Category: Community

Geocaching is delightful because of the people who play it — adventure-seekers, makers, parents, astronauts and (sometimes) celebrities. Read their stories.

/ Derek H

When a geocache is more like a theme park. — Dead Men Tell No Tales (GC46ZT4) — Geocache of the Week

[vsw id=”nvq5RYtVjGA” source=”youtube” width=”853″ height=”480″ autoplay=”no”]

This geocache even has a trailer.

Geocache Name:

Dead Men Tell No Tales (GC46ZT4)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

5/5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

Some geocaches are great because of the container. Some are loved because of the location. Some geocaches get their favorite points for the adventure they provide. And some—like this one—combine all of those things together to create something that is almost unimaginably cool. This geocache includes head-scratching puzzles, epic T5 tree climbing and loads of adventure—all of which is completed at night. To top it off, everything is wrapped in a great pirate-themed storyline and is maintained by an incredibly dedicated team. While we can’t give away any spoilers, it’s safe to say this geocache is on another level. On Geocaching HQ’er had the opportunity to complete this geocache during a recent trip and couldn’t stop raving about the adventure. If you have the chance, set out to find Davey Jones’ heart!

# of Finds:

203

# of Favorite Points:

179

What the geocache creators, Capt. Kidd, Blackbeard and Henry Morgan, have to say:

Editor’s note: The geocache creators elected to stay anonymous and only use their pirate names. Their reasoning: “The cache is more important than us and should stand for itself.”

Regarding the inspiration: “I would say that some geocaches we found inspired us to build a cache of that size. Our main idea was to build a cache we would like to find. So we collected the best ideas for stages we saw and solved during our caching tours…The whole cache should be as balanced as possible. From fun to action to physical stages to tricky riddles…As you can see the whole cache is a pirate theme. So our main influence was of course the Disney attraction ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean.'”

Time and effort in this geocache: “I would like to say that planning the cache took us about a year. The whole budget is over 1000 EUR now as we have operating costs. It took us 4 month to build the stages, building and collecting props. And another 6 weeks to install everything in the woods…As we want to provide each team the exact same cache experience it is crucial that we check the whole cache one or two days before a team arrives.”

Regarding all of the positive logs: “I would lie if we are not happy to read those logs. Especially we are very happy that, in the first logs, people pick up the story that well and write their own pirate adventures.”

To the geocaching community: “People work hard to provide you an adventure or lifetime experience. Please handle everything you find with care! Think first! If you destroy a stage you destroy the experience for others…”

What geocachers are saying:

(all translated from German)

“In order to experience something great, you don’t need to spend a ton of money on a theme park; you have a theme park right outside your front door.  Once again, thank you so much.” – water & sun

“See this great experience for yourself. There’s an eye-opening effect at every stage. Thank you to the owner for your efforts in this area and this cache.” – wanderhapf

“A beautiful story with me and my team through the night. There were great and imaginative stations I was able to admire and as a reward I was able to free the heart of Davy Jones! A great adventure and a good story were crafted in this treasure.” – Ritter Kunibert

Read More Logs

Photos:

Just a little T5 caching in the middle of the night, NBD. Photo courtesy of Geocaching HQ'er Lebbetter
Just a little T5 caching in the middle of the night, NBD. Photo courtesy of DeepdiverBerlin

 

There it is! Davey Jones' heart! Photo courtesy of DeepdiverBerlin
There it is! Davey Jones’ heart! Photo courtesy of DeepdiverBerlin
This geocache brings out amazing creativity in logs. Photo by geocacher Logan Silver
This geocache brings out amazing creativity in logs. Photo by geocacher Logan Silver

What’s the most epic adventure you’ve had while geocaching? Post the story and the photos 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.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.

/ Derek H /

It’s okay to chase this waterfall. — White Water (GC6B6A) — Geocache of the Week

Whitewater running through a brick city.
Whitewater running through the city. Photo by Peter Lindmark @peterlindmark on Instagram

Geocache Name:

White Water (GC6B6A)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

3.5/3.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

Did you see the picture? It looks like it’s photoshopped, but we can assure you it’s not. This photo actually came to us via the Geocaching Instagram (@GoGeocaching) and we couldn’t pass up on posting it for the whole world to see. The waterfalls than wind through parts of Mölndal, Sweden were once used to power industrial mills. Now, the water that rushes through the city is more of a tourist attraction. And for geocachers, the waterfalls present a challenge for those who want to earn their smiley on this geocache. You’ll have to summon your bravery to safely find your way to ground zero and back. Good luck!

# of Finds:

296

# of Favorite Points:

73

What geocachers are saying:

(translated from Swedish) “I’ve thought about picking this up several time during the spring, since the water is friendly enough to keep a low level in the rapids. This evening I finally proposed to one of the kids to go on a evening walk, so we snuck down here and were amazed at what was hidden. Thanks!” – Asfalga

(translated from Swedish) “Fun and adventurous cache! A rope made it easier.” – King of Diamond

“What a fantastic place, one of the best cache experience I’ve had so far…Very big thanks for this nice cache, one favvo point for sure!” – cattivikkio

Read More Logs

 

Photos:

 

A happy geocacher by the white water. Photo by geocacher jetoma.
A happy geocacher by the white water. Photo by geocacher jetoma.
The waterfalls through the city. Photo by geocacher clasf.

