems finding the general area of the second stage....
Bailey Park Multi by Titansfan (GCPQ4Y)
This was a quick two-stage cache placed by my buddy Titansfan in a nice little park in Humboldt. I'm pretty sure that this was my first find in Humboldt as it seems I passed through that town a lot while going to cache elsewhere. The second stage was a tough find for me and I didn't know at the time what the hint referred to.
---
Cypress Grove Nature Park CITO by BigDaddyD (GCQCBW)
I had been to this park once before (in August) to hunt Bird's Eye View by Canoe Guy (GCQ0EN). It's a really cool nature park that has long elaborate boardwalks to take you around to various areas/observation points. Lots of big caged birds on display. On this particular day, I arrived a little after 10am and just in time to help haul stuff back to the worksite. Our job was to paint an observation structure with grey latex paint. Mattalbman, who I think is a painter by trade, brought ladders and brushes. It was a tough structure to paint due to its height/size and the fact that the wood soaked up a lot of paint. We painted for a few hours and took a break for lunch.
I didn't bring anything to eat so I bided my time watching a raccoon stealing food from one of the tables. Door prizes were awarded - I won an aluminum hiking stick.
After lunch we went back to work - mostly touch-up stuff to finish out the day. Several pictures were taken with the GOWT banner and the proud work crew. It seemed like it took more trips to haul stuff out than it did to haul it in. I'm not sure if some people left early or if we just packed stuff out in a more inefficient manner.
Right after we packed all of the stuff out and people were leaving, it started to rain. Since it was still light out so I looked for a caching buddy. Pcsenn was the only one who wanted to cache. Thanks to his log notes, I know what time we hunted each cache.
---
Savannah Williamson Park by Mattalbman (GCQNHB) found at 5pm
This cache was a quick find for us. There were basically two places to look and pcsenn picked the right one.
Hear That Harmonica by dalls (GCQ38F) found at 5:30pm
We took a rather circuituous route to this one. Pcsenn's autorouting laptop really came in handy for this cache. The location was definitely interesting. It was near the gravesite of a blues singer and the tombstone was adorned with harmonicas. When pcsenn had his 1k event nearly two years later, I gave him a harmonica to remind him of our hunt for this cache.
At this point, we hunted a cache near a church that pcsenn had on his list - I had done it before, but don't remember the name of it.
Medon Trails by dalls (GCPKJD) found at sunset (6:30pm?)
This was a three-stage cache (at that time) and pcsenn had already found it, but he graciously accompanied me on my hunt. I had been here before and had struck out at the first stage. It turned out that the approach was important. The first two stages weren't that difficult on this trip, but it was getting dark as we got to the 3rd stage and I know I wouldn't have found the cache without his help. We still had problems even with pcsenn knowing the approximate location of the cache.
After this cache, we headed north to Jackson to hunt a few more before parting ways.
Fountain for A Legend by Mattalbman (GCQHKN) found at 7:30pm
I couldn't even describe what this fountain looks like as it was very dark at this time. I actually found the cache just by feeling around. Given the size of the container, I was very lucky to find it!
When Love dies... by Mattalbman (GCQDP5) found at 7:45pm
This was the perfect time to hunt a cemetery cache. It was dark and stormy which added to the eerieness of the hunt.
Road Closed 2 by yogi and dolphin (GCQE4H) - found at 8:05pm
This was the last cache of the evening for us. Like most of the caches in the "Road Closed" series, I remember absolutely nothing about it two years later. I'm sure I enjoyed it, though.
All in all, it was a long and fun day. I often wonder if the rain messed up the fresh paint on the structure but never went back there to check it out. This was one of GOWT's better CITOs, in my less than humble opinion. This was the last time I saw Mattalbman and Taterdude - they soon afterwards went on a mission to Albania (I think). I enjoyed caching with pcsenn after the event. It was the first time I saw someone cache using a laptop for routing. [I will probably flesh this story out as I remember more details]
Back Porch Blues by Canoe Guy (GCQEGW)
The location of this cache is an information center just off of I-40 in Brownsville. I struck out on this day, but came back 3 weeks later and found it.
Metal and Magnolias by Canoe Guy (GCQEGZ)
This cache was in the heart of Brownsville and was a two-stage cache. It's funny now that I remember the second stage more than the first given the oddness of the structure at stage 1. In fact, until I re-read the logs, I had completely forgotten about the 1st stage!
Good Hope Cemetery by i_am_wood (GCPX4E)
This cemetery was located just outside of Bells, TN. The only thing I remember about this cache is that I had problems finding the general area of the second stage....
Bailey Park Multi by Titansfan (GCPQ4Y)
This was a quick two-stage cache placed by my buddy Titansfan in a nice little park in Humboldt. I'm pretty sure that this was my first find in Humboldt as it seems I passed through that town a lot while going to cache elsewhere. The second stage was a tough find for me and I didn't know at the time what the hint referred to.
---
Cypress Grove Nature Park CITO by BigDaddyD (GCQCBW)
I had been to this park once before (in August) to hunt Bird's Eye View by Canoe Guy (GCQ0EN). It's a really cool nature park that has long elaborate boardwalks to take you around to various areas/observation points. Lots of big caged birds on display. On this particular day, I arrived a little after 10am and just in time to help haul stuff back to the worksite. Our job was to paint an observation structure with grey latex paint. Mattalbman, who I think is a painter by trade, brought ladders and brushes. It was a tough structure to paint due to its height/size and the fact that the wood soaked up a lot of paint. We painted for a few hours and took a break for lunch.
I didn't bring anything to eat so I bided my time watching a raccoon stealing food from one of the tables. Door prizes were awarded - I won an aluminum hiking stick.
After lunch we went back to work - mostly touch-up stuff to finish out the day. Several pictures were taken with the GOWT banner and the proud work crew. It seemed like it took more trips to haul stuff out than it did to haul it in. I'm not sure if some people left early or if we just packed stuff out in a more inefficient manner.
Right after we packed all of the stuff out and people were leaving, it started to rain. Since it was still light out so I looked for a caching buddy. Pcsenn was the only one who wanted to cache. Thanks to his log notes, I know what time we hunted each cache.
---
Savannah Williamson Park by Mattalbman (GCQNHB) found at 5pm
This cache was a quick find for us. There were basically two places to look and pcsenn picked the right one.
Hear That Harmonica by dalls (GCQ38F) found at 5:30pm
We took a rather circuituous route to this one. Pcsenn's autorouting laptop really came in handy for this cache. The location was definitely interesting. It was near the gravesite of a blues singer and the tombstone was adorned with harmonicas. When pcsenn had his 1k event nearly two years later, I gave him a harmonica to remind him of our hunt for this cache.
At this point, we hunted a cache near a church that pcsenn had on his list - I had done it before, but don't remember the name of it.
Medon Trails by dalls (GCPKJD) found at sunset (6:30pm?)
This was a three-stage cache (at that time) and pcsenn had already found it, but he graciously accompanied me on my hunt. I had been here before and had struck out at the first stage. It turned out that the approach was important. The first two stages weren't that difficult on this trip, but it was getting dark as we got to the 3rd stage and I know I wouldn't have found the cache without his help. We still had problems even with pcsenn knowing the approximate location of the cache.
After this cache, we headed north to Jackson to hunt a few more before parting ways.
Fountain for A Legend by Mattalbman (GCQHKN) found at 7:30pm
I couldn't even describe what this fountain looks like as it was very dark at this time. I actually found the cache just by feeling around. Given the size of the container, I was very lucky to find it!
When Love dies... by Mattalbman (GCQDP5) found at 7:45pm
This was the perfect time to hunt a cemetery cache. It was dark and stormy which added to the eerieness of the hunt.
Road Closed 2 by yogi and dolphin (GCQE4H) - found at 8:05pm
This was the last cache of the evening for us. Like most of the caches in the "Road Closed" series, I remember absolutely nothing about it two years later. I'm sure I enjoyed it, though.
All in all, it was a long and fun day. I often wonder if the rain messed up the fresh paint on the structure but never went back there to check it out. This was one of GOWT's better CITOs, in my less than humble opinion. This was the last time I saw Mattalbman and Taterdude - they soon afterwards went on a mission to Albania (I think). I enjoyed caching with pcsenn after the event. It was the first time I saw someone cache using a laptop for routing. [I will probably flesh this story out as I remember more details]
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Death of a Legend
I got up a little earlier than normal for me on a Sunday and decided to go after a cache that was within walking distance of my residence. I had located this cache earlier on a satellite map and since it appeared to be in somebody's yard I had ignored it. Today I figured I would at least scout it out.
I took my old Garmin Legend with me because I didn't need maps and I wanted to use a GPSr that stood out less than my newer 60csx. As I approached the neighborhood where the cache was, an old bum walked past me and said "This is not going to be your morning." When I got within three blocks of the cache location I turned on the Legend and let it warm up - slowly. I walked to probably within 50 feet of the cache and realized that searching for it would leave me extremely visible to the neighbors. When a small dog ran across the street and started barking at me, I turned around and started to walk off. At this point I looked down at my Legend and saw the screen was blank except for a thin vertical line running down the middle-right side of it.
The old blue Legend has served me well over the last three years. My Dad bought it for me as a present shortly after I started geocaching and I used it to find more than 1000 caches across 15 states before breaking down and buying a 60csx. After that, I had only used it on days when I hunted caches while running.
The last cache I had hunted with it was BSA by itcomagic (GC15WBB). It had acted up on that day as well right after I had found the cache so I knew its days were numbered. Because of my tendency to anthropomorphize electronic gadgets, my Legend will be laid to rest in my golden ammo can.
I took my old Garmin Legend with me because I didn't need maps and I wanted to use a GPSr that stood out less than my newer 60csx. As I approached the neighborhood where the cache was, an old bum walked past me and said "This is not going to be your morning." When I got within three blocks of the cache location I turned on the Legend and let it warm up - slowly. I walked to probably within 50 feet of the cache and realized that searching for it would leave me extremely visible to the neighbors. When a small dog ran across the street and started barking at me, I turned around and started to walk off. At this point I looked down at my Legend and saw the screen was blank except for a thin vertical line running down the middle-right side of it.
The old blue Legend has served me well over the last three years. My Dad bought it for me as a present shortly after I started geocaching and I used it to find more than 1000 caches across 15 states before breaking down and buying a 60csx. After that, I had only used it on days when I hunted caches while running.
The last cache I had hunted with it was BSA by itcomagic (GC15WBB). It had acted up on that day as well right after I had found the cache so I knew its days were numbered. Because of my tendency to anthropomorphize electronic gadgets, my Legend will be laid to rest in my golden ammo can.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Mission Improbable
Mission Improbable by bitbrain (GC16JZR)
Because this cache was heavily hyped and because the cache hider is known for having exceptional caches, I was looking forward to hunting this cache. When my friend Spencersb told me that he and Hoot Owl and possibly a few others planned to hunt this cache on the evening of 12/7, I contacted jbgreer and we both made arrangements to join in on the hunt.
Jbgreer and I met up with Hoot Owl and Spencersb at a spot in Collierville and rode together to the location of the second stage. After a bit of a rocky start, we found the first set of tacks and
proceeded off into the woods. The walk itself was fairly uneventful. There were no problems with terrain and we did not need to bushwhack. At one point I decided to take a bathroom break and when I turned around, the guys had found the cache! D'oh!
