Year: 2013

/ Eric Schudiske /

New York Mega-Event as a Homecoming

Editor’s note: Geocaching HQ staff are joining geocachers at Mega-Events around the world to celebrate and share the adventure of geocaching. Amy Faulkner, a.k.a. Theworldisfun, attended Allegheny State Park Geobash VIII (GC3P9M9) in New York, USA in May. Amy has been with Geocaching HQ as an Events Production Manager since 2013. This is Amy’s account of her trip.

Amy a.k.a. Theworldisgood
Amy a.k.a. Theworldisfun

I recently had the privilege of attending the Allegheny State Park Geobash VIII (GC3P9M9). I’m sure that everyone’s first visit to a Mega event holds a special place in their heart but this particular trip was extra special to me as it was a bit of a homecoming. I grew up in the area where the event took place so my flight across the country served many purposes: I was able to attend my first Mega event as a lackey, see my family , and meet a lot of new and interesting people in the Geocaching community.

Cool geocache
Cool geocache

As someone fairly new to Geocaching HQ, attending your first Mega event is slightly overwhelming and incredibly exciting at the same time. I arrived at the beautiful state park location on Friday evening just in time for the bonfire. Walking up to the site I immediately knew this was going to be a life changing experience. Every person there, despite many of them being strangers, had one common bond: Geocaching. Listening to the stories shared around the fire solidified what I already knew – geocachers are a great community.

The welcoming and hospitality was especially appreciated because I attended the event with my parents both non-geocachers. Throughout the weekend I continued to meet so many interesting geocachers each with a great story as to how they became involved in the game, their favorite geocache, what it means to them, etc.. There were way too many people that contributed to making this trip so memorable for me but a few of the standout were:

Team-Ducky
Team-Ducky

The ASPGB Committee: These guys worked really hard to make a great event.

Team-Ducky: I’ll admit I am a sucker for a box of Sharpies and something to use them on. The duo that makes Team-Ducky travels with those Sharpies and a bunch of blank rubber duckies. You may find one in a geocache someday. I even had the opportunity to make one myself but the highlight was the one that they made for me.

benny06: Also a first time Mega event attendee, we exchanged travel stories and favorite finds.

scrabblehounds: I am a big fan of dogs and scrabblehounds’ dog Neko may be one of my favorites.

Cherry Spawn: his enthusiasm for all things geocaching is contagious

At the end of the weekend, when all was said and done, the ASPGB VIII was an amazing event to attend. It was well organized by a great geocaching community, the people that were there were friendly, welcoming, and enthusiastic about the game, and I can now proudly say that my parents are geocachers. I can’t wait till next year.

Mega-Event Group Picture
Mega-Event Group Picture

 

/ Eric Schudiske

Welcome to the New Look of The Geocaching Blog

BlogPost_Image_060713_vFinalThe Latitude 47 blog transforms into The Geocaching Blog with a new look and whimsical feel. It’s the essence of geocaching, finding an adventure or a rare story or a simple joy that’s hidden in plain sight.

You’ll still find the same great articles, like the Geocache of the Week, The Geocaching Caption Contest, and posts you won’t find anywhere else like 5 years, 176 DNFs, 1 Find — A Real Challenge (GC1764C) Lives Up to Its Name.

Each article should inspire quality geocaching and celebrate the global geocaching community. And be sure to check back for more surprises ahead.

There are even more ways to stay in touch with geocaching friends from around the world. Follow all the geocaching action through the Official Geocaching Facebook  and Twitter pages. Thank you for being part of the geocaching community.

 

/ Derek H /

These rocks just won’t sit still. — The Secret of the Rolling Stones (GC2FFRV) — Geocache of the Week

Normally, rocks just don’t up and move on their own. They seem to be pretty happy with sitting right where they are, not moving. But there is a place on earth where the rocks aren’t content to waste their days in the same spot. These rocks have places to go. We’re not sure where they’re going, why they’re moving or how they’re getting there. However, one thing is for sure: when you visit these rocks-on-the-go, you can find the EarthCache, The Secret of the Rolling Stones (GC2FFRV).