 

A look from ground zero. Photo by geocacher Benedictus Schwartze.

 

See More Photos

What’s the best photograph you’ve taken while geocaching? Post it with the story 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.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.

/ Paige Edmiston /

Worlds Apart, Geocaching Connects a Father and Son

fatherandsonworldsapart
Geocaching helps keep this father and son team together. Left: Relativly Simlpe grabs his 900th find. Right: FlyingFawks spends the afternoon geocaching.

When you ask geocachers why they love geocaching, they will usually say they love geocaching because it gets them outside or brings a sense of adventure to their daily lives or connects them with a wonderfully warm and inclusive community or even gives them an activity to share with friends and family. For Roger Collins (Username: Relativly Simlpe)  and his son Joshua (Username: FlyingFawks), geocaching is more than all that. It’s just a way to spend a fun afternoon together. It is the way this father and son can stay connected even when they are oceans apart.

Roger lives in Oregon. Joshua lives in Florida, but his career takes him even further away from his dad. He serves in the U.S. Navy. He says, “My first deployment was in 2010, and I have been serving for over six years now. I have been given the opportunity to travel all over the world – Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America.” Through the Navy, Joshua has also been able to geocache all over the world. Some of his favorite geocache finds have taken him tromping through Japan, Italy, and El Salvador. He adds, “I have had the privilege to be First to Find for three geocaches on two different continents.”

wing
Just another day at work for FlyingFawks.

Through geocaching, Joshua’s father also gets to have adventures of his own. Roger describes his first ever geocaching experience, “It was a normal Oregon winter day, rainy and cold. I worked my way to the geocache, dove into a small cedar tree, and found the container. I was all wet with the smell of cedar on my coat. I sat on a we bench nearby, opened the container, and said, ‘AH MAN! Look at all this stuff!’ I was having the time of my life and I was hooked.”

Although they take place on opposite sides of the country, or even world, these experiences give Roger and Joshua endless opportunities to connect. Joshua says, “Geocaching gives us an extra excuse to talk to each other – as if being father and son wasn’t enough. When we come across a cool trackable or a geocache worth of a favorite point, we usually call or text the GC code so that the other can check it out.”

When Joshua is deployed, geocaching can even, at times, give Roger the comfort of knowing that his son is somewhere having a great adventure. He says, “We are geo-friends and I watch to see which geocaches he has logged, no matter where he may be.”

Whether your family lives in your house, down the street, or on the other side of the world, sharing your  adventures can truly bring you closer together – one geocache at a time. Take it from Roger, “It’s important to share the experience. Whether geocaching together or apart, the stories that we share with each other are priceless.”

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

December Geocacher of the Month Nominees – Add Your Comment

Geocacher-of-the-month-geocoin-sunflare
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin (sun flare optional)

You’ll help decide the final Geocacher of the Month for 2013. It’s no small task after you read about these topnotch nominees from North America and Europe. Each is an outstanding geocache maker, with favorite points coming out of their ears they place such well received geocaches.

Each nominee is being honored for their contributions to the geocaching community. Each will receive worldwide recognition and a prize package from Geocaching HQ in Seattle, but which will be named Geocacher of the Month?

This is your opportunity to  help decide who will take home the earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month Geocoin (at left). Each featured Geocacher of the Month will receive the exclusive special edition Geocoin, a hat and a profile icon. They’ll also receive a certificate acknowledging their contributions, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com.

In November, Janizy, was named Geocacher of the Month. Janizy wrote a thank you. She says, “Woohoo!! : D

No words can express our gratitude to the community of geocachers, friends and family that overflowed leaving supportive comments for me. It’s my name that’s here, but it’s actually the of whole of Puerto Rico celebrating this honor.

I want to congratulate [fellow Geocacher of the Month nominees] BIGBROTHERBEAR & NorthWes!! I want you to know that I admire you and would love to meet you someday and go geocaching together.

MMH_7543-4
Janizy – November 2013 Geocacher of the Month

I also want to extend a special thanks to Milton_fmh, who nominated me as the Geocacher of the Month. You know you’re part of my family. Thanks for being such a great geocacher and friend. THANKS!”

Now it’s your turn to help us select the next Geocacher of the Month. Write a supportive comment at the bottom of this blog for the nominated geocacher that you feel should be awarded the title. A panel of folks from Geocaching HQ will then use your comments to help guide the decision of which geocacher is awarded the Geocacher of the Month honor.

Here are your nominees for the December Geocacher of the Month. Some testimonials have been edited for length.

 

blazingpathways

Blazingpathways
blazingpathways nominee for Geocacher of the Month

Thomas Noble writes, ” Not only is blazingpathways currently the most prolific geocache hider in Alaska, Victoria is one of the top 10 finders of caches in Alaska. Her repertoire of cache hides include events, multis, earth caches, traditionals, and puzzles.  She has participated in all sorts of events and CITOs during her geocaching career.

