[Team B Squared]

@Todd300 wrote:

1) Then we have Michigan state regionals in Traverse City, so I’ll get more counties on US Highway 2 along the way to the Big Mac Bridge. Not sure how many more counties there are after I pass through Delta County on US

There are only 2 counties between Delta and the Mackinac Bridge. Schoolcraft and Mackinac. Mackinac County is very long east-west and eats up about 65 miles of the trip. Keep in mind that some of the areas you are talking about hitting this winter get quite a bit more snow than we do in the “banana belt”. Good luck with your goals Todd!

[Team B Squared]

At a cache on the Escanaba River up here in the UP

At one of Gotta Run’s cemetery caches near Green Bay

Hunting for one of Sweetlife’s cemetery caches north of Green Bay

[Team B Squared]

@marc_54140 wrote:

If you are really desperate, I’ll come up and plant a few puzzles.

Do it, that would make them a lot closer to hunt if I can figure them out. 😆

[Team B Squared]

We have 46 caches on our watchlist.

In addition to that I maintain a bookmark of our favorite caches. For that bookmark I get an email for each log, essentially putting them on my watchlist. There are 115 caches in that list.

On top of that we have 98 caches that are currently active that we receive emails for.

Watchlist + bookmark = 161 caches

Watchlist + bookmark + owned caches = 259 caches

I do get a lot of emails, but I enjoy reading them because I don’t get to cache as often as I like so reading about other people’s adventures gives me a little bit of a caching fix when I can’t go.

[Team B Squared]

@gotta run wrote:

The subject pretty much says it–when you download a PQ of owned caches it references additional waypoints but keeps the hidden ones hidden.

Any way to un-hide these in the PQ itself?

Not that I have found. I just copy the hidden coords into the gsak database as child waypoints for the cache in question (or corrected coordinates for our puzzle caches). There may be an automated way to do it, but I haven’t come across it yet.

[Team B Squared]

@gotta run wrote:

Hey B Squared, how do you clear ARCHIVED caches from your database using your method? Archived caches won’t show up in the PQ so how do you know to drop them? Are you filtering by “last GPX date” or something?

Easy to answer this one, I already answered this earlier in the thread. 😆

Here you go…this is the easiest way I have found to do it. I know there are macros out there that handle this as well, but I prefer to do it by hand.

@Team B Squared wrote:

One more thing you will have to do if you are maintaining a database that will build over time. Caches that get archived will not automatically delete from your gsak database, you will have to delete them yourself. What happens is when a cache gets archived it will no longer be included in the gpx file from geocaching.com, but it will still be in your database. An easy way to find the caches that have been archived is to (in gsak) click “Search” and select “filter” from the drop down menu. In the filter dialog click on the “Dates” tab at the top. For “Last Updated gpx”, change the “not applicable” to “on or before”. When you do this a date dialog will appear to the right of the drop down. You will need to select a date for this that falls between the two days that you received your newest gpx file and the last time you received the gpx file before that. So if your last two gpx downloads were on 7/14/09 and 7/18/09, you would want to select 7/17/09. After selecting the date click “go”. This will show you all the caches that were not updated in your newest gpx download and were probably archived (I say probably because if you select the 500 closest to home and more new caches get published than were archived it will cause some of the caches the farthest from you center point to not get downloaded as well).

Hopefully this all helps and makes sense, since I am watching a baseball game while typing this. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions. Good luck!

[Team B Squared]

@Todd300 wrote:

Hmm..a geocaching wedding event…I think that’s actually has been done – lol.

There was a wedding at the 2006 Sault Ste. Marie Historical Tour. If I remember correctly they had a treasure hunt to find a pair of rings in the park and whoever found them were the best man and maid of honor. It was a fun and interesting event.

[Team B Squared]

@Todd300 wrote:

When I went to Green Bay last month, I ran 3 PQ’s for the Green Bay area.

1 PQ for traditionals only, 1 for multi’s and 1 for puzzles/unknowns. Yes, I know there are a few other icons such as your Letterbox hybrids, GR, but I’ll get to those eventually.

Anyways, running PQ’s for each type of cache seems to work with me in an area like Green Bay that is not as dense with caches as, say, West Bend, who claims to have 500 caches in a 7 mile radius.

I’ve seen in the ground speak forums that cachers would run PQ’s according to placed dates. I have not done that yet as I have no reason to, but I know I eventually will when I go to a dense cache area.

That’s why I like caching in the northwoods and the UP. I could run a PQ of a large radius and still be under 500 caches.

Good luck with your work, GR.

You could probably get all of those caches with 2 queries including all of the cache types instead of three for specific cache types and then just filter them out (Traditional, Mystery, Multi, etc) in GSAK. Filtering is very easy in GSAK, if you need any help or hints feel free to ask.

