2,000 Geocache Finds and Counting – An interview with The Lil Otter

8/1/2003

Ken Braband

The Lil Otter is one of the world’s leading geocachers in terms of the total number found. She is also one of our own – a board member of the WGA and an active WGA event participant for the past year. For this month’s Article of the Month, we asked her to tell us about her geocaching adventures and her approach to the sport.

Ken Braband: Please describe a little about yourself: Where you’re from, family, job, other hobbies, etc.

Lil Otter: I’ve been on my own since the fall of 1999, (lived near Milw) moved ‘upnorth’ during my divorce to rebuild my life and find my smile again. My children are now young adults and are proud of my achievements in this sport and what I have accomplished on my own. I own a small gift/craft business that I open when/if I wish to. I also work for a British-based company online (really enjoy computers).

I love learning carpentry and enjoy fixing up my A-frame… have also built a few sheds.. I’m not afraid to try/fail at new things.. I always love to learn. I also enjoy kayaking, floral gardening, landscaping, tennis and travel. Enjoy the history channel/do it yourself programs and movies whenever I just kick back and relax.

How and when did you first hear about geocaching?

I was introduced to the sport by PT Barnum back in May 2002 and fell in love with it.. It gave me the freedom to explore new areas of our state. I felt awkward about going places alone after my divorce so this gave me a reason to be “there” (smiles)

Were you a GPS user before you started geocaching?

I bought my first GPS the day after hearing about the sport.. I knew that I’d love the adventures and bought a fairly good model/brand with a mapping program.

When did you find your first cache, and what was it?

I found my first cache “Funnybone” 22 miles away (that was the closest) back on May 29th, 2002.

Did you set out at that point to be one of the geocachers with the most finds, or did that just happen as a result of your interest in the sport?

I had never put goals upon myself in this sport .. except a few times (to make 1500th for our WGA campout etc) I only do the sport when I enjoy it and always stop when it isn’t ‘fun’ anymore. I have a ton of energy and a ton of time on my hands, love learning new things and traveling.. so it was only natural, because of my love of the sport, that I have the counts I do.

What do you enjoy most about geocaching?

Everything.. (smiles) I love knowing that I am never lost.. love the tech/computer side of the sport.. love meeting new people in the sport, love my mapping program where I can meander on my way to another cache.. love the historicals (puts you right where things happen.. it really sinks in then) .. love the gypsy in me where I pick my first cache area and just meander around until I get tired or homesick. Love knowing that others in the sport have picked out special spots that are safe to go to .. love the surprises.. love the hunt.. love the bookkeeping side of it.. and the best thing is that I can EAT anything I wish to and I know that thanks to geocaching .. I won’t look like a blimp (giggles)

How do you find time to hunt so many caches?

I can geocache from morning til midnight and beyond.. I have a ton of energies and excitement about ‘what’s around the next curve’. I normally have to take extended trips.. day trips usually frustrate me and I can’t afford the ‘back and forth’ gas costs of hundreds of miles to get back home after the day is over. Caches have always been far from home for me.. So I just pack up and travel and return home if there is a need to. My longest trip was escaping Wisconsin’s snow.. spent 2 months meandering down to Florida and back this past winter.. plan doing the same right after Christmas. My motto has always been ‘when it stops being fun, stop’ ..

What is your system for planning your routes when you visit an area? (For example, What GPSR do you use? Do you download to it, to a PDA, a laptop, or just print sheets?)

I don’t plan routes (giggles).. I now use a PDA.. still shaky using it because my test trip to IN/KY proved that you have to do it right or uploads can be botched. I use a Magellan Meridian GPS with SD Disks of all the states east of the Mississippi in a lil bag. I usually just download all caches in a 50 mile route area.. and go on the fly/meander around.. I don’t chart which to do or how many to get at the beginning of the day.. I just cache until it’s not fun.. I don’t mind backtracking to ones I missed because I don’t route them.. My GPS would be tossed out the window if it said I HAVE to turn here or there (smiles) I love back roads and take longer to get to ground zero than most would.. because I enjoy the adventure of traveling.

