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Wow, I wasn’t aware that project-gc updates your profile page automatically.

 

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I sure seem to get a lot of emails from FTF magazine about purchasing pathtags from them.  I’ve never bought one.  Love the magazine though.

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One of many reasons that GSAK rocks:  You can print maps and Lists of the caches in your pocket query like this.

GSAK map view and list view

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We already have many of the classic challenge caches completed, but it seems there’s always more challenges out there that we’re working on.  Our public profile page at geocaching .com lists 57 challenges we have completed, and 13 more we are still working on.  Here’s a cut-and-paste of the challenges we’re still working on:

– A CACHE A DAY … FOR 365 DAYS? (GC1AG09) – Find a cache a day for 365 consecutive days (we’ve done 377 consecutive but need to go to Minneapolis to get this challenge cache)
<b>- THE 15% CHALLENGE</b> (GC2NFB2) – You must have found a minimum of 500 caches, 15% or more must be non-traditionals (We qualify for this cache, currently at 21%+, and need to go to northern Illinois to get it)
<b>- BADGER STATE CHALLENGE</b> (GC15WT3) – Find a cache in all 72 of Wisconsin’s counties (We recently completed the requirements, now we have to go to central WI to get the cache!)
<b>- WISCONSIN FALLING WATER CHALLENGE</b> (GC1XKGZ) – Find 26 Wisconsin waterfall caches
<b>- ALPHANUMERIC NON-TRADITIONAL CACHE CHALLENGE</b> (GC3GEA0) – Find NON-TRADITIONAL caches that begin with each of the 36 alphanumeric characters A-Z and 0-9 (We still need X)
<b>- WISCONSIN VIRTUAL CHALLENGE</b> (GC2T5CD) – Find all 86 virtual caches in Wisconsin
<b>- WISCONSIN’S CHEESY FOUR CORNERS CHALLENGE</b> (GC239VH) – Find five caches, one at the exact geographic center of our state, and one at each of the four corners.
<b>- WISCONSIN DELORME CHALLENGE</b> (GCXPZR & GC2C21G) – Find a cache from all 104 pages of the Wisconsin DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer (only 3 more pages to go!)
<b>- DELORME CHALLENGE: UNIQUE NATURAL FEATURES</b> (GC1JMFG) – Find caches in at least 20 of the 37 Unique Natural Features listed in the 2008 Wisconsin DeLorme Atlas (Found 24 so far)
<b>- WISCONSIN CLASSIC ROCKS, HIKES & HIDES CHALLENGE</b> (GC2D6N8) Find 27 Wisconsin caches placed in 2000 or 2001 (Found 19, we have 8 more to go)
<b>- KFH’S ABDCS: FAVORITES</b> (GC3NAJ3) – Find the 13 caches in WI currently with the most favorite points
<b>- CHEESY WELL-ROUNDED SOCIALITE CHALLENGE</b> (GC5Q9MC) – Must have attended at least one event for each day of the week, and each month, with at least three different event icons (We only need one more – an event on a Monday!)
<b>- WISCONSIN’S PLAYLANDS: STATE LANDS BINGO CHALLENGE</b> (GC3BRE4) – Must complete a BINGO row of 5 regarding Wisconsin’s state parks, state trails, and/or state forests (We have a bingo and need to go to the Lacrosse area to get it)

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We’ve released 50 so far, beginning in 2010; only 11 are still active, but we kind of expected that.  Naturally, our very favorite ones have been among the first to disappear.  Lesson learned – we still send out trackables, but not with objects that are highly desirable.

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Noonan wrote:

I found that from this cache: GC39JV0_one-for-the-numbers#”>GC39JV0

Poking around there, gave me this hint or does this work to insert a gif?

 

Seems to me like the first one is 4, for four eyes? The next one is pretty clearly “10” but after that I have no idea

The cartoon is a drawing of Jonah Hex (Hexagon = 6 sided).  So probably a 6.  The woman in blue was in the movie Octopussy, one of the James Bond films, so maybe an 8?  Or a 007.  I’m guessing 8.

 

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I wasn’t going to get a patch if it was pink. 😉

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On my monitor the picture of the WGA patch appears to be pink with a light green border.  Is that really the color or is the color hue off on the picture?

