[Astro_D]

@K0rpl wrote:

There you go Kat!!!

I don’t care for puzzles either.

Say it with me…..

Mr. Butschlitz would not approve of Puzzles!!!!!

OMG!! THanks for the laugh.

I’ll say it with ya…

Mr. Butschlitz would not approve of puzzles!

[Astro_D]

I think I have about 15 to 20 of them solved, but not found. THe others that are solved, are archived.

I hate puzzles.

[Astro_D]

I look at the “g” logo and all I think is mass exodus out of Wisconsin. After all, to get to the cache one should follow the arrow…….

[Astro_D]

@Frizz wrote:

I think the Greater Green Bay Challenge was one of the best events that I’ve attended, EVER. I was relatively new to caching, and had a blast finding about 75% of the temp hides and meeting area cachers.

I have been thinking about puttting together an event at Heritage Hill State Park, and hiding temp caches in each of the areas/buildings using historical cache containers (pottery vessels, buckskin pouches, etc.), but I haven’t had an opportunity to follow through with it. There are 18 acres to work with, and caches could be very creative. There is also a new visitors center for a pot luck/catered meal afterwards. Perhaps you could consider Heritage Hill for this event?

Frizz, I’m already in talks with Heritage Hill (and a few other locations). I already got permission to place a cache a Hazelwood. But can’t do anything until closer to the date.

Having the backing of some local organizations and having done this previously with much success, I think this event will be as good or better than last time. Hopefully better than last time.

[Astro_D]

@Mister Greenthumb wrote:

@AstroD-Team wrote:

I got a list of some locations from the historical society. Unfortunately I can’t do anything with them as there are already caches within 528 feet and none of them with any historical reference to them. There are still a few avenues left to explore, but I’m not too terribly optimistic.

What about using the historical sites as waypoints for a multi cache or puzzle. That would be allowed within 528′ of the existing caches.

Hadn’t thought about that. Thanks for the idea!

[Astro_D]

Well, I would vote for Vancouver, British Columbia. Temps are pretty mild: mid 50s and sometimes 60s,no snow except high up in the mountains, but the days are quite cloudy and always with a chance of rain! THere are plenty of beautiful parks in urban and suburban areas, excellent hiking trails, huge cedar trees, ocean and mountain views. Some great lighthouses, totem poles, unique features and culture and the people are very friendly. Plus there are lots of caches there!

[Astro_D]

@ArcherDragoon wrote:

As AstroD stated…pictures are good…but you can’t always get a good picture. I have found a couple that I just didn’t have a camera available…but in those cases, write down the number on the mark (most…ok most that I have found have a number). I may have a limited number (32 I think) and have verified them by number on the mark…I just don’t carry a camera (and no…the cellphone I have does not have a camera…but it does have a GPS!!!). Landmarks used as references can usually be easily ID’ed…watertowers, buildings….etc…but it is best to at least record the numbers on disks so you can verify what you actually found…

As far as the year 2000 goes…I have found several stamped 1999 that are not listed on the gc.com database…

As far as dumb-luck…yep, that is the case some times!!! I have one nearby that I have been trying to find for a while…marker post is present…just couldn’t find the mark…a couple weeks ago…I finally found the disk!!!

I only added the picture because serious benchmarkers always get a picture and its adds more credibility to the find. Anyone can go and say they found a marker with XX stamped on it, but a picture offers absolute proof. Having a decent camera certainly helps, but I see many good photos that clearly show the disk stamping that were taken with a cell phone.

There are plenty of benchmarks out there with recent dates, they’re just not in the GC.com database. Downloading the county archive from the NGS will include all those that have been entered into the database up to the early 2000s. (I think they still might have a backlog to enter yet). Several of the 2001 and 2003 GPS markers that we have found, seem to be off by 200-300 feet.

CONGRATS on finding the disk too!!

[Astro_D]

@PCFrog wrote:

After finding a whole 2-3 I still use my foot. 🙂

I did try to seriously look for 1 bench mark that should be there, but needed some of AstroD-Team tools like

1. A metal detector
2. A trowel or two
3. A shovel

This was for a benchmark that was located under a very old DNR fire lookout station. From past experience most of the benchmarks were located right under the tower. In this case it was obvious that several years of growth and dirt covered the spot. This was easy to tell from the 5-6 year old tree that was growing there and the fact that the cement footings used for tower were also covered.