In the can was the logbook and bags of envelopes with customized "missions" for each finder to complete before they could officially log the find. While I signed the log, the others went through the bags looking for envelopes with our names on them. Since there was no personalized mission for either jbgreer or me, we took generic ones. It kinda harshed my buzz knowing there was no personalized mission for me, but was glad to see that several JAG folks did have personalized missions awaiting them. I only hope that JoGPS's mission doesn't involve writing a coherent paragraph.
My mission was/is simple enough - the "improbable" part is me completing it anytime soon. Anyways, we found a more convenient way back to the vehicle. About the time we got back to the road, jbgreer noticed that he left his walking stick back at the cache! No problem, it gave us all more time to talk while walking back and forth to the cache site.
After leaving the site, we hunted a nearby cache Chickasaw Basin Cache by searchingforit (GC11JF7) and found it just as my GPS batteries were dying.
I really enjoyed talking with the guys and was glad I got the chance to see Spencersb again since his visit to Memphis was relatively short and his schedule was busy.
Because this cache was heavily hyped and because the cache hider is known for having exceptional caches, I was looking forward to hunting this cache. When my friend Spencersb told me that he and Hoot Owl and possibly a few others planned to hunt this cache on the evening of 12/7, I contacted jbgreer and we both made arrangements to join in on the hunt.
Jbgreer and I met up with Hoot Owl and Spencersb at a spot in Collierville and rode together to the location of the second stage. After a bit of a rocky start, we found the first set of tacks and
proceeded off into the woods. The walk itself was fairly uneventful. There were no problems with terrain and we did not need to bushwhack. At one point I decided to take a bathroom break and when I turned around, the guys had found the cache! D'oh!
In the can was the logbook and bags of envelopes with customized "missions" for each finder to complete before they could officially log the find. While I signed the log, the others went through the bags looking for envelopes with our names on them. Since there was no personalized mission for either jbgreer or me, we took generic ones. It kinda harshed my buzz knowing there was no personalized mission for me, but was glad to see that several JAG folks did have personalized missions awaiting them. I only hope that JoGPS's mission doesn't involve writing a coherent paragraph.
My mission was/is simple enough - the "improbable" part is me completing it anytime soon. Anyways, we found a more convenient way back to the vehicle. About the time we got back to the road, jbgreer noticed that he left his walking stick back at the cache! No problem, it gave us all more time to talk while walking back and forth to the cache site.
After leaving the site, we hunted a nearby cache Chickasaw Basin Cache by searchingforit (GC11JF7) and found it just as my GPS batteries were dying.
I really enjoyed talking with the guys and was glad I got the chance to see Spencersb again since his visit to Memphis was relatively short and his schedule was busy.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Failing to Learn From History
Not too long ago I was participating in a geocaching-related discussion thread where the topic was [top secret]. One of the things that has been frustrating me about our forum threads is the constant deviation away from the subject/topic we are discussing. On this particular day a person decided that before we could continue with the subject of [top secret], we needed to first "discuss" who was to blame for the problems of GOWT. Being the rather blunt person I am, I stated that we needed to focus on the original topic and if others wanted a "blame" thread, they should start a separate thread for that. I was told that I was rude and inconsiderate - which is true but irrelevant.
A few of the others did eventually start and participate in a "blame" thread which they referred to as a "history" thread. I should have stayed out of it, but curiosity always gets the better of me and once I read the totally one-sided view of what supposedly happened, I asked the person who prompted the thread and who served as GOWT's Vice President during the time the problems supposedly started what role SHE played in causing or resolving the problems. She had the authority and ability to do something early on to help head off the problems that were looming and apparently did nothing! My comments were not terribly well-received. I was not smart enough to save the content of that thread, but it doesn't really matter. The truth eventually reveals itself even when clouded by drama.
I am by no means an angel, but even I realize that assigning blame is not the same as learning from history and moving on. I hope that others will eventually learn that same lesson as well.
---
Since I realize most of you prefer reading my enthralling geocaching stories to my geocaching "editorials", it is time for me to get back on the road and do some caching!
A few of the others did eventually start and participate in a "blame" thread which they referred to as a "history" thread. I should have stayed out of it, but curiosity always gets the better of me and once I read the totally one-sided view of what supposedly happened, I asked the person who prompted the thread and who served as GOWT's Vice President during the time the problems supposedly started what role SHE played in causing or resolving the problems. She had the authority and ability to do something early on to help head off the problems that were looming and apparently did nothing! My comments were not terribly well-received. I was not smart enough to save the content of that thread, but it doesn't really matter. The truth eventually reveals itself even when clouded by drama.
I am by no means an angel, but even I realize that assigning blame is not the same as learning from history and moving on. I hope that others will eventually learn that same lesson as well.
---
Since I realize most of you prefer reading my enthralling geocaching stories to my geocaching "editorials", it is time for me to get back on the road and do some caching!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Holiday Bash 2008
Holiday Bash 2008 by Team Sprout (GC17KR9)
My friend Sprout of Team Sprout is opening up his spacious home for a Christmas get together. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, this geocaching event is not listed as being a GOWT or a DeltaGeo event. I have signed up to attend and look forward to visiting friends I don't see often including Team Spencersb who will be coming to Memphis for a visit that weekend. I confess I'm not really interested in the "Yankee Swap" tradition, but I'm not really into games.
On a separate note, I saw this new disclaimer at the bottom of the GOWT forum pages today: "GOWT is not responsible for questionable or controversial content found through links external to this site. " That is a politically correct way of saying that GOWT is not responsible for any opinions I might express on this blog. Kind of ironic since GOWT itself is the source of some of my more "controversial" opinions. A more appropriate disclaimer might be: "This product may contain nuts."
My friend Sprout of Team Sprout is opening up his spacious home for a Christmas get together. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, this geocaching event is not listed as being a GOWT or a DeltaGeo event. I have signed up to attend and look forward to visiting friends I don't see often including Team Spencersb who will be coming to Memphis for a visit that weekend. I confess I'm not really interested in the "Yankee Swap" tradition, but I'm not really into games.
On a separate note, I saw this new disclaimer at the bottom of the GOWT forum pages today: "GOWT is not responsible for questionable or controversial content found through links external to this site. " That is a politically correct way of saying that GOWT is not responsible for any opinions I might express on this blog. Kind of ironic since GOWT itself is the source of some of my more "controversial" opinions. A more appropriate disclaimer might be: "This product may contain nuts."
Monday, November 26, 2007
Word of the Day
flash point
–n
1. the lowest temperature at which a liquid in a specified apparatus will give off sufficient vapor to ignite momentarily on application of a flame.
2. a critical point or stage at which something or someone suddenly causes or creates some significant action: A 10 percent drop in mortgage rates will produce a flash point in the housing market.
I have decided to disassociate myself from the Delta Area Geocachers. My flash point was reached courtesy of the three individuals who run that site. I have indeed learned something about people who fail to learn from history.
Update: 12/2/2007: Delta Area Geocachers not only deleted my membership (which I expected), but are requiring members to log on before viewing the vast majority of their site. Failure to learn from history.
–n
1. the lowest temperature at which a liquid in a specified apparatus will give off sufficient vapor to ignite momentarily on application of a flame.
2. a critical point or stage at which something or someone suddenly causes or creates some significant action: A 10 percent drop in mortgage rates will produce a flash point in the housing market.
I have decided to disassociate myself from the Delta Area Geocachers. My flash point was reached courtesy of the three individuals who run that site. I have indeed learned something about people who fail to learn from history.
Update: 12/2/2007: Delta Area Geocachers not only deleted my membership (which I expected), but are requiring members to log on before viewing the vast majority of their site. Failure to learn from history.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Caching on Thanksgiving - November 2007
I don't set aside one day of the year to reflect on what I am thankful for. I think about the things I am thankful about all year long.
My only set plans for this day were to be at my brother's house in Atoka, TN at precisely 1:30pm for Thanksgiving dinner. I had rough plans to do a little caching in Millington and Covington if I had enough time. My dad called me as I was about to leave the house so we talked for a while. Once on the road, I headed for Millington. Since I was short on time, I only went after park and grabs. I also forgot my camera so I have no pictures from this short trip.
The Composer Series - Antonin Dvorak by cgeek (GCVV8G) was a fun puzzle cache. I had solved the puzzle a long time ago and had made two trips to the spot before. This time I got lucky and walked straight to the hide. I was glad since I was short on time. I picked up a total of four caches in Millington before heading north to Covington.
After picking up three more caches just south of Covington, I arrived at my final cache for the afternoon - He Was A Patriot by cgeek (GCZ0G8). It was a little cool for walking around, but I walked to the first stage and got the necessary information. I passed through an area on the way to the final stage that I thought the cache might be in and for a moment thought I had done the math incorrectly. Following the coords paid off though. After signing the log, I headed south to enjoy the rest of the day with my family.
I had intended on picking up a few caches on my way home but had forgotten my flashlight. No big deal, though, as I will be back this way in about 3 weeks. I was able to grab YAGM - Peppermint Patty by cgeek (GC13QNT) though. It was kinda creepy since the business was closed, there weren't many lights in the area. Plenty of cars passed by - no telling if anyone noticed me lurking around an empty parking lot.
I have three more days off from work, but don't have any more geocaching plans. Next Monday is the third year anniversary of the day my friend jbgreer introduced me to geocaching.
Update: 11/12/2007 : My friend TF notified me that I forgot to log the GOWT Founder's Meeting as attended (I placed a note instead). What a newbie mistake.
My only set plans for this day were to be at my brother's house in Atoka, TN at precisely 1:30pm for Thanksgiving dinner. I had rough plans to do a little caching in Millington and Covington if I had enough time. My dad called me as I was about to leave the house so we talked for a while. Once on the road, I headed for Millington. Since I was short on time, I only went after park and grabs. I also forgot my camera so I have no pictures from this short trip.
The Composer Series - Antonin Dvorak by cgeek (GCVV8G) was a fun puzzle cache. I had solved the puzzle a long time ago and had made two trips to the spot before. This time I got lucky and walked straight to the hide. I was glad since I was short on time. I picked up a total of four caches in Millington before heading north to Covington.
After picking up three more caches just south of Covington, I arrived at my final cache for the afternoon - He Was A Patriot by cgeek (GCZ0G8). It was a little cool for walking around, but I walked to the first stage and got the necessary information. I passed through an area on the way to the final stage that I thought the cache might be in and for a moment thought I had done the math incorrectly. Following the coords paid off though. After signing the log, I headed south to enjoy the rest of the day with my family.
I had intended on picking up a few caches on my way home but had forgotten my flashlight. No big deal, though, as I will be back this way in about 3 weeks. I was able to grab YAGM - Peppermint Patty by cgeek (GC13QNT) though. It was kinda creepy since the business was closed, there weren't many lights in the area. Plenty of cars passed by - no telling if anyone noticed me lurking around an empty parking lot.
I have three more days off from work, but don't have any more geocaching plans. Next Monday is the third year anniversary of the day my friend jbgreer introduced me to geocaching.