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Here’s my log from the event:

This was our 5th year attending, and the caches this year were the best EVER! We found 53 of the 66 new caches plus a few others. If anyone came for the new caches, the 1,000+ people, the fun and adventure, the cool pirate theme, it was unsurpassed. There were a great variety of cache types, cache events both official and non-official (lol) Thursday through Sunday, and lots of related activities for kids and adults. The QUALITY of the caches were outstanding (the best I’ve seen here and I’m not a newbie), plus there were more gadget caches than ever before, lab caches for the first time for a different kind of caching experience (fantastic), and for the numbers people there were plenty of opportunities for nearby power trails. There were tough caches for those seasoned cachers who wanted a good challenge, there were long hike caches, and short easy ones. There was a CITO event Friday morning (great time to have it, people can keep busy before the cache stamp books are released), and geocaching “events” scheduled Thursday through Sunday, including a photo scavenger hunt, a river float, and a stargazing event. The Cache Bash was good. In fact it was VERY good. Something for everyone. Never better.

Since you asked for constructive feedback (otherwise I would have sent this privately), there were some notable issues that could use a bit of help. As I understand it geocaching events are supposed to be about event activities and not just the caches themselves – mission accomplished! There were cool activities being offered at the park other than the caches themselves (swimming, geocaching 101 class, lab caches, photo-scavenger hunt, geo-bingo, etc.), but fewer vendors compared to previous years were a disappointment. I was looking forward to browsing and purchasing geocaching merchandise. I couldn’t even buy a cache container. Also the lack of food vendors at the event makes it feel like it’s not an all-day event but rather a flash mob. Seemingly nobody stuck around, although many people likely would not disperse for lunch or dinner if it was available in the park. Serve food at the park and people will stay and socialize more, and buy more from the vendors. Win-win. I’d like to see a picnic event option for dinner in the park on Saturday; geocachers are generally outdoorsy people. I’d much prefer to be outdoors at Regner Park rather than indoors at an overcrowded restaurant. The lack of quality raffle prizes was talked about quite a bit. In previous years GPS units and the like were given away. Perhaps the chamber businesses could donate something that’s more substantial instead of things like pill bottles, duct tape, empty “vintage bags,” and $5 gift certificates. Skip the cheap stuff; the raffle seemed to take a longggg time. Many of the regulars wished they could download and print up the stamp book at 6AM; the same time as when the caches are published, rather than wait six hours. I like it the way it currently is; it brings people into the park that morning to pick up the book and gives them time to socialize, shop the vendors (if any), or do one of the other activities. It also would be nice if the chamber could work with the local hotels on behalf of the attendees for a special reduced rate instead of an increased “event” rate. I can see where the chamber may not want to do these things if they don’t see any profit in it for them. Perhaps a bigger issue – is the West Bend Cache Bash’s purpose primarily for the enjoyment of the people or for the profit of the West Bend businesses? That’s not for me to say. Just my ponderings. I’m grateful for what was provided.

To end our log on an upbeat note, we had a great time. We mainly come each year to the Cache Bash for the CACHES, the PEOPLE, the FUN, and to a lesser extent for the numbers. Mission accomplished on all counts! We hope to be back next year and thank the Cache Bash committee for all of your hard work!

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Cache bash is done.  After the WGA pancake breakfast and church we attended the Sunday photo scavenger hunt event and finished up with a few more bash caches.  We won a geocoin at the photo-scavenger hunt event.  Kim is the one who entered it, not me!  Got to hang around with cachers we only see once or twice a year (not the “usual” crowd), as well as many we had not met before.  It’s actually a really nice slower paced event, held during lunch in a local West Bend restaurant.  You take pictures of yourself or your GPSr on Friday-Saturday during the cache bash event for about 15 catagories (in a cornfield, by an RV, a benchmark, eating cheese, rummage sale, etc.), and the most fun/creative photo for each category wins a prize.  Many of the pictures are then posted with the attended logs on the cache page GC5VB30.

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Same here.  We gave them the pieces of the sticker after razorblading it off.

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Mister Greenthumb wrote:

I guess I shouldn’t complain since I’ll be unplugged all next week.

Looks like next week the odds of getting a FTP will be slightly more favorable!

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A smartphone hasn’t been needed in the past, but it’s convenient.  When I did lab caches last year, the handout had the coords and the explanation of the task, you would write down the answers, and go to the website either right then on your smartphone, or later at home on your computer, and submit the answer.  See attached picture.  Notice that the website you need to go to for submitting your answers is shown near the top of the page.

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Lacknothing wrote:

hack1of2 wrote:

Spent the morning fishing on Lake Winnebago. Lots of sheephead but nothing else! Where’d they hide all the walleyes?

Where on Lake Winnebago?

On the southeast part of the lake, mainly near the reefs.  In about 10 to 12 depth.  Of course most of the lake is no longer than 12 feet deep.

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Spent the morning fishing on Lake Winnebago.  Lots of sheephead but nothing else!  Where’d they hide all the walleyes?

 

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