Author: Derek H

/ Derek H /

le Tour de Geocaching — arc de triomphe (GC18TKN) — Geocache of the Week

The Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe. Photo by geocacher H20 de Mer.

As this is being written, cyclists are pedaling their way through France, racing through 2115 miles (3404 km) of countryside. Racers travel from all over the world to take part in this race. Despite recent controversies, the Tour de France is still one of the top physical challenges faced by cyclists. This year’s race ends with a loop around the Arc de Triomphe, right by this week’s Geocache of the Week.

Finally found it! Photo by geocacher Stillroaming.
Finally found it! Photo by geocacher Stillroaming.

While the full Tour de France is an extreme mental and physical challenge, this geocache is only a difficulty 1.5, terrain 1, so training anything but your geosense and stealth skills won’t be necessary. The geocache, aptly named Arc de Triomphe (GC18TKN), brings you to a spot with breathtaking views of the Champs-Élysées, the Tour de France (if you’re there on the right day), and of course, the Arc de Triomph.

The geocache creator, pacuso, made sure to meet two criteria for this geocache, “interesting location and/or great camouflage.” This geocache was placed in 2008. During that time, pacuso says, “Paris was lacking of stashes on touristic places, so I decided to fix that! Apparently 3518 visitors agreed.” Of the many visitors to earn their smiley for this geocache, geocacher Stone Raiders had this to say, “First find in France! Great location and excellent hiding place.”

The geocacher/Tour de France cyclist, Jens Voigt. Photo from his Twitter account.

If you’re near GZ when the Tour de France is there, there are two things to keep in mind. One, a wish from the geocache owner, “I just hope that geocachers won’t try to run in front of the “peloton” (the group of cyclists) to go log it!!” And two, keep an eye out for Jens Voigt, a cyclist competing in the race who also happens to be an avid geocacher. Maybe after the race, you can find this geocache with him.

Some cyclists competing in the Tour de France may find that the mental challenge is more difficult, while others may think it’s all about the physical challenge. When you’re out geocaching, which challenge (mental or physical) is harder to overcome? Tell us why 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.

/ Derek H /

Top 8 Tips for Maintaining Your Geocaching Streak

The official Geocaching Get Outdoors Day souvenir.
The official Geocaching Get Outdoors Day souvenir

The month of August has a new name: the 31 Days of Geocaching. You’ll have the opportunity to earn a calendar-style souvenir for every day you find a geocache—that’s 31 new souvenirs just waiting for you. Plus, find a geocache on July 13 and you’ll get the special Geocaching Get Outdoors Day souvenir as well.

Here’s your challenge: complete a full, month-long geocaching streak during August and earn all 31 souvenirs. It might sound easy, but maintaining a geocaching streak takes hard work, dedication and—above all else—motivation. Here are a few tips from geocaching experts to make your 31 Days of Geocaching streak a success:

1. Plan ahead

This tip is #1 for a reason. Having a geocaching plan makes keeping a streak alive much easier. Spend a few days before you begin your streak to draw up your plan. Try to think about if there will be any days where snagging a ‘cache will be more difficult than others. Having a plan will help eliminate surprises and keeps you on top of your streak.

2. Work Geocaching into Your Day

Going to work, picking up groceries, walking the dog—these are all great times to earn a smiley. If there are places you visit on a semi-regular basis, varying the route may open up possibilities for quick finds. Simple geocaches can take a little as 10–15 minutes to find, so taking a short detour during your day won’t take up too much time and will knock out one more find.

An easy lampost geocache, perfect for geocaching streaks.

3. Learn to Love the Easy Stuff

D1/T1 geocaches aren’t always crowd favorites, but when you’re working on a streak, the simple geocaches are your best friends. Save the multis and epic puzzles for non-streaking days, unless you just like the extra challenge.

4. The 11:30pm, 12:00am trick

This one is simple: find a geocache at 11:30pm, wait a half hour, then find another geocache. Boom. That’s two days down in less than an hour. Warning: Before you use this method, double check the recent activity to make sure your 11:30 geocache is there. If it’s missing or you can’t find it, you could accidentally end your streak.

5. Save the Easy Finds for Last

Your first impulse might be to find all the easy, nearby geocaches first. But wait! Saving the easy, nearby geocaches allows you to have alternatives just in case something comes up or you don’t have a lot of time to travel.

6. Skip the FTFs

If you receive notifications for new geocaches, you’re going to have to fight the urge to nab the FTF, especially if it’s nearby. Just like in tip #5, leaving several easy, nearby geocaches unfound gives you some backup options.