Update: 11/12/2007 : My friend TF notified me that I forgot to log the GOWT Founder's Meeting as attended (I placed a note instead). What a newbie mistake.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Representation
One of the major points of contention within GOWT over the past year (and probably longer) is how the Executive Committee can adequately represent all areas of GOWT when the majority of the leadership is from one area. How can a person from Memphis "represent" the geocaching interests of a member who lives in Dyersburg or Jackson?
Do any of the people who ask that question also ask how reviewers from Nashville can represent the entire state of Tennessee much less the states that they serve as backup reviewers for?
The answer is: No. Most people assume that the reviewers serve the entire territory they were chosen to serve with no particular bias towards any one area. Most paying members of Groundspeak have absolutely no say in the choice of people who serve as volunteer reviewers for their area. They do have a means of complaining if they feel a reviewer isn't doing their job properly, but they are not consulted in the choice of who is picked to be a volunteer reviewer.
Voting for representatives in this area has proven to be problematic. Since the membership of GOWT is not evenly distributed across GOWT territory, most of our representation would either come from Memphis or Jackson. In the past, there has been no really helpful way to determine from potential candidates who would actually be a good leader. It is also a problem that many people who would make good leaders do not wish to run. Many of the candidates who won election to the Executive Committee this past year won based on popularity. Popularity is not a reliable indicator of leadership ability. In the case of GOWT, leadership is not so much about making decisions that affect geocaching policy in West Tennessee as it is about responsible people performing the day-to-day tasks that keep an organization running smoothly. There are some important decisions to be made and most of those require input or feedback from the membership. Examples of these kinds of decisions are: the design of a club geocoin or where we might hold the annual GOWT CITO event.
The mission of GOWT is not driven by the individual caching philosophies of those selected to lead. GOWT's mission is to embrace geocaching in all of its forms while encouraging its members to geocache responsibly. GOWT has always sought to provide its members with information about geocaching in all areas of West Tennessee and will hopefully continue to do so. GOWT has always welcomed input from all of its members.
It should not be an issue where the leadership is from as much as does the leadership have the ability to fulfill GOWT's mission. True representation comes when all members are able to provide constructive input to the leadership regarding GOWT and its mission.
Do any of the people who ask that question also ask how reviewers from Nashville can represent the entire state of Tennessee much less the states that they serve as backup reviewers for?
The answer is: No. Most people assume that the reviewers serve the entire territory they were chosen to serve with no particular bias towards any one area. Most paying members of Groundspeak have absolutely no say in the choice of people who serve as volunteer reviewers for their area. They do have a means of complaining if they feel a reviewer isn't doing their job properly, but they are not consulted in the choice of who is picked to be a volunteer reviewer.
Voting for representatives in this area has proven to be problematic. Since the membership of GOWT is not evenly distributed across GOWT territory, most of our representation would either come from Memphis or Jackson. In the past, there has been no really helpful way to determine from potential candidates who would actually be a good leader. It is also a problem that many people who would make good leaders do not wish to run. Many of the candidates who won election to the Executive Committee this past year won based on popularity. Popularity is not a reliable indicator of leadership ability. In the case of GOWT, leadership is not so much about making decisions that affect geocaching policy in West Tennessee as it is about responsible people performing the day-to-day tasks that keep an organization running smoothly. There are some important decisions to be made and most of those require input or feedback from the membership. Examples of these kinds of decisions are: the design of a club geocoin or where we might hold the annual GOWT CITO event.
The mission of GOWT is not driven by the individual caching philosophies of those selected to lead. GOWT's mission is to embrace geocaching in all of its forms while encouraging its members to geocache responsibly. GOWT has always sought to provide its members with information about geocaching in all areas of West Tennessee and will hopefully continue to do so. GOWT has always welcomed input from all of its members.
It should not be an issue where the leadership is from as much as does the leadership have the ability to fulfill GOWT's mission. True representation comes when all members are able to provide constructive input to the leadership regarding GOWT and its mission.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Curious Cache of the Day
One of the myriad of ways I kill time is looking at recently published caches to see if a cache stands out that might entice me to make a road trip to do some caching. This curious cache is located in Martin, TN and is on the campus of UT Martin.
You Play Your Way, I'll Play Mine - Dare Ya #1 by Lil Lucky Clover (GC1777Q)
This cache is rated a 5/5 and I pored over the description looking to see what on earth possessed the owner to rate this "mystery" cache so highly. It has "special logging requirements" which appear to be submitting a picture of yourself standing on your head at the cache site. Does a camera qualify as "special equipment" or is it perhaps the assistance of a friend (or two) helping you stand on your head?
I'm not whining about the cache, mind you. I'm just trying to figure out how a solitary cacher like myself might take a picture of myself upside-down outside of a university campus women's dormitory without getting arrested by campus security!
Update: 11/14: I was informed today that the location is a former women's dorm now used as offices.
Update: 11/19: This cache had been archived and now removed from the geocaching site.
Before it was removed and after it was archived, it was logged by yogi and dolphin. It even had the picture of dolphin standing on her head, although it was not clear if the photo was taken at the cache location. I was able to save the picture.
I am curious to know why the listing (approved by Max Cacher) was removed from the site as opposed to being permanently archived.
You Play Your Way, I'll Play Mine - Dare Ya #1 by Lil Lucky Clover (GC1777Q)
This cache is rated a 5/5 and I pored over the description looking to see what on earth possessed the owner to rate this "mystery" cache so highly. It has "special logging requirements" which appear to be submitting a picture of yourself standing on your head at the cache site. Does a camera qualify as "special equipment" or is it perhaps the assistance of a friend (or two) helping you stand on your head?
I'm not whining about the cache, mind you. I'm just trying to figure out how a solitary cacher like myself might take a picture of myself upside-down outside of a university campus women's dormitory without getting arrested by campus security!
Update: 11/14: I was informed today that the location is a former women's dorm now used as offices.
Update: 11/19: This cache had been archived and now removed from the geocaching site.
Before it was removed and after it was archived, it was logged by yogi and dolphin. It even had the picture of dolphin standing on her head, although it was not clear if the photo was taken at the cache location. I was able to save the picture.
I am curious to know why the listing (approved by Max Cacher) was removed from the site as opposed to being permanently archived.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Flash Mob Fun!
WWFM - Disorganized Flash: Collierville, TN by The Disorganization of MidSouth Geocachers (GC16WDF)
This event was hosted by bitbrain and was one of 83 flash mob events held across the world on this day.
Although this event was hosted by "The Disorganization of MidSouth Geocachers", a small group that predates GOWT in west Tennessee, Hoot Owl brought along the GOWT banner and everyone posed for a group picture with it. It looks like a number of folks whom I haven't seen in a while made it there. I didn't make it to this event, but from the logs it appears that everyone had a great time. Hopefully I can make it to the next "Hotwing Hangover" event hosted by this group!
This event was hosted by bitbrain and was one of 83 flash mob events held across the world on this day.
Although this event was hosted by "The Disorganization of MidSouth Geocachers", a small group that predates GOWT in west Tennessee, Hoot Owl brought along the GOWT banner and everyone posed for a group picture with it. It looks like a number of folks whom I haven't seen in a while made it there. I didn't make it to this event, but from the logs it appears that everyone had a great time. Hopefully I can make it to the next "Hotwing Hangover" event hosted by this group!
There's a change a coming
The above title is from the "signature" of a disgruntled GOWT member from the Jackson area that he added just before the formation of JAG was announced. Change is inevitable. Sometimes its done on a whim, sometimes out of extreme necessity.
In the early morning hours of November 10, GOWT shut down for reorganization. This process can be expected to take a while as the reorganization committee which is composed of members from across the region that GOWT serves seeks out additional information from the membership about what they want.
One thing that the majority of the members of GOWT have made clear is that they are sick of the infighting that has taken place over the last year. GOWT is intended to be a geocaching resource that provides geocachers from all over the world information about geocaching within the region that GOWT represents. While it is reasonable to expect "philosophical differences" between members, it is not reasonable to fight like children on public discussion forums. It definitely does not show our best side to others interested in geocaching or those who might be interested. Hopefully we as an organization can find a way to get back to what GOWT is supposed to be about: geocaching.
The first change that is apparent can be seen in the lower right corner of the GOWT logo above. GOWT is now a registered trademark.
This is representative of a second change that I would like to see and one that is sorely needed. If our discussion forums continue to be more conversational than informational, the moderators need to show little mercy on members who violate posting policies.
We spared the rod for a long time and ended up with spoiled children on our forums.
In the early morning hours of November 10, GOWT shut down for reorganization. This process can be expected to take a while as the reorganization committee which is composed of members from across the region that GOWT serves seeks out additional information from the membership about what they want.
One thing that the majority of the members of GOWT have made clear is that they are sick of the infighting that has taken place over the last year. GOWT is intended to be a geocaching resource that provides geocachers from all over the world information about geocaching within the region that GOWT represents. While it is reasonable to expect "philosophical differences" between members, it is not reasonable to fight like children on public discussion forums. It definitely does not show our best side to others interested in geocaching or those who might be interested. Hopefully we as an organization can find a way to get back to what GOWT is supposed to be about: geocaching.
The first change that is apparent can be seen in the lower right corner of the GOWT logo above. GOWT is now a registered trademark.
This is representative of a second change that I would like to see and one that is sorely needed. If our discussion forums continue to be more conversational than informational, the moderators need to show little mercy on members who violate posting policies.We spared the rod for a long time and ended up with spoiled children on our forums.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Stubby dons the war paint
Here is a recent post by the Bluff Boys of JAG on their comedy blog with a little commentary from me:
Of course we post things the way we see them. To do otherwise would be lying. Anyone who has a different viewpoint is free to express it.
That very weekend their "guardian of the donuts" came to Memphis and found 28 caches.
Whoa there little Braveheart! Remember: Puff, puff, pass. Thanks for the comedy, it never fails to put a smile on my face!
In the spirit of friendship, I dedicate this haiku to Stubby:
Logging in and out
GOWT is failing without me
Must not make a post
Update: 11/10: Stubby has deleted the above post from his blog along with another one where he warns new geocachers about the "West Tennessee group". Comedy's loss.
Posted: October 25
Always turning things around
Just an update: After we wrote the last blog, our friends tried to turn it around again. They started posting junk like they always do, the way they see it. They are never wrong.
Of course we post things the way we see them. To do otherwise would be lying. Anyone who has a different viewpoint is free to express it.
So lets help them to see where they are wrong. We haven't posted on their forums, we haven't been to any of their events, we haven't found any of their caches, and we haven't been to Memphis. I will give them credit I have browsed their forums and I have sent a pm to one of their (power trip) EC members asking why hasn't anything been done to one of their great members when he attacks a reviewer. Which i knew she would put the blinders on again.
That very weekend their "guardian of the donuts" came to Memphis and found 28 caches.
We have kept our distance from them because we know what kind of people they are. This is our first blog about them after they have wrote many about us. Why would they keep bashing people when we haven't had anything to do with them but browse their forums. Does this make sense? Now go read their blogs and see for yourself who can't let go..... We have kept quite long enough, no more, if this what they want lets get it on.
Whoa there little Braveheart! Remember: Puff, puff, pass. Thanks for the comedy, it never fails to put a smile on my face!