This rock is late for an appointment. Photo by geocacher UPST8
This rock is late for an appointment. Photo by geocacher UPST8
And they're off! Who will win this race? Photo by geocacher papasee
And they’re off! Who will win this race? Photo by geocacher papasee

This difficulty 2.5, terrain 3.5 geocache and these moving stones are located in a part of California’s Death Valley National Park called the Racetrack Playa. Whether or not these stones are actually racing has yet to be determined. In fact, they’re not even all moving in the same direction. The tracks left behind the rocks move up, down and zig-zag throughout the ground. There are even some tracks that have no stones at the end of them, which has raised some interesting questions.

There are plenty of theories as to how these rocks are traveling through the landscape. Some of the rocks weigh more than 700 lbs (350kg), so the thought of a person (or even multiple people) moving these rocks is out of the question. For wind to move a rock that size, they would have to blow at over 500mph (about 800 km/h). For reference, the strongest hurricanes have had winds at around 200 mph (300km/h).  Several geocachers have offered theories in their Found It logs. “My theory is that moisture, when there is any, creates a surface that allows the stones to slide. That or aliens. One of the two.” said geocacher HOFer29. Personally, I’d hope that beings who have the technology to travel through space have better things to do than move rocks in the desert.

This is a rare geocacher-shaped rock. Photo by geocacher Prescott Patrol
This is a rare geocacher-shaped rock. Photo by geocacher Prescott Patrol

The most recent set of scientific theories hinges on weather factors including intense rain, ice, wind and soil composition. While nothing has been proven yet, studies continue through the use of GPS (just like us!) and sensors in the ground. The movement of these rocks is yet to be explained. Have you ever come across something you couldn’t explain while geocaching? Tell us about it in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@geocaching.com.

 

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Projekt 2013: The Mega-Event that Fought the Rain and Won

A group of geocachers attending the Mega-Event with a well-traveled banner (Eric is the third from the right)
A group of geocachers attending the Mega-Event with a well-traveled banner (I’m third from the right, green coat, goofy smile)

The rains fell for three straight days. The rivers rose. Roads were overrun with flood waters. And yet, more than 1300 geocachers from throughout Europe (and one geocacher from Geocaching HQ in Seattle—me) chose this water-logged weekend to visit a small Austrian community.

If you’ve never heard of geocaching you might wonder why not stay home. The couch is dry, it’s warm, the TV works just fine. The series Game of Thrones is really heating up. However, if you’re a geocacher, you’re probably thinking, “well, what’s a little rain?”

The geocaching Mega-Event, Projekt 2013, delivered a geocacher’s dream line-up. Get this: more than 600 geocaches were published throughout the day of the Mega-Event. That’s more than 600 First-to-Finds hiding in fields, and even one scuba geocache waiting patiently at the bottom of a lake. The mandate for all the geocaches was one word: quality. Organizers spent months lining up the geocache hiders and mixing together just the right chemistry of events for people to enjoy, when not searching for the fresh geocaches.

Want to show off your Trackable before the Mega-Event at a CacheMobile Event? Yeah, there’s that. Itching to learn how to safely climb to find your next geocache? It’s on the agenda. How about a concert for hundreds to cap off the Mega-Event? Okay, you get the idea. But one more—how about hearing the latest news from Geocaching HQ and have a nice little question and answer? Yep, I led that discussion.

Ma Ma saves the day
Ma Ma saves the day

The organizational team from The Upper Austrian Geocaching Society planned it all. Before the event, the mayor of the Austrian community had never heard of geocaching. After 1000+ geocachers poured into his town, he’s now one of geocaching’s biggest fans. Especially after the Mega-Event when hundreds of geocachers cleaned up during (a rainy) CITO Event. But it’s the type of people who geocache who made the event. Take one of the organizers, for example.