Geocachers benandjayme on the final find of their 500-day geocaching streak at the summit of Mailbox Peak, WA.

7. Find a Partner

Just like geocaching any other day, it’s always more fun with a friend. With geocaching streaks, having someone to go with will help maintain motivation and give you both some accountability.

8. Plan Your Final Geocache

Make the final geocache of your streak something awesome. It will give you something to look forward to and give your geocaching streak an epic send-off.

 

Tell Us Your Tips

Have you ever done a geocaching streak? If so, leave your tips for maintaining a streak in the comments below. Happy geocaching!

Watch The Geocaching Blog for more details on Geocaching Get Outdoors Day on July 13 and the 31 Days of Geocaching in August. To earn a souvenir in both promotions you must log a “Found it” or an “Attended” on specific days, July 13 and each day in August.

 

/ Derek H /

Happy Independence Day! – Granite Rushmore (GC33JW4) – Geocache of the Week

Posing with the four men in the mountain. Photo by geocacher FrogJoey
During the construction of Mount Rushmore.

On this day in 1776, the United States of America formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which declared independence from Great Britain. While this holiday is most often celebrated with barbecues, fireworks and get-togethers, we think finding this week’s Geocache of the Week would make a great addition to any Independence Day celebration. Granite Rushmore (GC33JW4) is an Earthcache placed by geocacher csr212 located at Mount Rushmore, where the faces of four United States Presidents have been carved into the side of a granite mountain.

The four presidents included in the Mount Rushmore sculpture are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington are two of the four Founding Fathers of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt is noted for his progressive ideologies, conservation efforts and unique personality. Abraham Lincoln was President during the American Civil War and is credited with abolishing slavery.

Earning your smiley for this difficulty 1.5, terrain 1.5 geocache isn’t as simple as just visiting this national monument. Those wanting to find this geocache will have the option to post a photo of yourself at the location and are required to answer a few questions about the history of the sculpture, as well as the rock it’s carved into. So far, this Earthcache has earned numerous Favorite Points and plenty of positive logs. Geocacher DevoeAM4 wrote, “On our way to Alaska from DC and this was an obvious stop. First time here and we went for both the lighting ceremony during the night and during the next day and we’ll be back for sure. Pictures just don’t do it justice. Thanks for the great cache!”

Maybe the next addition to the monument? Probably not, but a GPS enthusiast can dream. Photo by geocacher goodguys101
Maybe the next addition to the monument? Probably not, but a GPS enthusiast can dream. Photo by geocacher goodguys101

Another positive log comes from geocacher elvira_crew, who says, “On our way from the Badlands to Yellowstone we had to make a little detour to visit this famous monument. We had seen it in films and in pictures, but in reality it is much more impressive. It was interesting to read some facts about its history in the visitor center. Thank you for this interesting earth cache.”

Historical places and monuments make for incredible and interesting geocaches. What’s your favorite geocache that’s placed near a monument in your country? 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.

/ Derek H /

A geocache made in Hollywood (but placed in Washington). — Ring of Fire (GCJYHZ) — Geocache of the Week

Maybe this was the train Ozzy Osbourne was singing about in "Crazy Train". Photo by geocacher Brasstax.
Maybe this was the train Ozzy Osbourne was singing about in “Crazy Train”. Photo by geocacher Brasstax.

This week’s Geocache of the Week was born from the depths a fiery train crash. You might be thinking, “Jeez, that’s kind of a bummer. I hope no one was hurt in the wreck.” Until, of course, you learn that the train wreck was all a piece of Hollywood cinema. If you’re up for a hike and a challenging find, Ring of Fire (GCJYHZ) will show you a piece of movie history.

In 1961, the film “Ring of Fire” was released. This film is a classic, campy story of  boy meets girl, all while a giant forest fire rages through the Pacific Northwest. You can even watch the original trailer. Movie spoiler alert: The grand finale of the film occurs when a train is stuck on a flaming bridge. Eventually, the bridge weakens and collapses, sending the train cars tumbling into a ravine. While the movie is set in Oregon, the actual filming location for this stunt was in Washington. After filming, the crew did their best to remove the wreckage, but several pieces still remained. Several years later, geocacher ironman114 found the location and placed this geocache there.

Check out the epic grand finale (skip to the 13 minute mark):[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gGnzVdnFkmI#t=758s]

A piece of wreckage from "Ring of Fire". Photo by geocacher cougarcach24.
A piece of wreckage from “Ring of Fire”. Photo by geocacher cougarcach24.