[Team B Squared]

@gotta run wrote:

@Team B Squared wrote:

As for the 30 mile radius exceeding 500 caches with your finds included, there are ways around that. I can type this method up if you are interested, just let me know.

Well, the only way I know is to set a few coordinates at the X mile mark from my home coordinates and then run smaller-radius searches from there. Then load the multiple PQs into one GSAK database. GSAK takes care of the overlap. If there’s an easier way than that, I’d love to hear it.

You will probably need 2 pocket queries to get all the caches within a 30 mile radius. But what you do is take the pocket queries and set them up to filter by placed date (towards the bottom of the pocket query set up page). For the first one you would check the placed between and do something like Jan 1, 2000 for the start date and something like Aug 3, 2007 for the end date. The end date doesn’t really matter for what you are trying to do, as long as your pocket query doesn’t exceed 500 caches. Then set up another pocket query that is identical to the first, except your begin date for placed would be Aug 4, 2007 (if you used for Aug 3, 2007 for your end date in the first query) and then make your end date for the second query something far off into the future. This will give you all the caches within a 30 mile radius of your pocket query center.

Clear as mud? I do something similar to this to get all of the caches in the Upper Peninsula (3 pocket queries) and NE Wisconsin (5 pocket queries). I get these queries sent once per week and work off of that while planning a caching trip.

[Team B Squared]

We haven’t hosted an event, but if we did you can bet we would log an attended log. We were there, so we attended.

[Team B Squared]

@gotta run wrote:

@Team B Squared wrote:

If you want to see what caches you have found in your latest gpx download when you load it to a pre-existing database you would click on “Search” and then select “Filter” from the drop down. In the dialog that opens, just uncheck the check box next to “Unfound” and click “go” at the bottom. This will show you all of the caches that you have found in your database. To delete the caches you have found you would then right click and select “delete waypoint”. You would then select “All Waypoints in Filter” and click “ok”.

There may be a better way to do it, but this is how I do it and it isn’t too difficult to figure out.

Ok, still on this topic.

When you create a PQ, are you leaving caches that you have found in the PQ?

Our weekly PQ basically specifies “Caches within a 30 mile radius of our home coordinates that we do not own and have not found.”

Therefore, we do not receive “found” caches in the PQ.

Therefore, when we update the “Unfound caches” database in GSAK, it is not updating the caches in the existing database as found, because no new information comes through on those caches.

The only way I can see to let GSAK know what you have found is to load found caches in it, but loading ALL the caches in a 30-mile radius exceeds the number limit of the query.

Make sense?

To answer this question late, yes, I leave all the caches I have found in my pocket queries so that GSAK will be able to recognize which caches I have found and not found. If it was me I would leave your found caches in the PQ rather than download the “my finds” query to your database, since you are just adding another step to the process by having to download the “my finds” query.

It is very easy to query your database for caches that you haven’t found and don’t own when planning a trip. Before planning a trip in gsak I just filter out caches that we own and that I have already found. I then plan my trip using the caches that are left in that filter. If you don’t know how to do this I can outline it for you, just let me know.

As for the 30 mile radius exceeding 500 caches with your finds included, there are ways around that. I can type this method up if you are interested, just let me know. Of course I don’t really run into that problem up here in my neck of the woods. 😆

[Team B Squared]

@gotta run wrote:

Yep, we are learning a new way of doing things and I can see the advantage of re-doing the GPX file. This way you have fresh data and it also forces you to more actively managed your files.

@SammyClaws wrote:

I dont know if you use GSAK or not, but I keep loading the same file over the top of the old one, so that it always has all the unfound on it.

I would like to keep a main database of “unfoundcaches.gpx.” This basically represents the results of a PQ for unfound caches within X miles of our home coordinates.

Additionally, I would like to load new PQs over the top of this gpx file so that the logs continue to accumulate. That was another discussion in another thread–how to get more than 5 logs in a PQ. There is no way to do that in a single PQ, but it was suggested that by continually updating a gpx file over time you can build up the number of logs it contains.

However, if you use the same gpx file and simply update it with a new PQ, there is no way to easily see what caches you have found since you last updated the file. You have to go through, tick off the files, and delete them.

It seems the only foolproof way to get a completely clean gpx file (i.e., not containing found caches) is to create a completely new file from a new PQ. Otherwise you have to do manual data manipulation.

Am I missing something here? How do other GSAK users manage their “main database?”

Ok, I’ll take a stab at this, hopefully I read your question correctly and am not telling you how to do something you already know how to do.

If you want to see what caches you have found in your latest gpx download when you load it to a pre-existing database you would click on “Search” and then select “Filter” from the drop down. In the dialog that opens, just uncheck the check box next to “Unfound” and click “go” at the bottom. This will show you all of the caches that you have found in your database. To delete the caches you have found you would then right click and select “delete waypoint”. You would then select “All Waypoints in Filter” and click “ok”.