We looked for a station up north off an old logging road. The firetower was long removed and there was nothing left to indicate there was anything there but an old concrete slab we were assuming was for the cabin.
The forest has grown up considerably and there was lots of debris so searching was going to be b**ch as we didn’t even the firetower foundations to use. Believe it or not, as our son was walking around, he tripped over the concrete monument! It was severely tilted and half buried. From the main station, we were able to track down the one of the two reference marks as well. Sometimes dumb luck plays an important role in finding these marks too.

[Astro_D]

Welcome to the madness and fun of benchmarking. After nearly 500 reports, I’ll tell you what we have in our arsensal.

1. A metal detector
2. A trowel or two
3. A shovel
4. bottled water
5. baby powder
6. digital camera
7. paper towels
8. surveying ribbon
9. surveying flags
10. paper and pens
11. compass
12. current NGS data sheets on computer
13. streets and trips on computer
14, GPSr (but we rarely use it)
15. 100 foot tape measure
16. a roller stick measure

The big thing is to get the current NGS datasheets downloaded for whatever county you want to search for. Do not relay on the geocaching site as it only grabbed the NGS file up to 2000. And by all means, USE THE DESCRIPTIONS! Many times the coords will only get you so close and sometimes tey’ll be a half a mile or more off.

Start with the ones that have been found recently. Get experience and get comfortable with the non-menclenture (scaled versus adjusted, box scores etc etc). Realize that accurate reporting is more valuable than racking up smileys. (Not that they count anyways). And DNFs have as much weight if not more than Found it.

Pay very close attention to the type of marker and designation! Just because a benchmark may be at the coordinates, does not mean it is the correct benchmark. THere are the stations themselves, reference marks and azimuth marks. You need to know which is which because one is not the same as the other even though they look very similiar. And sometime the old benchmark gets ripped out and a WIDOT or other agency is put in its place (and therefore is Not the same station!)

Be prepared to spend time looking. We have spent upwards of two hours looking for one mark. And by all means TAKE A CLOSE UP PICTURE OF THE MARK! It is the only validation that you (and the rest of us benchmark hunters) have indeed found the correct mark! Also take good notes if you can update on how to find it. Maybe the old train station no longer exists, road names have changed…..

If you haven’t, visit the benchmarking thread on the GC.com forum. There is a great starter guide and programs that will help out immensely. not to mention A LOT of experienced hunters to help you out.

Good Luck and if we can be of any assistance, drop a line!

Katrina

[Astro_D]

I got a list of some locations from the historical society. Unfortunately I can’t do anything with them as there are already caches within 528 feet and none of them with any historical reference to them. There are still a few avenues left to explore, but I’m not too terribly optimistic.

[Astro_D]

Had I known sooner, I could of snagged ya a couple. I work there.

[Astro_D]

Sometimes I have goals. Especially if I go caching with Marc. THen his goals for the day become mine. 😀

[Astro_D]

How about renting a bunch of cabins at a YMCA camp? All the benefits of the camp and it’s equipment (skis, sleds, skates, saunas), cheap lodging, and something that is definitely family oriented. Plus plenty of outdoors for those temp cache finding fixes if need be.

[Astro_D]

I just got the Earthcaching CD in the mail yesterday (it was included in my Earth Science packet I got from JPL). It contained the Educator’s guide. Very informative.

[Astro_D]

Depends on whom I’m caching with. If it’s with the family I run PQ’s for anything I didn’t find, don’t own and is active omitting all event, unknown, webcam caches, and anything with a five star terrain. I also tend to eliminate the micros and unknown containers. Then I filter out the cemtery caches in GSAK.

If I’m by myself or with a group, I tend to omit only the event and webcam caches. The only unknown caches I may keep are the ones where info needs to be gathered at the listed coords to find the final.

I have a seperate GSAK just for all the puzzle/unknown caches. I run a PQ for new ones every other week. As I get a puzzle solved, I create a filter for it and upload the waypoint to Streets and Trips map of caches so it can be found on the next cache run if i’m in the area.

I know by admitting to eliminating the unknowns from PQs I’ve been assualted by comments of “losing out finding a cache at a great location”. But from my perspective, if it’s such a great location, just give me the coords to the cache and just let me enjoy it.

It’s interesting to see how people run thier PQs…….

[Author]

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