Since then, many geocachers have found this difficulty 3.5, terrain 5 geocache and ended up with great stories. Geocacher crouchcrew had this to say in their log, “What an awesome, amazing cache for an awe-inspiring, epic milestone! He did good by picking this one. From the ropes, the climb, the railcars, the view, the history, the celebration, the beautiful day and finding the cache en masse made for a geocaching top 10 day! Thanks so much for placing and maintaining this consummate cache!”

As a fan of old movies, the CO, ironman114, knew this spot would make a great geocache. Regarding the positive logs and favorite points, he says, “I derive a lot of satisfaction to see all the cachers enjoying the trek and hunt for this cache… If you get a lot of positive logs then you know you did it right.” He goes on with a message for other geocachers who plan to hide a geocache, “Location, Location, Location. Take time to think about it and if location is bland then make a good container or story to go with the geocache. Just because you can hide a geocache within feet of a full smelly pit toilet doesn’t mean you HAVE to!”

Have you ever come across old wrecks, abandoned buildings or other once-inhabited places 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.

 

/ Derek H /

World’s Oldest Unfound Geocache is Found! – Getting the FTF After 12 years

The canoe, all packed up.
The noble steed and the river.

Many anxious geocachers set alerts to ping them when a new geocache is published. Within minutes of going live, a geocacher rushed to claim the FTF (First to Find). In the case of one lonely geocache, in an uninhabited swath of Canada,  it took nearly 12 years for a brave and determined geocacher to venture into the wilderness and sign the logbook. 4.5lb Walleye (GCDFB) was hidden June 23, 2001. It registered its first find on June 8, 2013 by geocacher Stormgren-X. Here’s his story.

The idea for finding this geocache came to Stormgren-X months before he set out. “I planned the trip myself over a six month period from researching the route, history, other accounts of this amazing canoe route, food, gear, and logistics of getting to the launch site and getting out and back home,” he said, “I was prepared to do the trip solo, but managed to convince my life-long friend to join me on this amazing journey along this historical canoe route.”

On the day before they left, Stormgren-X posted about their journey in the Geocaching Forums and included a link to the Spot tracking page, “I expected a few people on the geocache watchlist to perhaps follow along from time to time.  By the time we reached Fort Albany and were set up in our lodge, I…was overwhelmed to see 375 replies to my thread.  It was amazing and I felt great that so many people were watching and cheering us on…So many emails of encouragement and positive comments.  We were pleased that we offered some sort of live entertainment and discussion to the geocaching community on our journey…”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csPzYln0aDE]

From there, the real adventure began. The first two days of canoeing  proved to be the most difficult. Stormgren-X recalls, “The winds and rain were non-stop and made for freezing toes and fingers, [and] poor morale…” After the initial problems, the weather cleared and made for an enjoyable trip. On the eighth day, they reached ground zero and finally found the geocache, “…I saw a foreign object. It looked like a rounded corner of something, and I grabbed it between index finger and thumb and pulled on it. I easily pulled it out from it’s hiding spot under the moss and yelled at Gord, “Here it is! I found it!”I placed it on the ground and immediately took notice that it was intact and contents were still inside.”

Found it! Stormgren-X with the 4.5lb Walleye.
Found it! Stormgren-X with the 4.5lb Walleye.

Regarding the trip, Stormgren-X said, “The eight and a half days we spent on this arctic watershed adventure is one I won’t soon forget. Being immersed in that environment, without communication with the outside world, and seeing so few people was so refreshing from the busy and modern life we are so accustomed to. The historic places we visited and the thoughts of men and women who toiled in this land to make a life for themselves was astounding. Many times we felt so small and insignificant in such a vast wilderness, but so connected to it at the same time. To travel 435 km along such a huge waterway and not see many people, any roads, bridges, railways, dams, or industry is something difficult to find in this world. I consider myself lucky to have experienced the voyage and the great memories.”

To hear more about this amazing journey, check out the Podcacher podcast that features an interview with Stormgren-X. You can also read the full write-up. Geocaching milestones of this caliber are out there, just waiting to be found. Will you be the next adventurer to earn one of these epic smileys?

Also: enjoy a few more photos of the trip courtesy of Stormgren-X:

A campsite panorama.
View along the river
At one of the stops along the river.
At one of the stops along the river.
Canoeing in lovely weather.
Canoeing in lovely weather