Along with creating and finding caches blazingpathways believes in giving back to the caching community. Active in GeocacheAlaska! she has presented many educational programs for the club in such areas as using pocket queries, caching along a route, and using database programs to complement one’s caching experience as well as personalized bling and other geo related items.

Victoria is an inclusive cacher who sees geocaching as an activity where all participants are equally worthy of being included.  She actively introduces herself to new geocachers at events and on the trail.  She participates on our local forums where one of her primary interests is in seeing that local cachers receive the accolades they deserve.”

 

siig

 

profil
siig: nominees for geocachers of the month

Geocaching since 2008, siig, has impacted thousands of other geocachers through hides with more than 100 favorite points and events that regularly attract new and old geocachers.  A majority of siig’s finds and all their hides are in Denmark. The geocaching community in the country is growing rapidly and friends say siig is helping lead that community in a positive direction with their hides and finds.

Geocacher and prolific hider Jesper Mazanti writes, “My nominees are two geocachers siig. They have both done a lot for geocaching in this area. They have placed a lot of caches of various types and difficulty. They have made some events which all have been visited by a lot of geocachers.

All their work reflects a lot fun and they bring the entire geocaching community together socially as well.”

 

 

 

 

Birdman320

Birdman 320 - Nominee for Geocacher of the Month
Birdman 320 – Nominee for Geocacher of the Month

Marietta Davis writes, “Birdman320 is the kind of cacher every cache owner hopes for and appreciates.  Dan never sets off for a find without being prepared for the worst.  He is always loaded with tools such as string, a pocket knife and most importantly a LARGE supply of replacement logs equipped with Ziploc bags to keep them dry.  On one caching adventure with Birdman320 I believe he went through more than 20 log books.

Another important thing to mention about Birdman320 is what he does for other people.  Dan Burdick is the most the thoughtful and caring person I have ever met.  Dan goes above and beyond to help anyone in need whenever possible, which extends well beyond the Geocaching community.  I have witnessed Dan going out of his way to shovel sidewalks and clean off cars for the elderly, assist people jump start their cars/get into their cars when the keys were locked in, all after working a 12 hour shift.  Dan has been known to help fellow cachers while in the woods on many occasions crossing creeks and up steep inclines.”

 

Comment below to tell us who you think should be the November Geocacher of the Month. We will be accepting comments through January 31.

If your nominee wasn’t recognized here, please submit your nominations again next month. We’re always looking for the next Geocacher of the Month. To nominate a geocacher, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@geocaching.com and include the following information:

  • 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 have submitted them for the award. Nominations for the next Geocacher of the Month should be received by February 3. Once Geocaching HQ has received the nominations, we will choose the top candidates and post them on the blog. You will then get a chance to champion your favorite. Our goal is to involve the entire geocaching community in this process so that we might learn from each other.

/ Derek H /

Visit the home of the hobbitses. — Hobbiton (Waikato) (GC1HCXK) — Geocache of the Week

The lovely shire. Photo by Rob Chandler (Rob & Jules)
The lovely shire. Photo by Rob Chandler (Rob & Jules)

Geocache Name:

Hobbiton (Waikato) (GC1HCXK)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

2/1

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

If you think about it, maybe the one ring was actually a rare trackable and its goal was to make it to Mt. Doom. And Gollum was just an overzealous trackable collector. Alright, maybe that’s a stretch. Either way, you can pretend as you walk through the shire to find this geocache in New Zealand. After the Lord of the Ring movies were filmed here, the entire town transformed with hobbit-like architecture to welcome LOTR fans from around the world. In between first and second breakfast, you can pop on over to earn this smiley before exploring more of Middle Earth.

# of Finds:

424

# of Favorite Points:

19

What geocachers are saying:

“It is impressive how much love and enthusiasm the Kiwis invest in building sites, houses, places etc. to fit to the local sights or situations. This is one of the best examples. We booked the Hobbiton Tour in there, it was a great pleasure. The cache was easy to find and to catch (with a little bit of ‘cacher camo’).” – Team_BeAn

“Went on the tour which was totally awesome and when we came back later in the day we were able to find, retrieve, sign and replace without being in any photographs. Took 3 travel bugs and definitely needs a favourite. What a great boost for Matamata. Well done.” – 1066

“Were they muggles, or just overgrown hobbits but there were a lot of them about on a sunny Sunday afternoon? Once the coast was clear we soon found this cache very cunningly hidden. It was more of a challenge extracting it and signing the log without wanting to appear too obvious. TFTC.” – kiwilah

Read More Logs

 

Photos:

 

Hobbit holes! Photo by geocacher Sinbadsfriends
Hobbit holes! Photo by geocacher Sinbadsfriends
A Hobbiton monument. Photo by geocacher quinella.
A Hobbiton monument. Photo by geocacher quinella.
Classic hobbit architecture. Photo by geocachers Team sissifalke
Classic hobbit architecture. Photo by geocachers Team sissifalke

What’s your favorite geocache that’s based on a movie or book? Tell us 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.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.