Do you have any tips or tricks that you like to use to find geocaches?

(giggles) yes.. to not make a fool of myself when teamed up or around groups.. I get very nervous because people check out my numbers and think I’m suppose to be AMAZING.. That puts a ton of pressure on me when I’m expected to FIND it right away.. so my tip is to just kick back and relax (hard to do sometimes).. but that’s the number one thing I think of when I’m grouped.. to not ruin the fun for myself. When I’m alone.. I try to put my thoughts into the cache placer’s mind.. ‘where he/she would have hidden it’.. most times it works well.. oh and to always bring a Pen with me and HOLD it in my hand.. because I have had to backtrack to return the pen I just stold by accident (blush).

I also had learned to walk away from caches that just don’t sit right with me or break laws. I always expect a safe environment when I’m out seeking another’s cache. I’m not afraid to get extra hints on some that make me stumble. It’s all about having fun and enjoying the experiences.

How many geocaches have you found (as of this writing)?

I have found 2107 geocaches as of July 25th, 2003 Checking my geocaching.com profile it says:

Webcam Caches 4

Traditional Caches 1500

Virtual Caches 314

Unknown (Mystery) Caches 19

Multi-caches 197

Letterbox Hybrids 6

Event Caches 67

Travel Bug Dog Tags found 89

How many geocaches have you hidden?

Alot (giggles) I wanted to share my area with others.. most of mine are within 50 miles of my home.. Then there are my Waterfall caches among others in the northern areas of our state. I have a few outside of Wisconsin.. IL, IN, MS, AL and FL but I get frustrated without being able to maintain them to my standards.. and I’m glad that vacation caches are now not allowed.. I’m adopting some out and am glad that those locals wish to yet share the areas that I found special.

Checking my geocaching.com profile it says :

Traditional Caches 128

Virtual Caches 32

Multi-caches 37

Event Caches 1

Travel Bug Dog Tags owned 8

Do you always hunt alone, or do others go with you sometimes? If so, who?

I am a soloist in the sport .. I found out that I can ruin adventures for some with my constant high energy level.. I have teamed up with a few now and then.. JThorson and I buddy up now and again .. BruceS and I have cached together in KY as well as in Chicago after picnics/events. I also enjoy grouping with others as they hunt down my own caches..

How many geocaches have you found in Wisconsin?

822 as of July 25th, 2003

Which was your favorite Wisconsin geocache and why?

I have many favorites and some of my best memories belong to Wisconsin’s caches. Breakneck cache is one that I show off to others because it made such an impact to me. I am afraid of heights so I remember those real well (smiles)

Which was your favorite all time geocache anywhere, and why?

Any waterfall caches are my favorite… Plumber’s Nightmare (archived.. but now one of my Wisconsin Waterfall caches is at Morgan Falls) Any historicals are my favorites as well..

Did you notice any type of pattern or similarity in Wisconsin geocaches that you have not seen in other areas?

We in Wisconsin come up with some clever hides… I really enjoy the talents of badlatitude among others. I’ve seen alot of creative ideas while on the road. But for the most part.. we are quite similar to other states in the traditional hides and hikes. Just that I’m ‘home’ so it means a lot more.

What was the most difficult geocache you hunted in Wisconsin in terms of terrain?

It has to be a toss up between Devil’s Lake Revisited and Lone Rock.. or any others with heights involved (smiles)

What was the most difficult geocache you hunted in Wisconsin in terms of how hard it was to find?

Devil’s Lake Revisited.. I didn’t have a clue on where it was in all those boulders.

Did you have any unexpected surprises while hunting geocaches in Wisconsin? If so, what?

Each cache area is a surprise to me.. but the most memorable one was doing Tales from the Crypt.. I did it at night and didn’t expect to find a crypt (grins)

I’m very proud to have done those type of caches that I actually worry about before hand.. Under Where?, The End of the Earth, to name a few. Each I had to only rely upon myself.. sometimes it works well and sometimes it doesn’t. They were great memories. They teach me limits.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’d like to thank those that keep this sport going in Wisconsin.. they add their own special talents into the mix which shows off our state in such an amazing way.