Kudos to seldom|seen for not only putting this idea together, but for going above and beyond in working with the YMCA to get this series approved. Initially the Y was very skeptical of these placements, but with some education, diplomacy and multiple meetings with staff, he was able to get ‘er done. (Speaking of outreach! 😀 ) I sincerely hope cachers respect the simple access rules to continue the good relations established.

If you’re from the northwoods, the terrain shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge, but be prepared for some up-the-hill-down-the-hill cardio!

I second (or third) the prior posters kudos and praise. The whole series is very informative, contains basic / straight forward puzzles, caches are all (for the ones I’ve completed) identified by great geobeacons, and spotlight some great Wisconsin / US outdoor advocates. The terrain varies from relatively flat, to “steeper” slopes with steps, to ridges, with woods, open land, ponds, etc. It also provides a great cardio workout and can be done with or without snowshoes. Definately winter friendly, even with a stiff wind and temps hovering near zero the woods / hills provide cover making it quite enjoyable.

This series has also increased my list of “to read” books based on things I’ve learned from this series. History, caching, books, what else could be more appropriate.

Kudos to S|S for coordinating this project and also to all the teams that assisted by developing the caches. It’s appears to be a great team effort that worked really well.

This nature preserve is a “diamond in the rough” for the Appleton area. My visit was extremely peaceful — and the temps hovered around 0 – 5 degrees. I can’t wait to visit in all of the seasons and hike all the trails there.

My congrats as well to seldom|seen for being persistent and educating the new Apple Creek YMCA on geocaching. I think everyone involved was pleasantly surprised when things went from doom and gloom to the idea being approved by the Y management. A big win for geocaching in the Appleton area and beyond.

The series really came together in the end. All of the puzzles are very “doable” and the geocaching reward here is ammo cans (okay maybe not all) and hikes in the woods, not Appleton city magnetic micros (or nanos). For some the reward will be what you learn when reading about the naturalists featured in this series. I was initially skeptical about a geocaching series like this but the more I researched the people and their accomplishments the more I enjoyed it.

A job well done to everyone that participated in this series and I hope everyone get’s a chance to visit the preserve even if you’re not a big fan of puzzle caches.

😀 😀 😀

Yes, I am a little biased in recommending this series too. But it does offer kid friendly caches, a serious cardio workout, beautiful scenery (and a bit more wildlife in other seasons), and a good opportunity to learn about naturalists and their contributions to our surroundings. Even if you are not a fan of puzzles, they are typically pretty basic and offer a check option. I’d rocommend snowshoes now if you have them, but I went out without them and it wasn’t too bad. Thanks seldom|seen for coordinating this whole thing from permisson to placement! I am honored to be a part of it.

Granted it’s not wild by northwoods standards, but it’s really something for being 5 minutes from Appleton metro:

A few words of gratitude to a few groups of individuals involved.

First: To amita17 for the very well defined and enlightening list of hurdles that would need to be overcome. While I never had my doubts, it was iffy from the start, so much so that a whole other series of preserve locations were being scouted for “Plan B”. Amita’s early insight helped me frame the intent of the series in a way that the decision-makers at the Y could understand.

Second: To naturboy12 for letting me voice the idea and doing a fantastic job of championing the cause by successfully presenting the series idea on 2 separate occasions to 2 separate decision-making bodies at the new Y. All the credit goes to Shane for getting the idea approved, allowing the rest of us to move forward.

Third: To everyone who agree to be involved in the creation of the series, no matter how small the role. I was understandably apprehensive about naming the series “Zeroes to Heroes”, an allusion to the fact the half of the participants had never published a cache before, but as I moved forward I just couldn’t come up with a more fitting series title. Everyone was patient with me as I not only struggled through the permission process, but also as I directed the “look” of the caches for consistency, despite having said early on that I would stay out of it and be hands-off. The veterans probably knew better anyway!

As those who know me know, the reward in chasing a series like this in not necessarily the location – although I admit I was pleasantly surprised when I finally took the time to walk the preserve – but in the education you get out of it and the interests that are sparked from solving the puzzles. Because of this series I dug out my Sand County Almanac and re-read the seasons portion, found a number of great new websites and learned a ton about the Antiquities Act that I never new before. Suffice it to say, solve the series and you will come away with more than a few memories and you’ll learn a thing or two in the process.

Again, thanks to everyone who participated in the process. I too think it is a great success. How do I know? For one, Rob Horwich, who just turned 70 a week ago and is not by any means a computer savvy individual, has downloaded the series header graphic from his listing and has it on his desktop!

Straight forward internet research for the most part. Each one takes 5-20 minutes to solve, but I found the reading / learning interesting and spent more time reading the “tangents” than just solving the puzzles.