Explore the Eugene, Cascades & Coast GeoTour

Geocoin Explore more than 70 new geocaches from Oregon’s Coast to the waterfalls and lava fields of the Cascades on the Eugene Cascades & Coast GeoTour. Geocachers that complete the entire trip will earn two unique, locally made Geocoins that fit together like puzzle pieces.

Launched in October 2012, the McKenzie River Edition of the GeoTour winds along the lush wilderness of the McKenzie River. From old growth forests to secret gardens, this is a geocaching experience you don’t want to miss. Just ask the geocachers.

Kathryn, of Portland, was one of the first finishers. “The cache placements took us to new sights, trails, parks, all the reasons why I love caching so much,” raved Kathryn. “I really feel the tour was very well rounded and had something for everyone.”

The Florence Edition of the GeoTour launches March 9, 2013 at Driftwood Shores. This exciting new addition to the Eugene, Cascades & Coast GeoTour starts on the never ending beaches of the Central Oregon Coast, then takes geocachers to little-known hiking trails and favorite Old Town Florence gems. The more than 30 geocaches are worth every stop.

Book your Eugene, Cascades & Coast GeoTour Adventure today to take advantage of sweet geocaching deals and discounts fromEugene, Cascades & Coast.

Announcing the January Featured Geocacher of the Month

The-Weasel 1
Congratulations to the Featured Geocacher of the Month, The Weasel

The decibel level from the global geocaching community rose to new heights during voting in January. Hundreds of geocachers commented to support of outstanding nominees from the United States and the United Kingdom. More than 800 comments were tallied for all the nominees.

Each geocacher nominated offers the global geocaching community a unique example of a caring geocacher. All are truly winners, as we learned about these three gracious and giving geocachers. Thank you to all those who supported them. The nominees not chosen as featured Geocacher of the Month will receive a gift of appreciation from Geocaching.

After tallying the comments and careful consideration, 2013 begins with The Weasel being named January’s Featured Geocacher of the Month!

The Weasel is recognized for organizing Cache In Trash Out (CITO) events, helping guide local geocaching as a board member of the Iowa Geocacher Organization, and spreading the word about proper geocaching etiquette through conducting and assisting in over 50 geocaching 101, 201 and 301 classes and workshops throughout the State of Iowa and abroad.

A geocacher who voted for The Weasel writes, “I heard my parents speak over and over again about caches put out by The Weasel, so I had to see for myself what was so good about them. On a few visits to see my parents we headed out to get a little caching in. Inevitably nearly every cache that I liked turned out to be placed by The Weasel. His caches are fun, unique, well placed, and well maintained. You can’t help but get excited about geocaching when you are working on one of his caches! And to know how much he cares about his community, the environment, and the awareness and promotion of geocaching through friendships and education”

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Featured Geocacher of the Month Icon

The Weasel will receive a collector’s edition featured Geocacher of the Month Geocoin, along with a Geocacher of the Month hat and certificate acknowledging his contributions, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com. See a list of all the featured Geocachers of the Month here.

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@groundspeak.comEvery nomination must meet the following requirements:

  • Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
  • A picture of the nominee
  • Description (200 or more words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Geocacher of the Month

Please inform your nominee that you’ve submitted them for the award.

Nominations for the February Featured Geocacher of the Month must be received by the end of the day on Friday, February 8, 2013.

Once we have received all of the nominations, we will choose three candidates and post them on the Geocaching blog. You will then get a chance to champion your favorite. Our goal is to involve the entire geocaching community in this process so we might learn from each other.

Announcing the 2013 Cache In Trash Out Weekend

Cache In Trash Out Weekend

CITO FINAL LGWe hear it all the time, “Geocachers are the nicest people!” It’s a wonderful compliment that good-hearted geocachers have earned for over a decade. Cache In Trash Out (CITO) weekend is just another example of geocachers giving back. Since 2002, tens of thousands of geocachers have cleaned up parks, trails and other geocaching-friendly destinations. Geocachers plan CITO events year round, but one weekend each year the global geocaching community unites to cleanup tons of trash together.

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CITO Event in Texas

The 11th Annual CITO weekend is scheduled for April 20, 21, and 22 2013. There will be hundreds of events to attend in dozens of countries, but if there’s not one in your area, it’s time to gather your friends and create your own CITO Event. Be sure to check the CITO Event calendar for gatherings near you.