In the spirit of friendship, I dedicate this haiku to Stubby:
GOWT is failing without me
Must not make a post
Update: 11/10: Stubby has deleted the above post from his blog along with another one where he warns new geocachers about the "West Tennessee group". Comedy's loss.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Old Liberty Hill Haunted Adventure, Part III
[Note: In the time since the event took place (nearly two weeks), my memories have gotten fainter. I hope I get most of the details right.]
After leaving our last attempted find, we had 10 or 15 minutes to get to the event. Our Garmins told us we weren't that far away and gave us clear, consise directions. Since we were approaching from the wrong direction, we were off of the main roads and it was impossible to tell where we were (since I never bothered to zoom out on the map). At some point, our Garmins both lit up and displayed road information. We didn't interpret it correctly and ended up missing a turn. There was a little bit of fog out - spooky - and it was dark, but we finally found the paved road we were supposed to be on from the start, and only a short distance from our destination.
Finally we arrived at the event - Old Liberty Hill Haunted Adventure by lacey38655 & sniperchicken (GC15HEC). We were probably twenty minutes late, but still managed to beat the rest of the Memphis crowd! All of the yards were heavily decorated so we weren't sure where to go. We saw a bonfire and headed for it. We met Lacey38655 and she led us to the party.
There were a few guests there and others like chibongo and cgeek showed up a little later. The fire was great since it was cooling off a bit. People sat around and talked for a while, and as usual, I sat quietly and took it all in. Lacey38655 led two groups through an elaborate "haunted" maze that was spread out across three yards! It was very well done and at several points costumed characters jumped out to scare us. I was lucky to be in front - the "monsters" usually popped out behind me catching gonafindit and giving him a good scare!
After everyone had a chance to experience the haunted maze, we all headed out to do some night caching - in cemeteries!
The first two caches we hunted were fairly close together. Since we had a good-sized crowd come out for the hunt, we split into two groups. The group I was in walked down the road to Old Liberty Hill Cemetery by lacey38655 (GCVR40). Lacey38655 led our little group and told us about the local legends about the cemetary. It was an interesting tour with some of the graves literally being alongside the road.
We got back to our starting point just as the other group led by SniperChicken was coming out of the woods. Old Liberty Hill Night Cache by lacey38655 (GC16GPZ). The course itself wasn't too long, but the terrain was tough! It would be interesting to see that area during the daytime.
The final cache of the evening was Road to Nowhere by T&R (GC519B). We were a smaller group by the time we did this one. I think some of our group had done it before so they passed on it. This was another really old and small cemetary behind a church. It was a short walk from where we parked to where a cache itself was. I was so busy listening to the conversations of the group that I walked right past the cache. Someone else spotted it before I realized what I had done. Just as well, though. I was getting tired from the long, fun day.
We drove back to the event where we had one more surprise waiting. Lacey38655 and SniperChicken had goodie bags for each of us! The bags had candy in them and I think one or two had a SniperChicken geocoin in them. Since I wasn't lucky enough to find one in my bag, I (along with a few others) bought one from SniperChicken. We all then went outside for a group photo and parted ways. Abiectio and I drove to Oxford for some gas and caffeine and made the long drive back to Memphis. Abiectio dropped me off at my apartment around midnight (I think).
I managed to get almost four hours of sleep before having to get up and ready for a ten-mile road race through Shelby Forest.
After leaving our last attempted find, we had 10 or 15 minutes to get to the event. Our Garmins told us we weren't that far away and gave us clear, consise directions. Since we were approaching from the wrong direction, we were off of the main roads and it was impossible to tell where we were (since I never bothered to zoom out on the map). At some point, our Garmins both lit up and displayed road information. We didn't interpret it correctly and ended up missing a turn. There was a little bit of fog out - spooky - and it was dark, but we finally found the paved road we were supposed to be on from the start, and only a short distance from our destination.
Finally we arrived at the event - Old Liberty Hill Haunted Adventure by lacey38655 & sniperchicken (GC15HEC). We were probably twenty minutes late, but still managed to beat the rest of the Memphis crowd! All of the yards were heavily decorated so we weren't sure where to go. We saw a bonfire and headed for it. We met Lacey38655 and she led us to the party.
There were a few guests there and others like chibongo and cgeek showed up a little later. The fire was great since it was cooling off a bit. People sat around and talked for a while, and as usual, I sat quietly and took it all in. Lacey38655 led two groups through an elaborate "haunted" maze that was spread out across three yards! It was very well done and at several points costumed characters jumped out to scare us. I was lucky to be in front - the "monsters" usually popped out behind me catching gonafindit and giving him a good scare!
After everyone had a chance to experience the haunted maze, we all headed out to do some night caching - in cemeteries!
The first two caches we hunted were fairly close together. Since we had a good-sized crowd come out for the hunt, we split into two groups. The group I was in walked down the road to Old Liberty Hill Cemetery by lacey38655 (GCVR40). Lacey38655 led our little group and told us about the local legends about the cemetary. It was an interesting tour with some of the graves literally being alongside the road.
We got back to our starting point just as the other group led by SniperChicken was coming out of the woods. Old Liberty Hill Night Cache by lacey38655 (GC16GPZ). The course itself wasn't too long, but the terrain was tough! It would be interesting to see that area during the daytime.
The final cache of the evening was Road to Nowhere by T&R (GC519B). We were a smaller group by the time we did this one. I think some of our group had done it before so they passed on it. This was another really old and small cemetary behind a church. It was a short walk from where we parked to where a cache itself was. I was so busy listening to the conversations of the group that I walked right past the cache. Someone else spotted it before I realized what I had done. Just as well, though. I was getting tired from the long, fun day.
We drove back to the event where we had one more surprise waiting. Lacey38655 and SniperChicken had goodie bags for each of us! The bags had candy in them and I think one or two had a SniperChicken geocoin in them. Since I wasn't lucky enough to find one in my bag, I (along with a few others) bought one from SniperChicken. We all then went outside for a group photo and parted ways. Abiectio and I drove to Oxford for some gas and caffeine and made the long drive back to Memphis. Abiectio dropped me off at my apartment around midnight (I think).
I managed to get almost four hours of sleep before having to get up and ready for a ten-mile road race through Shelby Forest.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Old Liberty Hill Haunted Adventure, Part II
After lunch, we headed out to find more caches. We picked up several in Pontotoc including Micro with a view by lacey38655 (GC13CVP). You would never know that the picture was taken while standing in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
Now that I look at the route we traveled, it seems we kind of wandered around. One of the caches in the area of Puskus Lake that I found particularly enjoyable was Foul...or is it? by SniperChicken (GCXVN6).
One of the last caches we went to before slowly winding our way to the event was Cambridge Cemetery by buggydawg (GCM51N). I had been to this one before so I was going to relax while Abiectio hunted the cache. Next to the cemetary is a wooded area and we heard a loud rustling coming from nearby. We thought it might be a dog so we stayed close to the cemetary fence. I was standing closer to the road and saw the wild animal emerge.
I asked Abiectio if he had ever seen a live armadillo. He said he had not and went after it to snap some pictures. I heard another one off in the woods a bit further back. They make a lot of noise for being relatively small creatures.
After finding the cache, we headed south to do 2 more caches that were relatively close together. The first one - The Nascar Cache by SniperChicken (GC114TG)was just a short hike in the woods. The container and contents were themed and were worth the hunt. We moved the car a little bit to the west and headed into the woods after North Cypress West Trail by SniperChicken (GCXWPE). I don't remember the cache itself, but do remember the hunt. At one point on the trail, I tripped. I reached out my right hand to catch myself on a tree at the edge of the path. I was quite surprised when my hand went through the tree (it was rotten) and I hit another tree just past it, ramming my right shoulder into it just as I was about to hit the ground. It was extremely painful, so I just lay there for a minute until the pain subsided enough for me to realize I wasn't seriously hurt. Most importantly we found the cache! We went after one more cache, which we couldn't find an approach for so at that point it was definitely time to head to the event. Would we make it time? Would we even make it there at all?
Still more to come
Now that I look at the route we traveled, it seems we kind of wandered around. One of the caches in the area of Puskus Lake that I found particularly enjoyable was Foul...or is it? by SniperChicken (GCXVN6).
One of the last caches we went to before slowly winding our way to the event was Cambridge Cemetery by buggydawg (GCM51N). I had been to this one before so I was going to relax while Abiectio hunted the cache. Next to the cemetary is a wooded area and we heard a loud rustling coming from nearby. We thought it might be a dog so we stayed close to the cemetary fence. I was standing closer to the road and saw the wild animal emerge.
I asked Abiectio if he had ever seen a live armadillo. He said he had not and went after it to snap some pictures. I heard another one off in the woods a bit further back. They make a lot of noise for being relatively small creatures.
After finding the cache, we headed south to do 2 more caches that were relatively close together. The first one - The Nascar Cache by SniperChicken (GC114TG)was just a short hike in the woods. The container and contents were themed and were worth the hunt. We moved the car a little bit to the west and headed into the woods after North Cypress West Trail by SniperChicken (GCXWPE). I don't remember the cache itself, but do remember the hunt. At one point on the trail, I tripped. I reached out my right hand to catch myself on a tree at the edge of the path. I was quite surprised when my hand went through the tree (it was rotten) and I hit another tree just past it, ramming my right shoulder into it just as I was about to hit the ground. It was extremely painful, so I just lay there for a minute until the pain subsided enough for me to realize I wasn't seriously hurt. Most importantly we found the cache! We went after one more cache, which we couldn't find an approach for so at that point it was definitely time to head to the event. Would we make it time? Would we even make it there at all?
Still more to come
Monday, October 22, 2007
Old Liberty Hill Haunted Adventure, Part I
Saturday was looking to be a great day, but I had no plans for caching. I had intended the spend the day working. Friday afternoon, Abiectio called me and said that he was planning on attending Old Liberty Hill Haunted Adventure and spending the entire day caching in Mississippi in the area around the event. I was hesitant to go because I needed to rest up for a 10 mile race I was running in Sunday, but decided I need some fun! I didn't have time to make my usual preparations, but did generate a pocket query for the area.
Abiectio picked me up at 8:30 am Saturday and off we went.
Our first stop was Holly Springs, MS where we picked up four quick caches. Two of them were at fast food places, so naturally the hunger pangs began. It wasn't quite time for lunch yet so we headed towards New Albany. Just before we got there we stopped at a cache Abiectio had been to before and really liked the camo on - Cache of Steel by lacey38655 (GC134K9). That cache took me a moment to find because my GPSr decided I needed a challenge. I found it though and posed for a picture with the container before getting back on the road.
Our next stop was a park in New Albany, MS. Here we did the first of much hiking during the day! We parked somewhere along the paved Tallahatchie Trail and hiked to the first cache in the area - A Walk Along The River by SniperChicken (GC13CZ3).
It was an relatively easy find after readjusting our perspective. We then crossed through a thicket in search of another cache that turned out not to be in my pocket query. It might have been archived, anyways we drove a short distance away and found another cache in an area rich with muggles (none were near the cache). We found a total of four caches in New Albany, missing one other because a car show was being held in the area surrounding the cache.
Our next destination was Pontotoc, but first - lunch at a Chinese buffet where we discussed important geocaching issues.
More to come
Abiectio picked me up at 8:30 am Saturday and off we went.