His name is Mattias, or rightly known by his geocaching name as ma ma. The night before the event, he gets a call. A geocacher he didn’t know was stuck in the mud. Their car wouldn’t move. Five minutes later, we’re there and pulling the car free. And here’s a little detail you shouldn’t know:  it was his birthday. Whatever you do, do not go to his profile, send him a message and wish him a happy birthday. And whatever you do, do not click this link and wish him a happy birthday. (Okay, click the link.)

Signal poses with geocaching rock stars
Signal poses with geocaching rock stars

If you’ve never been geocaching in Austria, consider this Mega-Event an invitation. The FTF’s won’t last forever. If you’re from outside Austria here’s what you should know: there are more Multi-Caches and Puzzle Caches in Austria than Traditional geocaches. A city next door to the event, Wels, is known as The Riddle Castle because of all the Puzzle Caches. Get ready to crack some geocaching puzzles.  The Mayor of Wels would appreciate your visit, and if your car gets stuck, you know who to call.

Check out all the pictures below of the event. And tell us in comments, what’s you favorite part of a Mega-Event or what would be on your list?

 

 

Upper Austrian Geocaching Society thanking local geocaching community reviewer, Tafari.
Upper Austrian Geocaching Society thanking local geocaching community reviewer, Tafari. (They really do not glow in the dark)
The Log Wall could only be seen in black light
The Log Wall could only be seen in black light

project 2013 banner

"I love geocaching because... MEGA"
“I love geocaching because… MEGA”

 

 

 

 

 

/ Derek H /

Geocaching 2 by 2 – Power your Relationships with Geocaching

Geocaching is best when shared.
Geocaching is best when shared.

Geocaching is Best When Shared

You’re part of a worldwide community of over 6 million geocachers that grows one friend at a time. Last week, a visitor to Geocaching HQ from Germany told us something that many geocachers believe, “The most beautiful caches we’ve found were other geocachers.” It’s true. The adventure of geocaching is often found in the journey with others. The most public examples of camaraderie in the geocaching community are events with over 500 attendees, aka Mega-Events. You can join your geocaching friends at more than 25 Mega-Events around the world this year.

There are also many other ways to connect to the geocaching community and to bring a friend along for the adventure. On the Geocaching.com homepage, click on the “Community” tab. This is where you’ll find resources to connect with other geocachers through Geocaching Events, local geocaching organizations and the Geocaching Blog. We even make it easy to Tell a Friend about geocaching.

And don’t forget to share your geocaching adventures and meet new friends on the official Geocaching Facebook page.

Geocaching Tech Update

Upgrade now to the newest version of the Geocaching iPhone App. This version puts the buttons for navigating to geocaches and posting logs, the two most-used actions, front and center. Plus, there’s much more. Check out all the other upgrades:   http://bit.ly/GeocachingiPhoneApp

Paul Bunyan GeoTour 

Paul Buynan GeoTour
Paul Buynan GeoTour

Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan State Trail, named after the legendary logger, is arguably the state’s favorite paved trail for hiking, biking, inline skating and snowmobiling. With the addition of a new GeoTour, it is now destined to become a geocaching mecca.

Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan GeoTour has a total of 100 geocaches. Additionally, members of the NorthStar Geoseekers Club have placed nearly 1,000 geocaches along the path, making it an amazing power trail.

We encourage geocachers to complete this GeoTour during the spring, summer or fall seasons. Due to the length of the trail and the abundance of activities to enjoy in the trail towns, plan to spend several days exploring the area. Most of the geocaches are accessible by bike, so don’t forget your bicycle. Information regarding bike rental, shuttles and other services can be found here.

Whether you are new to the sport or an experienced geocacher, the opportunity to explore Minnesota and earn a few smileys along the trail is as legendary as Paul Bunyan himself.