Those attending CITO Events on April 20, 21 or 22 (or all three!) will earn a 2013 CITO Souvenir for their Geocaching profile. Thanks for keeping the geocaching a community one of the nicest groups of people out there![Editor’s note: This video is spoken in German and Czech. Click the CC button for English, German or Czech subtitles.]

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A Geocaching Beginner’s Guide – Geocache Container Pictures

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A geocacher’s study guide

Geocaching adventures can take you to new vantage points, down scenic roads and into long-forgotten forests. You’ll search through both new parks and familiar neighborhoods. The adventure is in the journey, but the real thrill can begin when you close in on the coordinates.

Geocaches can be recycled containers like pill bottles
Geocaches can be recycled containers like pill bottles

When you uncover a geocache, a hidden story is revealed: who traveled to this location and the adventure they had along the way. But the exact appearance of the container you’re looking for is often a mystery. The geocache page will usually tell you the size of the geocache, but sometimes you’ll encounter an “other” or a “not chosen.” They’re the wildcard size for geocache containers.

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Some geocache containers are easier to find than others…

At the top of this page, you’ll see eight geocache containers. Odds are you’ll encounter geocaches of this size most often. They’re all small or micro geocaches. More than 70% of geocaches listed on Geocaching.com are either listed as “micro” or “small.”

There are hundreds of variations on geocache shapes, from whimsical (think a small yard gnome in the woods) to devious (think of a fake security camera attached by magnets to the side of a building).

The most interesting geocache containers are often the ones you’ve never encountered before and likely will never see again. Keep your eyes and your mind open when you’re geocaching.  If you’re stuck, geocache pages often include helpful hints. Previous logs and pictures can also offer clues to find the geocache.

If you have more questions, check out the Geocaching 101 page. You can also post a question on the Geocaching Facebook page for the community to answer. To see clever geocaches being discovered, check out this video below for a look at 5 Geocaches in 30 Seconds.

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Cache ‘o Mat (GC1A11C) – GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – January 24, 2013

Cache 'o Mat - the geocache vending machine
Cache ‘o Mat – the geocache vending machine

 

Geocaches come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Cache ‘o Mat (GC1A11C) on the other hand, a one of a kind geocache vending machine, has set a new standard for unique geocaches.

It’s easy to spot, easy to get stickers and easy to see why this is a favorite geocache. Sometimes, however, it’s not as simple to log the difficulty 3.5, terrain 1 geocache as it appears. In order to do so, geocachers will need to use their geo-sense.

While the geocache sits in plain sight, it is not highly muggle-sensitive. With some creativity from the geocache owner and help from the German geocaching musical act Dosenfischer, geocachers can enjoy a one of a kind geocaching anthem (in German) at the vending machine. Now, how often do you get that kind of entertainment when you find a geocache?

Jeremy signed the logbook
Jeremy signed the logbook

Thanks to JoFrie, this clever and creative geocache has been part of the Niedersachsen, Germany community since March, 2008. Over 1,800 geocachers have claimed their smiley and awarded it 849 Favorite Points. Among those who logged the geocache is Geocaching CEO and Co-Founder, Jeremy Irish.

The extensive and elaborate logs describe a lot of fun and entertaining experiences – exactly what this geocache is all about!

Cache 'o Mat Logbook
Cache ‘o Mat Logbook

One geocacher writes, “Natürlich habe auch ich schon oft von diesem Schmuckstück gehört. Zu finden ist die Lokation ja nicht unbedingt schwer. Aber das sieht man auch schon auf den ersten Blick ins Listing. Das Auffinden der eigentlichen Dose war dann schon schwieriger, hat aber Spaß gemacht. Einfach mal alles ausprobiert, überall gedrückt und gezogen, bis nach einiger Zeit tatsächlich etwas ruckte. Klasse gemacht, wirklich. Vielen Dank für diesen tollen Cache!”

This translates to, “Of course, I have often heard of this gem. Finding the location isn’t exactly difficult. But, you can see that at the first glance of the listing. Finding the actual box was then more difficult, but it has been fun. Just tried everything – pushed everywhere and pulled everything. After some time, something snapped. Well done, really. Thanks for this great cache!”

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@groundspeak.com.

There's something for everyone at this vending machine!
There’s something for everyone at this vending machine!