Our first stop was Holly Springs, MS where we picked up four quick caches. Two of them were at fast food places, so naturally the hunger pangs began. It wasn't quite time for lunch yet so we headed towards New Albany. Just before we got there we stopped at a cache Abiectio had been to before and really liked the camo on - Cache of Steel by lacey38655 (GC134K9). That cache took me a moment to find because my GPSr decided I needed a challenge. I found it though and posed for a picture with the container before getting back on the road.
Our next stop was a park in New Albany, MS. Here we did the first of much hiking during the day! We parked somewhere along the paved Tallahatchie Trail and hiked to the first cache in the area - A Walk Along The River by SniperChicken (GC13CZ3).
It was an relatively easy find after readjusting our perspective. We then crossed through a thicket in search of another cache that turned out not to be in my pocket query. It might have been archived, anyways we drove a short distance away and found another cache in an area rich with muggles (none were near the cache). We found a total of four caches in New Albany, missing one other because a car show was being held in the area surrounding the cache.
Our next destination was Pontotoc, but first - lunch at a Chinese buffet where we discussed important geocaching issues.
More to come
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Caching the Appalachian Trail
I was reading an article today in a fitness publication about hiking the Appalachian Trail and it reminded me of a silly dream I had once to hike and cache along the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Coast Trail. I say silly because in order to hike the length of the AT (which is a little over 2000 miles) I would most likely have to quit my job. Most people who successfully complete the hike take five or six months. I can't say whether I would try to do it faster or slower - I guess it depends on the caching opportunities, but I think I would want to hike the entire trail.
It would be hard to drop out of my life's routines for that long, but there are many times (like today) that I would like to do just that. One of the great pleasures of my life is my yearly drive across the country to visit family. I enjoy the solitude of the trips and do not miss the company of others. When getting close to my destination I always stop (usually at a rest stop) and take one last chance to reflect on things before meandering on into town to visit family or getting back home depending on the direction I am traveling.
I may never take the time to make that great hike, but I will always enjoy thinking about it as it takes my mind away from some of the unpleasantness of my life.
It would be hard to drop out of my life's routines for that long, but there are many times (like today) that I would like to do just that. One of the great pleasures of my life is my yearly drive across the country to visit family. I enjoy the solitude of the trips and do not miss the company of others. When getting close to my destination I always stop (usually at a rest stop) and take one last chance to reflect on things before meandering on into town to visit family or getting back home depending on the direction I am traveling.
I may never take the time to make that great hike, but I will always enjoy thinking about it as it takes my mind away from some of the unpleasantness of my life.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Letters to Santa
"THANK YOU FOR THE EDIT IN A RECENT POST ON GEOCACHING.COM THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN!! THIS IS HAPPENING ALOT WHAT IS THE STOPPING POINT FOR THE BAD COMMENTS FROM ONES MOUTH??? THIS SHOULD BE A IMMEDIATE BAN FROM GEOCACHING PERIOD!! MY REQUEST IS TO GIVE THIS A BAN FROM GEOCACHING FOR THIS VIOLATION !! IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS TAKE IT TO ANOTHER REVIEWER WHO WILL DO IT!! THANKS"
This is not an actual letter to Santa. Letters to Santa usually make more sense than this.
This is instead a post made on the JAG forums presumably under their "Ask The Reviewer" section. I don't know for sure yet because the quote was sent to me by a loyal reader of my blog. The post itself was made by one of the "charter members" of JAG. The "charter members" of this group are presumably the ones who determine the philosophy or direction of the group.
Here is the horrible post I made that prompted the above quote:
"I can not attend this event because I choose not to associate with members of the JAG NATION. In particular, I choose not to associate with the core members of JAG."
The above ALL CAPS post is actually a follow-up to an earlier attempt to get me "banned from geocaching".
"How much trash does one have to talk about a reviewer to get banned from geocaching!! I thnk this needs a hard look because if someone gives the time for free for a sport I think people need to keep there mouth shut!! Thanks for all the reviewers do! Your friend the NUT!!! I realize this might be a higher up question than just you to give response bet in the name of geocaching go higher if you have to ta get this resolved!!! Thanks Max for all you do!! And for that mater all the reviewers!!!"
The last time such a post was made, two separate reviewers commented that basically reviewers have received far worse criticisms and simply took it as part of the job.
Here is a comment made by one of the reviewers who posted under her regular caching name:
"The Reviewers are fine people for the most part. You would think they would be the ones with random power trips?!?! But rather it is the cachers that have fits of crazy power--of the mouth--or keyboard in many cases. I think some people just have to have someone to beat up on and these people make it the reviewers. I will say this--GroundSpeak chooses reviewers based on a whole lot of qualities--One is a tough skin!! People are alsways pushin', shovin', and smack talkin' the reviewers. Some of the stories Max has shared with us are just amazing. I think most of us here know how crazy people can get over a game!!!"
The person who made the above statement is also a "charter member" of JAG. I am not certain where the "power trip" comment is coming from. How do you get on a "power trip" by hiding or seeking or discussing Tupperware containers? In this case I had chosen to respond (inappropriately) to a poster in our forums who chose to blame me for some threads being closed by pointing out their incorrect use of spelling and grammar. The poster also happened to be a volunteer cache reviewer. The only part of the above quoted statement I agree with is the first sentence. As for the qualities Groundspeak uses to choose reviewers - that will be the topic of a future blog entry.
This is not an actual letter to Santa. Letters to Santa usually make more sense than this.
This is instead a post made on the JAG forums presumably under their "Ask The Reviewer" section. I don't know for sure yet because the quote was sent to me by a loyal reader of my blog. The post itself was made by one of the "charter members" of JAG. The "charter members" of this group are presumably the ones who determine the philosophy or direction of the group.
Here is the horrible post I made that prompted the above quote:
"I can not attend this event because I choose not to associate with members of the JAG NATION. In particular, I choose not to associate with the core members of JAG."
The above ALL CAPS post is actually a follow-up to an earlier attempt to get me "banned from geocaching".
"How much trash does one have to talk about a reviewer to get banned from geocaching!! I thnk this needs a hard look because if someone gives the time for free for a sport I think people need to keep there mouth shut!! Thanks for all the reviewers do! Your friend the NUT!!! I realize this might be a higher up question than just you to give response bet in the name of geocaching go higher if you have to ta get this resolved!!! Thanks Max for all you do!! And for that mater all the reviewers!!!"
The last time such a post was made, two separate reviewers commented that basically reviewers have received far worse criticisms and simply took it as part of the job.
Here is a comment made by one of the reviewers who posted under her regular caching name:
"The Reviewers are fine people for the most part. You would think they would be the ones with random power trips?!?! But rather it is the cachers that have fits of crazy power--of the mouth--or keyboard in many cases. I think some people just have to have someone to beat up on and these people make it the reviewers. I will say this--GroundSpeak chooses reviewers based on a whole lot of qualities--One is a tough skin!! People are alsways pushin', shovin', and smack talkin' the reviewers. Some of the stories Max has shared with us are just amazing. I think most of us here know how crazy people can get over a game!!!"
The person who made the above statement is also a "charter member" of JAG. I am not certain where the "power trip" comment is coming from. How do you get on a "power trip" by hiding or seeking or discussing Tupperware containers? In this case I had chosen to respond (inappropriately) to a poster in our forums who chose to blame me for some threads being closed by pointing out their incorrect use of spelling and grammar. The poster also happened to be a volunteer cache reviewer. The only part of the above quoted statement I agree with is the first sentence. As for the qualities Groundspeak uses to choose reviewers - that will be the topic of a future blog entry.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Forum etiquette
I've been doing a lot of reading of various geocaching forums as well as Groundspeak's forum to see if anyone else supports my own flavor of forum etiquette.
I found this on the Groundspeak site under Getting Started:
Forum Etiquette, Just what are the expectations?
These guidelines were posted by Totem Lake, August 31, 2005 and serve to complement the Groundspeak Forum Guidelines.
My favorite parts of the "expected forum etiquette" are:
Do not use all capital letters, excessive question marks (?) or exclamation points (!) in your subject or content. Although perfection is not expected; proper punctuation, correct grammar and correct spelling is important enough for others to be able to read without difficulty. Using all capital letters is considered yelling and is hard to read. Ignoring this guideline will net you fast criticism.
Forum etiquette doesn’t do away with flaming. Flaming is a long standing tradition of forum debate. If you can’t handle the heat, be careful how you post or be prepared to defend your post. People aren’t trying to be mean or be a bully, but they will challenge your way of thinking.
These are the kinds of rules that evolve over time as opposed to the default behavior rules that lots of sites have. The GOWT forums are the ultimate challenge to these suggested rules of forum etiquette as quite a number of our more vocal members [from JAG] appear to be somewhat language-challenged. Many of them also do not have the basic logic skills necessary to form and defend an argument. Since I am no longer allowed to give them "lessons", I'll have to be content with simply setting the best example I can.
For laughs, here is an example of how NOT to end a response to a post:
I say to us all...if the last thing you post to or about a person were to truly be the last thing..."Could you live with it?"
Time is short and life is uncertain, we have no promise of tomorrow.
Live like you are dying.
This person may have a point, though. I nearly died laughing when I read it.
I found this on the Groundspeak site under Getting Started:
Forum Etiquette, Just what are the expectations?
These guidelines were posted by Totem Lake, August 31, 2005 and serve to complement the Groundspeak Forum Guidelines.
My favorite parts of the "expected forum etiquette" are:
Do not use all capital letters, excessive question marks (?) or exclamation points (!) in your subject or content. Although perfection is not expected; proper punctuation, correct grammar and correct spelling is important enough for others to be able to read without difficulty. Using all capital letters is considered yelling and is hard to read. Ignoring this guideline will net you fast criticism.
Forum etiquette doesn’t do away with flaming. Flaming is a long standing tradition of forum debate. If you can’t handle the heat, be careful how you post or be prepared to defend your post. People aren’t trying to be mean or be a bully, but they will challenge your way of thinking.
These are the kinds of rules that evolve over time as opposed to the default behavior rules that lots of sites have. The GOWT forums are the ultimate challenge to these suggested rules of forum etiquette as quite a number of our more vocal members [from JAG] appear to be somewhat language-challenged. Many of them also do not have the basic logic skills necessary to form and defend an argument. Since I am no longer allowed to give them "lessons", I'll have to be content with simply setting the best example I can.
For laughs, here is an example of how NOT to end a response to a post:
I say to us all...if the last thing you post to or about a person were to truly be the last thing..."Could you live with it?"
Time is short and life is uncertain, we have no promise of tomorrow.
Live like you are dying.
This person may have a point, though. I nearly died laughing when I read it.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
It's All in Your Perspective
Here are some recent excerpts from a JAG member's blog that I find particularly telling:
The (JAG) forums are not open to those who have proven themselves to be antagonizers of our members. I say to you, if you knew a person to be a thief, would you allow him to come into your home among your family and belongings. I think not. As a group, we feel the need to keep the thieves out also; those who come in and try to steal the joy of our sport, the unity we have as a group and the ability we have to be civil to each other, even in disagreement.
