Author: Eric Schudiske

/ Eric Schudiske /

Groundspeak Weekly Newsletter – February 9, 2011

Habits of a Good Geocache Owner

As a geocache owner, your responsibilities don’t end once your geocache has been published. Owning a geocache is an ongoing responsibility that, when done properly, results in more geocaching fun for everyone. Here are some tips on being a good cache owner.

1. When someone reports a problem with the cache (missing, damaged, wet, etc.), check on the cache as soon as possible. If need be, you may temporarily disable the cache to let others know not to hunt for it. This feature is to allow you a reasonable amount of time – normally a few weeks – to arrange a visit to your cache.

2. Keep an eye out for Did Not Find logs. If there are several in a row, the cache may be missing even if no one has reported it as such. You may want to communicate with the people who logged a DNF to see where they were searching.

3. If a geocacher that is new to the game logs a DNF on your cache and you are certain that the cache is still in place, you might help them out by emailing a tip.

4. You should check on your cache periodically even if no issue has been reported. You may want to bring a fresh logbook in case yours is almost full or some new SWAG (trade items) for the cache.

5. When checking on your cache, see if the physical Trackable inventory matches the digital inventory. As a cache owner, you have the option of marking any Trackables listed in your cache as being in an “unknown location.” Learn how.

6. Cache owners are also responsible for quality control of posts the cache page. This includes deleting logs that are bogus or not within the stated requirements.

7. If you did not add attributes when you first created the cache listing, add them now by clicking “edit attributes” in the upper-right corner of the page. Attributes help other geocachers identify caches that suit their needs.

For more information and tips, check out the Knowledge Book Cache Ownership: A Long-Term Relationship.

Benefits of Adding Home Coordinates

Please enter your home coordinates so we can provide information on new geocaches and geocaching events near you.

/ Eric Schudiske /

“Entrance to Mordor” GC14NA0 GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – February 7, 2011

"Entrance to Mordor"

Live the adventure of the Lord of the Rings by finding the geocache  “Entrance to Mordor” (GC14NA0). The search to find this cache takes geocachers into the darkness of an abandoned underground train service station in  Sweden.  Norpan & rand althor hid this mystery cache.

In order to crack the mystery and find the cache (referred to on the cache page as “your precious”) treasure-hunters decipher information at the cache coordinates. Geocachers take the information and plug it into a formula found on the cache page to discover the “Entrance to Mordor.”

Gollum?

More than 100 geocachers received a smiley for this cache since the difficulty 3.5, terrain 3.5 cache was hidden in 2007. “Entrance to Mordor” also has 22 Favorite Points so far. Geocaching Favorites is a new feature on Geocaching.com.

Continue your exploration of some of the most engaging geocaches from around the world. Explore all the Geocaches of the Week on our blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching.com Caption Contest 21 – Win a Barely Coveted Prize

WINNING CAPTION: “I got this by making a fair trade – equal or greater value – I left the cat.” – ljhuston 

Try your caption writing skills in the twenty-first installment of our Geocaching.com Caption Contest.   You could become the proud winner of a barely coveted prize! What caption would you write? “Dogs’ best-friend is a geocaching frog?” You can do better!

Barely Coveted Prize

Submit your caption by clicking on “Comments” below. Please include your geocaching username in all entries. Then, explore the captions that other geocachers have crafted.

You can influence the voting.  “Like” the caption that you think should win.  If you think your caption should win, convince your fellow geocachers to “like” your caption.  Lackeys decide between the top captions to crown the winner of this Geocaching.com Caption Contest.  The winner receives a barely coveted prize from Groundspeak Headquarters — this Cache In Trash Out pin. The annual international Cache In Trash Out Weekend is approaching on April 30 & May 1, 2011.

Click on the image to see the winner of this Geocaching.com Caption Contest

14 Lackeys voted to award the winner of the twentieth Geocaching.com Caption Contest a barely coveted prize. Click on the image at right to discover the winning caption from the previous Geocaching.com Caption Contest.

Explore the wit and wisdom of geocachers by checking out all the Geocaching.com Caption Contests.

 

/ Eric Schudiske

Groundspeak Weekly Newsletter – February 2, 2011

Announcing International Cache In Trash Out Weekend 2011

Cache In Trash Out (CITO) is the geocaching community’s initiative to clean up parks and other cache-friendly places around the world. While out hunting for a geocache, geocachers collect litter along the trails and properly dispose of it. The community also supports the initiative by organizing larger cleanup efforts known as CITO Events. These events may occur at any time of year, but many are held during the annual international Cache In Trash Out Weekend each spring. This year, Cache In Trash Out weekend is scheduled for April 30 & May 1, 2011.

Over the course of 2010, the community held nearly 400 CITO Events. Many of those were during Cache In Trash Out Weekend. Let’s beat that record! Start planning your CITO events now!

Benefits of Adding Home Coordinates

Please enter your home coordinates so we can provide information on new geocaches and geocaching events near you.

/ Eric Schudiske /

“Europe’s First” GC43 GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – January 31, 2011

Near the "Europe's First" geocache

In June of 2000 geocaching reached Europe in the form of a plastic container hidden along the Irish coastline. It was only one month after the first geocache in the world was placed in the U.S.

“Europe’s First” (GC43) is rated as a difficulty 1, terrain 3. It’s located south of Dublin and geocachers from around the world make this cache part of their holiday plans. One of the more than 500 logs from “Europe’s First” reads, “Our trip to Ireland would have not have been complete without a small diversion to pick up this very important landmark cache. Even the sun came out to give us a lovely stroll along the cliff path before a short scramble to the cache. I’m very pleased to have ticked this one off.”

Geocachers who log this cache, also cross one of the Top Ten Oldest Active Caches off their list.

A look at the geocache "Europe's First"

This traditional cache has 71 Favorite Points so far. Geocaching Favorites is a new feature on Geocaching.com.

Continue your exploration with some of the most engaging geocaches from around the world. Explore all the Geocaches of the Week on our blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.