This topic contains 70 replies, has 14 voices, and was last updated by 
hack1of2 9 years ago.
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We’ll probably just be recovering from our trip to Yellowstone and Devils Tower. We live quite close, so we’ll do a day trip if we can come. We’ve found all those caches! LOL
I just took a peek at the picnic location. Wow – over 200 caches within the boundaries of the park. It looks like the Castle Mound Shelter where we’ll meet for the event is actually in the Castle Mound Pine Forest State Natural Area, which itself appears to be part of the Black River State Forest. Not sure if Kim and I will be able to get all 200+ in just one day…
There is no park. The event is being held in a unit of the Black River State Forest. Very few of those 200 or so caches are located near the event, and most will take some driving and then hiking to get to. They are not quick park and grabs. Many are 15-20 miles away as the crow flies, but accessed via indirect forest roads. If anyone is into numbers, the caches in Black River Falls itself would be more conducive to that. And don’t even think of completing the Jackson County Smiley (geoart that predates geoart) and having any time left to attend the picnic… rugged terrain, no trails.
As for camping, this is the picnic event, so camping is not emphasized, but it would be a less expensive way for people to stay overnight, and there might be some informal opportunities to extend the socializing from the picnic. Other than the improved campground at Castle Mound near the event, the camping locations are basically rustic and spread out. For the picnic events that we have attended in the past, we have either driven there and back all on the same day (some 2-3 hours from us) or we have secured lodging at locations that we wanted to explore further before or after the event date.
Thanks for the heads-up on this.
I have the cache page ready to “push the button” on June 24-25 for a 90-day lead for the picnic. The cache page will include camping at the State Forest and local lodging link to Black River Falls Chamber of Commerce. There are 14 existing caches near (short drive) the campground/picnic shelter.
When discussing the options for the SW quadrant – Devil’s Lake was booked. The other “enclosed shelter” possibility was Black River State Forest. Going to a “new” place was also a consideration. Buckhorn was a close 2nd, but no enclosed shelter. After this year’s Spring Campout I really enjoyed the warmth and fireplace of the enclosed shelter!
So perhaps this picnic will have a greater focus on meet and greet with picnic-style geo activities instead of being able to grab a ton of caches. Maybe cachers can come early/stay late for driving around for their geo-fix???
I personally have not been around the State Forest, but intend to take a pre-visit to scope it out. If you’re coming up early/late give me a holler, as it seems I have a “nose to sniff out those caches???” Haha
I’d Rather Be Lost Geocaching, Than Found At Home!
I’m curious to know if Perrot was considered at all. They do have a nice stone shelter with fireplace attached to the Nature Center. Downside is no playground equipment in the park, but our grandson enjoys it there just the same. I’m not sure about facilities at some of the other corner parks, like Wyalusing or Yellowstone, though I do know they are nice places to hike and camp.
Just some thoughts the next time this corner comes around the rotation. We’re fine with hanging out and being social, anyway.
I also noticed two classic caches from 2001 that are nearby.
Make sure you find the right trail for the older one, that I mentioned above, or you’ll be in for quite the huffing and puffing.
Not all who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien
. If you’re coming up early/late give me a holler, as it seems I have a “nose to sniff out those caches???” Haha
I’ll probably come up Friday, and leave Sunday.
~ **~ All posts are my opinion and do not in any way reflect the opinion of the WGA Board of Directors ~**~
If we can swing it after vacation, we will be staying at the Best Western with the Orange Moose.
That would be Best Western Arrowhead Lodge.
Was going to reserve our room tonight for the 23rd and 24th and the rates are between $170 and $200 per night at Arrowhead. Got a better rate by calling the hotel. Rethinking our travel and lodging plans.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
-Henry David Thoreau
Does anyone have the coordinates available for the event? John Sudar posted some, but I don’t think they are right. His coordinates are right in town.
I guess John’s coordinates are right. I didn’t expect the campground to be so close to town.
Not yet, Bill. We’ll dig around a bit. I know Linda is starting the event page now.
Following the signals from space.
Reserved site #35 at Castle Mound. Arriving Thursday and staying 4-5 days.
Oh and we hope to have the event page published before the end of the month.
Submission target date of June 25th.
Following the signals from space.
Does anyone have the coordinates available for the event?
From maps and sat pics, I would say that these coords are pretty much where the shelter is: N 44 16.994 W 090 49.696
Perhaps BOD member raslas, who is not far from that location, could visit the actual spot and shoot actual coords if BOD member lostcheq will not be traveling all the way from up by Lake Superior anytime soon.
BTW, those coords are a good bit NORTH of the coords for last year’s campout at High Cliff in the NORTHeast region.
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I am still at a loss as to why the BOD ignored all the positives of having the picnic at Buckhorn SP (which really IS in the SOUTHWEST quadrant) to focus on the only positive that the BRF site had over Buckhorn: an enclosed shelter. BTW, the Buckhorn shelter is 3/4 enclosed and holds more people than the one at Castle Mound AND it is cheaper to rent! Throw in a ton of park-centered existing caches (including COTM-winning hides and series), T-5 water hides, a modern NEW campground, a nearby fishing pier and huge lake, many more plusses, AND the most important thing that Buckhorn has going for it… a supportive, enthusiastic, geocaching park manager… and I am still shaking my head.
The WGA missed a perfect opportunity to practice one of the points in Article II of the organization’s by-laws: “Work as closely as possible with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and other property management officials to protect the rights of individuals to geocache in the state of Wisconsin.”
Water under the bridge, but please reconsider your priorities for the next big event, board members. A warm cozy shelter is nice for those who have to stay inside of it during the event, but a roof overhead to keep out the rain is all that the rest of us really need in a picnic shelter compared to everything else…
I’m going to nominate Pat for the next BOD election.
Thanks Pat for the coordinates. I think I can possibly locate the coordinates using my GPS map from any location. I’ll double check this next week against your coordinates. I do have the cache page ready to publish, but I must wait 90 days for an event to be published through geocaching.com, as this is the time limit set by the “Frog”. I wrote the article for the Fall Picnic in advance and it was put front page on the home page of the WGA web for early notification.
I would like to address some of the concerns voiced in the forum discussions.
State Forest and State Parks are ALL a part of our Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The WGA is definitely cooperating with our WDNR for the location of the fall picnic at the State Forest.
Many options were discussed for the Fall Picnic Location. Buckthorn SP was definitely considered. True, Black River SF does have an enclosed shelter. As a new BOD member, I will say our decisions are not taken lightly and much discussion takes place before an informed decision is made. It is also a vote of 9 members and not ALL of us agree with each other. Trust me, we have healthy disagreements and whatever the outcome, we all support each other and try our best to do good for our WGA members.
Pat, you would be a great board member and I’ll second your nomination !!
I’d Rather Be Lost Geocaching, Than Found At Home!
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