Some have been given access and changed venues once they arrived. They became thieves once they came in and saw all the contentment within the group. Their joy comes from dissension and stealing the joy of others. Their goal is to tear down anything that they perceive as a threat. They cannot co-exist.
While this "philosopher" doesn't mention who exactly she is referring to, the fact that several members of GOWT including myself have been banned by IP address from accessing the JAG forums pretty much says it all. Interestingly if you apply the above to the GOWT forums, you can see that she is describing herself, Stubby, and Elmo perfectly. Accessing the JAG forums is no longer necessary for me. Recently JAG's leader had to remove three offensive posts made by Stubby. Poor kid can't catch a break. At least he is enjoying caching again. Here is the log he posted for Should I Put It On? or Should I Take It Off? by WickedNSassy (GC14Z61) on September 13:
Found it after work. I'm not sure if you should put it on or take it off. I know the bluff boys like to take it off in Muse park. Nice cache. Thanks for the cache.
I'm certainly glad he doesn't have a wife and kids to embarrass. Oh, wait. He does.
More words of wisdom from the blog of JAG's "philosopher":
JAG was not born to overshadow or undermine. It was created for people in a common geographical area with a common love of geocaching to come together, share ups and downs and have fun playing the game as we see fit.
I have recently been informed by two reliable sources that JAG intends to field a slate of candidates in the next GOWT election. Playing the game as they see fit, indeed.
Update 9/19/2007: JAG's "philosopher" decided she did not wish to blog anymore and removed herself from the blogosphere.
The (JAG) forums are not open to those who have proven themselves to be antagonizers of our members. I say to you, if you knew a person to be a thief, would you allow him to come into your home among your family and belongings. I think not. As a group, we feel the need to keep the thieves out also; those who come in and try to steal the joy of our sport, the unity we have as a group and the ability we have to be civil to each other, even in disagreement.
Some have been given access and changed venues once they arrived. They became thieves once they came in and saw all the contentment within the group. Their joy comes from dissension and stealing the joy of others. Their goal is to tear down anything that they perceive as a threat. They cannot co-exist.
While this "philosopher" doesn't mention who exactly she is referring to, the fact that several members of GOWT including myself have been banned by IP address from accessing the JAG forums pretty much says it all. Interestingly if you apply the above to the GOWT forums, you can see that she is describing herself, Stubby, and Elmo perfectly. Accessing the JAG forums is no longer necessary for me. Recently JAG's leader had to remove three offensive posts made by Stubby. Poor kid can't catch a break. At least he is enjoying caching again. Here is the log he posted for Should I Put It On? or Should I Take It Off? by WickedNSassy (GC14Z61) on September 13:
Found it after work. I'm not sure if you should put it on or take it off. I know the bluff boys like to take it off in Muse park. Nice cache. Thanks for the cache.
I'm certainly glad he doesn't have a wife and kids to embarrass. Oh, wait. He does.
More words of wisdom from the blog of JAG's "philosopher":
JAG was not born to overshadow or undermine. It was created for people in a common geographical area with a common love of geocaching to come together, share ups and downs and have fun playing the game as we see fit.
I have recently been informed by two reliable sources that JAG intends to field a slate of candidates in the next GOWT election. Playing the game as they see fit, indeed.
Update 9/19/2007: JAG's "philosopher" decided she did not wish to blog anymore and removed herself from the blogosphere.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Caching in South Dakota - July 8, 2005 Part II
Mt. Rushmore
Since I was ending a vacation and going back to a world full of stress, I wanted these days with my Mom to be fun and carefree. She and I were about to return to visit an area we last visited more than ten years earlier. I had been playing our schedule by ear since I wasn't really sure how much time it would take to get home. When we arrived in Rapid City, I announced that we would be visiting Mt. Rushmore! We had been here once before with my nephew, who was three years old at the time. That meant that we were somewhat restricted in what we could do on that trip, although we still had lots of fun.
This time we could do whatever we felt like. At Mt Rushmore, we hiked the trails around the base of the carvings, attended a lecture and exhibit on the history of the mountain, and explored the huge gift shop. We also took some time to eat lunch.
While hiking around the base of the mountains on the trails (they were roped off), I looked around on the ground for some small rock that I could take in order to have a piece of the mountain. It was amazing how clean the area was - and free of loose rocks! I did manage to find a small sliver of rock about the size of a fingernail. I sometimes now pick it up and look at it and it always stirs my memories of the trip. It was an excellent visit - the weather couldn't have been nicer and the crowds, while large, did not hinder us from getting to see everything we wanted to see. We left in a great, upbeat mood and the day was not over yet. I had one more place I wanted to see...
Crazy Horse Mountain
We had also stopped here on our last visit. My nephew was into all things "Indian" and this was an excellent place for him to see. Of course he was too young at the time to appreciate the educational aspects of this location. This time we spent more time here. We watched a movie that showed the history behind the carving of the mountain and described future plans.
I had noted that the mountain didn't appear to have changed much in the ten years since out last visit, but it turned out that quite a bit of work had taken place - mainly on the head.
There was a fascinating gift shop here, too, and I bought a souvenir wind-chime that I later hung in my office.
Finally we moved on. On the way out I picked up a rock that had been blasted off of the mountain as an additional souvenir.
I highly recommend both of these locations as places to visit if you pass through South Dakota. I'm sure there are caches nearby as well! Next time I'll have 'em loaded and ready!
Since I was ending a vacation and going back to a world full of stress, I wanted these days with my Mom to be fun and carefree. She and I were about to return to visit an area we last visited more than ten years earlier. I had been playing our schedule by ear since I wasn't really sure how much time it would take to get home. When we arrived in Rapid City, I announced that we would be visiting Mt. Rushmore! We had been here once before with my nephew, who was three years old at the time. That meant that we were somewhat restricted in what we could do on that trip, although we still had lots of fun.
This time we could do whatever we felt like. At Mt Rushmore, we hiked the trails around the base of the carvings, attended a lecture and exhibit on the history of the mountain, and explored the huge gift shop. We also took some time to eat lunch.
While hiking around the base of the mountains on the trails (they were roped off), I looked around on the ground for some small rock that I could take in order to have a piece of the mountain. It was amazing how clean the area was - and free of loose rocks! I did manage to find a small sliver of rock about the size of a fingernail. I sometimes now pick it up and look at it and it always stirs my memories of the trip. It was an excellent visit - the weather couldn't have been nicer and the crowds, while large, did not hinder us from getting to see everything we wanted to see. We left in a great, upbeat mood and the day was not over yet. I had one more place I wanted to see...
Crazy Horse Mountain
We had also stopped here on our last visit. My nephew was into all things "Indian" and this was an excellent place for him to see. Of course he was too young at the time to appreciate the educational aspects of this location. This time we spent more time here. We watched a movie that showed the history behind the carving of the mountain and described future plans.
I had noted that the mountain didn't appear to have changed much in the ten years since out last visit, but it turned out that quite a bit of work had taken place - mainly on the head.
There was a fascinating gift shop here, too, and I bought a souvenir wind-chime that I later hung in my office.
Finally we moved on. On the way out I picked up a rock that had been blasted off of the mountain as an additional souvenir.
I highly recommend both of these locations as places to visit if you pass through South Dakota. I'm sure there are caches nearby as well! Next time I'll have 'em loaded and ready!
Geocachers' Creed
I've been doing a lot of reading lately about Geocaching. It started with a sudden interest on my part to become more familiar with Groundspeak policies and requirements for placing caches. Our volunteer reviewers while generally cognizant of the guidelines set forth by Groundspeak sometimes in an effort to be flexible allow caches/event caches to be published that may later be called into question for breaking a rule. This is something we all should want to avoid.
While researching rules and FAQs regarding geocaching I stumbled across a link to the Geocachers' Creed. I had read it a few years ago, but largely forgot about it until I got to thinking about geocaching ethics (which has been on my mind a lot these days). The creed was developed during lengthy discussions on the Groundspeak forums by more than 60 geocachers including my good friend spencersb. The first iteration of the creed was released on December 23, 2004. If you are new to geocaching or perhaps someone who has been involved for a while but needs reminding about what geocaching should be about, I strongly encourage you to read this guide.
While researching rules and FAQs regarding geocaching I stumbled across a link to the Geocachers' Creed. I had read it a few years ago, but largely forgot about it until I got to thinking about geocaching ethics (which has been on my mind a lot these days). The creed was developed during lengthy discussions on the Groundspeak forums by more than 60 geocachers including my good friend spencersb. The first iteration of the creed was released on December 23, 2004. If you are new to geocaching or perhaps someone who has been involved for a while but needs reminding about what geocaching should be about, I strongly encourage you to read this guide.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Caching in South Dakota - July 8, 2005 Part I
My mom is one of the best caching partners ever! On a trip home from Oregon, she wanted to come back with me. We enjoyed caching and touring the country. This entry details our visit to South Dakota.
Our first stop upon crossing into South Dakota was a natural one
Fifty States Rest by MND Scouters (GCFF2D)
Our primary caching destination for the morning was Spearfish in western South Dakota. While in Spearfish, we tackled a series of 5 caches highlighting various parks. All of these caches were on the west side of the town.
Salem Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHW5)
The cache here was located somewhere on a bridge crossing a small creek. We found it pretty quickly but it was well-hidden from sight.
The Grotto Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHWF)
This cache is located in Ida Henton Park on the Black Hills State University campus. We were lucky to be there at a time where there were few muggles.
Jorgensen Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHWB)
The cache container was hanging open, which made it easy to find. We walked from here to the Evans Cache.
Evans Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHW8)
The park where this cache was located was dedicated to Robert and Rebecca Evans for their major contributions in founding Spearfish and its educational and religious institutions. Rebecca Evans was the first school teacher in Spearfish. Robert Evans settled the first homestead in Spearfish Valley in 1876 at this location.
Brady Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHW3)
The cache at this park was tucked away out of sight near a small creek. The park was the last of the five we visited.
We capped off our visit to Spearfish by visiting The D. C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery
Hatchery Reservoir by MND Scouters (GCFFE8)
The D. C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery, established in 1896, is one of the West’s oldest fish hatcheries. Its history includes the introduction of trout into the Black Hills and the first fish management in Yellowstone Park. This is a very busy place with lots of interesting sights to see. One of my favorites was the underground fish observation room. The fish were huge and it was fun to see the ducks diving straight down among them. The cache was a tricky hunt on an old railroad car. We found out later that the tour guide knew about the cache and had been watching us.
Because of poor planning on my part, I had no more cache information for South Dakota on this trip. But, since we were going to pass through Rapid City on our way east, I thought about a couple more places we could visit...
Our first stop upon crossing into South Dakota was a natural one
Fifty States Rest by MND Scouters (GCFF2D)
Our primary caching destination for the morning was Spearfish in western South Dakota. While in Spearfish, we tackled a series of 5 caches highlighting various parks. All of these caches were on the west side of the town.
Salem Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHW5)
The cache here was located somewhere on a bridge crossing a small creek. We found it pretty quickly but it was well-hidden from sight.
The Grotto Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHWF)
This cache is located in Ida Henton Park on the Black Hills State University campus. We were lucky to be there at a time where there were few muggles.
Jorgensen Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHWB)
The cache container was hanging open, which made it easy to find. We walked from here to the Evans Cache.