There may be a better way to do it, but this is how I do it and it isn’t too difficult to figure out.

One more thing you will have to do if you are maintaining a database that will build over time. Caches that get archived will not automatically delete from your gsak database, you will have to delete them yourself. What happens is when a cache gets archived it will no longer be included in the gpx file from geocaching.com, but it will still be in your database. An easy way to find the caches that have been archived is to (in gsak) click “Search” and select “filter” from the drop down menu. In the filter dialog click on the “Dates” tab at the top. For “Last Updated gpx”, change the “not applicable” to “on or before”. When you do this a date dialog will appear to the right of the drop down. You will need to select a date for this that falls between the two days that you received your newest gpx file and the last time you received the gpx file before that. So if your last two gpx downloads were on 7/14/09 and 7/18/09, you would want to select 7/17/09. After selecting the date click “go”. This will show you all the caches that were not updated in your newest gpx download and were probably archived (I say probably because if you select the 500 closest to home and more new caches get published than were archived it will cause some of the caches the farthest from you center point to not get downloaded as well).

Hopefully this all helps and makes sense, since I am watching a baseball game while typing this. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions. Good luck!

[Team B Squared]

@Todd300 wrote:

Thanks, B2. Doesn’t look like I’ll hit the Isle after all as my muggle friend is unable to go with me and I’m not about to go in the water alone.

So I’ll look at those and see which one is worthy of my 200th find.

For a milestone I would definitely recommend Hogback’s Back. We found the previous cache at that location for our 600th find and it was very memorable. We haven’t done the current version yet, but Team LaLonde made it a multi to prevent muggling of the container on top of the hill. It is a great hike back to the hill (a hair under 2 miles one way) and a fun climb to the top for a breathtaking view.

Here are a few pics from our find of the previous cache….

Looking out toward Lake Superior and Sugarloaf Mountain (also a beautiful view from the top of that one). In the distance you can see Presque Isle Park, where there are a lot of very good caches as well.

Looking at the Superior Dome and Marquette

View of the hill from the trail a little over half way to it from the car.

[Team B Squared]

@gotta run wrote:

Now then. With that out of my system, let me assure you that waypoint three is there on this cache. The correct location of the waypoint was alluded to above.

In order to save everyone the time of actually trying to figure out which of the possibilities it could possibly be, here’s a step by step:

1. As you approach the coordinates for WP3, you will see two small sections of decorative, split-rail fence on either side of the path. The fence seems to be there for no particular reason, and it is the only structure of any kind within 30′ of this spot. There are no trees or other brush nearby, so obviously the fence is “it.”

2. Go to the fence section on the EAST side. If you are approaching from the south (the school side), that will put it on your right. If you are approaching from the north (baseball diamond side), it will put it on your left.

3. There are two railings on the small section. Find the lower railing.

4. Find a way to look UNDER the railing. You may be able to do this by bending at the waist and turning your head. Or, you may need to lay on your back and physically stick your head under the rail if you are not as limber.

5. Look closely at the underside of the bottom railing. You will see a set of coordinates there. Enter those coordinates in your GPSr.

That’s about the best I can do. If anyone wants a tour, I swim at the pool Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, and I can meet you there about 5:15 a.m. to point it out for you.

Well, that would have saved me a lot of time on that one. 😆 I looked right at it about 5 times before I was able to spot it when I visited.

[Team B Squared]

@Todd300 wrote:

Sorry for the bump, but I’m planning a trip to Marquette for next weekend (July 24/25) for a couple days of caching. If I don’t get my 200th find before then, what are some recommended caches worthy of a milestone find?

I can’t do Lil’ Presque Isle because I don’t have the equipment to do that cache. I can still do rough T4 terrains that do not require special equipment.

I had a few T4 caches bookmarked for my 200th find such as the one Zoesbro got for his 1000th.

But if I don’t get to those caches by next weekend, then Marquette will be where I get my 200th. I want it to be worthwhile and be worth remembering because I won’t be back in Marquette for a long time.

Thanks in advance 😉

Marquette has a lot of amazing caches. Here are a few off the top of my head.

Hogback’s Back
Strawberry Lake
Rock Lobster Revisited
PAC’s River Trail
More Power to You
Have YOU Seen The Light?
The 25th Letter
Un-named Carp River Falls
Morgan Falls Chippie Hide
Mount Marquette (Formerly TWH)
Mount Mesnard

Those are a few that I have liked. You really can’t go wrong with any caches hidden by 2277 or Team LaLonde in that area though. You could probably get a lot more suggestions on Marquette area caches if you posted to the Michigan forums too.

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