Evans Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHW8)
The park where this cache was located was dedicated to Robert and Rebecca Evans for their major contributions in founding Spearfish and its educational and religious institutions. Rebecca Evans was the first school teacher in Spearfish. Robert Evans settled the first homestead in Spearfish Valley in 1876 at this location.
Brady Cache by MND Scouters (GCJHW3)
The cache at this park was tucked away out of sight near a small creek. The park was the last of the five we visited.
We capped off our visit to Spearfish by visiting The D. C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery
Hatchery Reservoir by MND Scouters (GCFFE8)
The D. C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery, established in 1896, is one of the West’s oldest fish hatcheries. Its history includes the introduction of trout into the Black Hills and the first fish management in Yellowstone Park. This is a very busy place with lots of interesting sights to see. One of my favorites was the underground fish observation room. The fish were huge and it was fun to see the ducks diving straight down among them. The cache was a tricky hunt on an old railroad car. We found out later that the tour guide knew about the cache and had been watching us.
Because of poor planning on my part, I had no more cache information for South Dakota on this trip. But, since we were going to pass through Rapid City on our way east, I thought about a couple more places we could visit...
Friday, August 31, 2007
When "House Rules" Don't Apply
Once upon a time, there was a type of cache called a "traveling" or moving cache. Caches of this type were much like travel bugs in that a person located the cache, took it with them, placed it somewhere else and reported via the online log on the cache page the new coordinates of the cache.
The Postcard Cache by Fresh_Meat (GC9660) is an example of this kind of cache. It is still active, having been "grandfathered" in by the folks at Groundspeak. Since it was based in Oregon, I have occasionally monitored its progress.
[This picture was taken by someone at GeoWoodstock 5]
On July 22 this cache was picked up by none other than my old friend "Stumpy". For whatever reasons, he chose not to follow the rules of the cache and report its actual location. He instead chose to hang onto this cache and take it to an event he was hosting on August 18. Once there it was logged by several attendees. No one at the event chose to follow the cache rules and report its current location.
The owner of the cache made several attempts - the last one on August 31 to convince whoever is holding it to please provide the coordinates. I left a note on the cache page, informing him of the event that it was recently seen at, so maybe he will be able to track this cache down.
We in GOWT had a "traveling" members-only cache that worked in much the same way. It too, was reported as picked up and then never reported as being put anywhere. When people like to talk about participating in geocaching following their own personal idea of "house rules", they need to realize that we don't all live in the same house.
Update: September 5, 2007: Another geocacher will be picking up the cache from Stumpy to take to another event on September 15. Maybe someone at the next event will choose to follow the rules specified by the cache for logging.
The Postcard Cache by Fresh_Meat (GC9660) is an example of this kind of cache. It is still active, having been "grandfathered" in by the folks at Groundspeak. Since it was based in Oregon, I have occasionally monitored its progress.
[This picture was taken by someone at GeoWoodstock 5]On July 22 this cache was picked up by none other than my old friend "Stumpy". For whatever reasons, he chose not to follow the rules of the cache and report its actual location. He instead chose to hang onto this cache and take it to an event he was hosting on August 18. Once there it was logged by several attendees. No one at the event chose to follow the cache rules and report its current location.
The owner of the cache made several attempts - the last one on August 31 to convince whoever is holding it to please provide the coordinates. I left a note on the cache page, informing him of the event that it was recently seen at, so maybe he will be able to track this cache down.
We in GOWT had a "traveling" members-only cache that worked in much the same way. It too, was reported as picked up and then never reported as being put anywhere. When people like to talk about participating in geocaching following their own personal idea of "house rules", they need to realize that we don't all live in the same house.
Update: September 5, 2007: Another geocacher will be picking up the cache from Stumpy to take to another event on September 15. Maybe someone at the next event will choose to follow the rules specified by the cache for logging.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Change of Plans
In the last post, I mentioned that I would not be going back to the GOWT forums after my three-day suspension was up. After a night's sleep, I changed my mind. I will not let my friends down.
I have recently learned that my friends in JAG have "attempted" to block access to their site from certain GOWT members (including, but not limited to, myself). I think they need a better webmaster - one that recognizes that they are currently in violation of eamped.com's Terms of Service agreement. JAG is required to adhere to the TOS or risk losing their free forums. This same TOS is what requires them to make at least 70% of their content visible to the public and what stymied their attempts to keep their content private.
I'm coming back to the forums and I will follow the rules wisely created by the founders of GOWT. I will not allow the weak-minded members of JAG (a small, but vocal subset of the membership) and other so-called "influential" members of the geocaching community to win this battle.
I have recently learned that my friends in JAG have "attempted" to block access to their site from certain GOWT members (including, but not limited to, myself). I think they need a better webmaster - one that recognizes that they are currently in violation of eamped.com's Terms of Service agreement. JAG is required to adhere to the TOS or risk losing their free forums. This same TOS is what requires them to make at least 70% of their content visible to the public and what stymied their attempts to keep their content private.
I'm coming back to the forums and I will follow the rules wisely created by the founders of GOWT. I will not allow the weak-minded members of JAG (a small, but vocal subset of the membership) and other so-called "influential" members of the geocaching community to win this battle.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
GOWT's Destiny and Mine Part Ways
No, I didn't quit GOWT. I expressed myself inappropriately on the forums and was banned for 3 days (I think). I wish to say to my friends on the Executive Committee that I am sorry for allowing myself to behave this way. I am not sorry for what I said since most if not all of it was technically accurate. My personal breaking point was the primary geocaching reviewer for the state of Tennessee blaming me and my "baggage" for the problems on the forum. I should have ignored him since his opinions don't mean anything to me.
I didn't need to respond to any of the blatherous comments people made on the forum. I realized quite a while back that we can't have legitimate discussions about geocaching online because for most people who participate in our forums the standard answer to all discussion topics is "Quit complaining and let people play the game the way they want to!" It's a good answer - absolutely no thinking required. If you have an opinion that says otherwise, keep it to yourself.
As for some of the ignorant people we have on our boards (both GOWT and JAG) - my pointing it out doesn't make them any less ignorant.
I have many wonderful friends in GOWT. I hope to see them all out on the trails someday because I am not going back to the forums when my ban is up. I will also be more selective on the events I attend. Hopefully my posts from this point forward will be about my geocaching adventures.
I didn't need to respond to any of the blatherous comments people made on the forum. I realized quite a while back that we can't have legitimate discussions about geocaching online because for most people who participate in our forums the standard answer to all discussion topics is "Quit complaining and let people play the game the way they want to!" It's a good answer - absolutely no thinking required. If you have an opinion that says otherwise, keep it to yourself.
As for some of the ignorant people we have on our boards (both GOWT and JAG) - my pointing it out doesn't make them any less ignorant.
I have many wonderful friends in GOWT. I hope to see them all out on the trails someday because I am not going back to the forums when my ban is up. I will also be more selective on the events I attend. Hopefully my posts from this point forward will be about my geocaching adventures.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Time to Get Out the Broom
The GOWT forums were getting back to normal when once again trouble reared it's illiterate head. Two of the Bluff Boys decided to make an appearance.
The one on the left (Stubby) decided that he wanted to get rid of the GOWT laminator he had been holding onto since we went ahead and bought a new one, so he called several people to "settle things". He tried to call me at least 12 times and left me several PMs in the forums. Having heard all of his crap before, I opted not to hear it again.
The one on the right (Elmo), well he just likes to fling poo.
How can you hate these little fellas. The new kids on the forum want to feed them snacks. "Why are you so mean, Uncle Mack?" Experience has shown that these "adorable" creatures like to get on your geocaching forums and crap all over your threads.
On a thread where a member inquires about what kinds of shoes/boots geocachers wear out in the field we get this nugget:
"the bluff boys wear high heels and thongs. the high heels helps me stay above the water and the thongs well thats just part of our caching costumes."
Ahhh, how cuuuuuute. One of the Bluff Boys just peed on the carpet. It's time to get out the broom and shoo these little guys off.
UPDATE: Monday, August 21 - Both of these illiterate goobers bombarded our forums with more crap for several hours this afternoon/evening. Several of their friends logged in to watch.
The one on the left (Stubby) decided that he wanted to get rid of the GOWT laminator he had been holding onto since we went ahead and bought a new one, so he called several people to "settle things". He tried to call me at least 12 times and left me several PMs in the forums. Having heard all of his crap before, I opted not to hear it again.
The one on the right (Elmo), well he just likes to fling poo.
How can you hate these little fellas. The new kids on the forum want to feed them snacks. "Why are you so mean, Uncle Mack?" Experience has shown that these "adorable" creatures like to get on your geocaching forums and crap all over your threads.On a thread where a member inquires about what kinds of shoes/boots geocachers wear out in the field we get this nugget:
"the bluff boys wear high heels and thongs. the high heels helps me stay above the water and the thongs well thats just part of our caching costumes."
Ahhh, how cuuuuuute. One of the Bluff Boys just peed on the carpet. It's time to get out the broom and shoo these little guys off.
UPDATE: Monday, August 21 - Both of these illiterate goobers bombarded our forums with more crap for several hours this afternoon/evening. Several of their friends logged in to watch.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Perseid Meteor Shower - July 12
On Sunday night, August 12th, I attended The Perseid Meteor Shower by minismiths and 76Stinger (GC14MDA)
Since it was held in Atoka, TN and I have family in that area, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit with them for a while before the event took place. I recently adopted a cache in Atoka and have several in the area to find. I hope one day to get my family in the area involved in geocaching.
I arrived a little late to the event - around 8:15pm and there were already lots of people there. It was a fairly hot day but by evening had cooled enough where the temperature was not a problem. As it was getting dark, Prontopup, Sprout, and Itcomagic invited me to go hunt the nearby cache A.R.P. "Can you Fathom This?" by minismiths (GC150RN) with them. SpyGirl2011 was already at the first stage site looking around. The hunt was made more interesting by the fact it was dark, but we found the final stage after not too much time and headed back to the event. There were a couple of other new caches placed around the area for this event, but since I'm not a big fan of night caching I decided to save them for later.
Several people traveled a significant distance to attend this event and we were glad to see everybody. My good friend pcsenn drove all of the way from Troy, TN to attend the event and present Hoot Owl with the original GOWT banner he retrieved recently.
I was paying too much attention to the conversations to notice the meteor shower but I did manage to see a few impressive flashes of light moving quickly across the sky. I was amazed at how brief the flashes were - only visible for a few seconds.
We had sponsors for the event who generously provided door prizes. I won an Armed Forces Challenge Coin that was pretty neat. Lots of folks won poison ivy wash/block which they appreciated. One young cacher won a space pen which she later lost in the dark while hunting the nearby cache. PoohBear94 went by the site the next day and found it for her.
I'll have to get an accurate count of how many attended this event, but the turnout was great - especially given that it was held late Sunday evening/early Monday morning. I imagine I was not the only sleepyhead at work on Monday.
Hoot Owl and I were the last to leave at roughly 1:10am. I took my time driving home as I wasn't too excited about driving around in Memphis in the wee hours of the morning.
My thanks to minismiths and 76Stinger for hosting this excellent event. I am looking forward now to Geocaching At Munford Celebrate by 76Stinger (GC14B4V)
Since it was held in Atoka, TN and I have family in that area, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit with them for a while before the event took place. I recently adopted a cache in Atoka and have several in the area to find. I hope one day to get my family in the area involved in geocaching.
I arrived a little late to the event - around 8:15pm and there were already lots of people there. It was a fairly hot day but by evening had cooled enough where the temperature was not a problem. As it was getting dark, Prontopup, Sprout, and Itcomagic invited me to go hunt the nearby cache A.R.P. "Can you Fathom This?" by minismiths (GC150RN) with them. SpyGirl2011 was already at the first stage site looking around. The hunt was made more interesting by the fact it was dark, but we found the final stage after not too much time and headed back to the event. There were a couple of other new caches placed around the area for this event, but since I'm not a big fan of night caching I decided to save them for later.
Several people traveled a significant distance to attend this event and we were glad to see everybody. My good friend pcsenn drove all of the way from Troy, TN to attend the event and present Hoot Owl with the original GOWT banner he retrieved recently.
I was paying too much attention to the conversations to notice the meteor shower but I did manage to see a few impressive flashes of light moving quickly across the sky. I was amazed at how brief the flashes were - only visible for a few seconds.
We had sponsors for the event who generously provided door prizes. I won an Armed Forces Challenge Coin that was pretty neat. Lots of folks won poison ivy wash/block which they appreciated. One young cacher won a space pen which she later lost in the dark while hunting the nearby cache. PoohBear94 went by the site the next day and found it for her.
I'll have to get an accurate count of how many attended this event, but the turnout was great - especially given that it was held late Sunday evening/early Monday morning. I imagine I was not the only sleepyhead at work on Monday.
Hoot Owl and I were the last to leave at roughly 1:10am. I took my time driving home as I wasn't too excited about driving around in Memphis in the wee hours of the morning.
My thanks to minismiths and 76Stinger for hosting this excellent event. I am looking forward now to Geocaching At Munford Celebrate by 76Stinger (GC14B4V)
Friday, August 10, 2007
Return of the GOWT Banner
On Saturday, August 4th, pcsenn drove by and picked up the GOWT banner from the worthless stump from JAG who had been holding onto it for the last seven months. It was a rather unceremonious occasion as it was simply left outside for pcsenn to pick up. I won't be satisfied until "Stumpy" makes a public apology for holding on to it for so long but that would require honor which "Stumpy" doesn't have.
[My thanks to pcsenn for recovering the banner!]
As for the laminator that "Stubby" from JAG is holding onto, well we ended up buying a replacement thanks to cgeek who bought it for GOWT. "Stubby" was apparently waiting for "The Don" to tell him what to do as is the usual case.
I had an interesting chat session with "Stubby" the afternoon of July 24th - basically Chibongo and I were offering to drive to his house and pick up the laminator that very evening and he said he wouldn't give it to me: "When did you become a EC member?". It was an interesting chat session to say the least. Enjoy the laminator "Stubby". All of your friends think you are the coolest ever for stickin' it to da man.
Most of GOWT is happy to have these two matters resolved. Personally the "if someone takes your property, just buy new stuff and move on" tactic doesn't sit well with me, but such is life. If not for the generosity of the EC and the membership, we wouldn't be able to move on quite so easily.
Speaking of moving on... Looks like somebody who said: "A whole day without looking at the other site. I'm on a roll now. I can do it i know i can.... JAG RULES...." came back on our site today at 4:32pm. I guess you just don't know how to quit us!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Coasting to 2K Finds
I wasn't in a particular hurry while hunting my 2nd 1000 caches but the time seemed to pass quickly. Maybe it's because I made several big numbers runs with various cachers over the last year and a half.
Titansfan and I made a run to Nashville (my first) right after I hit the 1k mark. We managed to get around 40 caches and attend a meeting of the Middle Tennessee Geocaching Club on that cold day in March.
I made another run a couple months later with BigDaddyD and the Bluff Boys to Smyrna and the East Fork Recreation Area where we picked up 51 caches! We had a lot of fun that day although we got wet early and spent most of the day wearing wet clothes.
I made two trips across the country to Oregon picking up 120 or more caches each trip. I enjoy caching on long trips although I confess after driving and caching for 4-day stretches, I got pretty tired. Making those trips in June/July didn't help!
Cgeek and I made a run to Jackson late in the spring of this year and a run to Nashville a week or so later where, thanks to her, I set a one-day personal best record of 70 caches!
When I got close to the 2k mark, I invited my buddy jbgreer to cache with me for those final caches. I wanted someone in my family to be with me for the 2k milestone and jbgreer is like a brother!
I got 16 caches on this day - which was light for me, but very enjoyable! Cache number 2000 was : Sudoku Challenge: Easy by Chance Encounter (adopted by PsychicAsh) (GCVAZ0)
I did the other caches in that series earlier and actually became addicted to sudoku puzzles as a result!
Since I didn't bother to get a picture of myself at my 2000th find. I am just going to post a picture of myself with the guy who got me started in this hobby - jbgreer. In the picture below we are about to enjoy some barbecue. Today we also dined on barbecue before hitting our last few caches of the day.
Thanks to my friends for fun times over the last three years and I hope I get to do a lot more caching with all of you!
Titansfan and I made a run to Nashville (my first) right after I hit the 1k mark. We managed to get around 40 caches and attend a meeting of the Middle Tennessee Geocaching Club on that cold day in March.
I made another run a couple months later with BigDaddyD and the Bluff Boys to Smyrna and the East Fork Recreation Area where we picked up 51 caches! We had a lot of fun that day although we got wet early and spent most of the day wearing wet clothes.
I made two trips across the country to Oregon picking up 120 or more caches each trip. I enjoy caching on long trips although I confess after driving and caching for 4-day stretches, I got pretty tired. Making those trips in June/July didn't help!
Cgeek and I made a run to Jackson late in the spring of this year and a run to Nashville a week or so later where, thanks to her, I set a one-day personal best record of 70 caches!
When I got close to the 2k mark, I invited my buddy jbgreer to cache with me for those final caches. I wanted someone in my family to be with me for the 2k milestone and jbgreer is like a brother!
I got 16 caches on this day - which was light for me, but very enjoyable! Cache number 2000 was : Sudoku Challenge: Easy by Chance Encounter (adopted by PsychicAsh) (GCVAZ0)
I did the other caches in that series earlier and actually became addicted to sudoku puzzles as a result!
Since I didn't bother to get a picture of myself at my 2000th find. I am just going to post a picture of myself with the guy who got me started in this hobby - jbgreer. In the picture below we are about to enjoy some barbecue. Today we also dined on barbecue before hitting our last few caches of the day.
Thanks to my friends for fun times over the last three years and I hope I get to do a lot more caching with all of you!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Lakes Lookout - June 2007
My dad and I enjoy caching in the mountains and where my family lives there are plenty of mountains to cache on.
On this particular day we decided to drive to the Anthony Lakes area along the Elkhorn Crest Scenic Drive. This area is located in Baker County, Oregon and is a very popular spot for fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter.
We found a number of really neat caches that day but the one that truly stands out for me on this trip was The Lakes by SprocketMan (GCGHNA). The cache was located near where an old Forest Service fire lookout tower once stood. The tower was decomissioned in 1962 and not much of it remained 45 years later.
While I have street maps loaded on my GPS, I was actually pretty lucky to have identified a good way to drive up there. We took winding dirt and gravel roads which weren't in the best shape and got worse the further we drove. When we got to a parking area roughly 0.6 miles from the cache we decided to park and I would hike the rest of the way to the cache. The remaining hike was uphill with a number of switchbacks and took me a little while to complete - with having to catch my breath and let my heart rate slow down.
The weather was perfect for making this hike. It had not rained in a while so the trail was not slick. The temperature was in the mid 60's and there were actually patches of snow on the ground at several places around me where there was some shade.
When I reached the coordinates, I found I had to climb down a little rock overhang to find the cache. It had been there a while and the previous finder signed the log almost a year before me.
After finding the cache and signing the log, I took a few pictures of the surrounding area including a big section of rock face that others had chosen to autograph. I looked around and noticed that I was only a short distance away from the peak. I could see a long metal pole sticking in the ground at the top so I decided to scramble up to it.
Once at the top, I held onto the pole (it was very windy up there) and looked out at the view below. I have seen lots of amazing sights on my travels across the country. This was one of the most awesome views I have ever seen. I snapped a few pictures, none of which adequately captured the beauty of what I was seeing. There are actually 9 lakes in the area, I think I could see most of them.
[ These two pictures were taken near the cache location. The pictures I took from the top didn't turn out as well.]
My GPS showed my altitude was roughly 8500 feet. Where we had parked was around 7900 feet. I called my dad to let him know that I had found the cache and was ready to hike back down to the truck.
I literally said "I'm coming back down now" and my phone went dead. I can only imagine what my dad must have thought. Oops! At least he didn't have to worry long since the trip back down wasn't nearly as tough. We hunted a few more caches that day which were hit-and-miss. We both agreed that next time we would have better maps.
There are a lot more pictures taken by others on the cache page!
On this particular day we decided to drive to the Anthony Lakes area along the Elkhorn Crest Scenic Drive. This area is located in Baker County, Oregon and is a very popular spot for fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter.
We found a number of really neat caches that day but the one that truly stands out for me on this trip was The Lakes by SprocketMan (GCGHNA). The cache was located near where an old Forest Service fire lookout tower once stood. The tower was decomissioned in 1962 and not much of it remained 45 years later.
While I have street maps loaded on my GPS, I was actually pretty lucky to have identified a good way to drive up there. We took winding dirt and gravel roads which weren't in the best shape and got worse the further we drove. When we got to a parking area roughly 0.6 miles from the cache we decided to park and I would hike the rest of the way to the cache. The remaining hike was uphill with a number of switchbacks and took me a little while to complete - with having to catch my breath and let my heart rate slow down.
The weather was perfect for making this hike. It had not rained in a while so the trail was not slick. The temperature was in the mid 60's and there were actually patches of snow on the ground at several places around me where there was some shade.
When I reached the coordinates, I found I had to climb down a little rock overhang to find the cache. It had been there a while and the previous finder signed the log almost a year before me.
After finding the cache and signing the log, I took a few pictures of the surrounding area including a big section of rock face that others had chosen to autograph. I looked around and noticed that I was only a short distance away from the peak. I could see a long metal pole sticking in the ground at the top so I decided to scramble up to it.
Once at the top, I held onto the pole (it was very windy up there) and looked out at the view below. I have seen lots of amazing sights on my travels across the country. This was one of the most awesome views I have ever seen. I snapped a few pictures, none of which adequately captured the beauty of what I was seeing. There are actually 9 lakes in the area, I think I could see most of them.
[ These two pictures were taken near the cache location. The pictures I took from the top didn't turn out as well.]My GPS showed my altitude was roughly 8500 feet. Where we had parked was around 7900 feet. I called my dad to let him know that I had found the cache and was ready to hike back down to the truck.
I literally said "I'm coming back down now" and my phone went dead. I can only imagine what my dad must have thought. Oops! At least he didn't have to worry long since the trip back down wasn't nearly as tough. We hunted a few more caches that day which were hit-and-miss. We both agreed that next time we would have better maps.
There are a lot more pictures taken by others on the cache page!
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