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 /

Nananananananana BATMAN! — Batman’s Batcave (GC8413) — Geocache of the Week

[vsw id=”sBe3QzVW5_8″ source=”youtube” width=”640″ height=”480″ autoplay=”no”](Not actual footage of the geocache.)

Geocache Name:

Batman’s Batcave (GC8413)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

2.5/3

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

There are many reasons to hide a geocache: to bring geocachers to a beautiful location, show off an amazing geocache container, challenge geocachers to an extraordinary puzzle—or in this case, encourage geocachers to visit the lair of one of our favorite crime-fighting super heroes, Batman. Even if you didn’t grow up while the original Batman series was on air, you probably know of the amazing story lines, impeccable acting, and of course, the incredible dialog (Holy FTF Batman!). For fans of comics or the recent Batman movies, a visit to one of the most iconic caves in Hollywood history is a must.

What the Geocache owner, mshock, has to say:

“Batman’s Batcave was one of the first geocaches I ever found back in 2005 (I think it was my 10th or 12th).  I was a fan of the original TV series, for sure, and the cache represented my two favorite things about caching; #1 An interesting location (Hollywood history to boot!) #2 Hiking in Griffith Park.”

“I am a huge Hollywood history buff and happy to maintain the location so that tourists from all over the world can experience the thrill of seeing actual movie locations and such famous landmarks. I’m beyond flattered and thrilled at the number of favorite points and it definitely creates a sense of responsibility in me to keep it well maintained and active.”

And her message to fellow geocachers: “Be considerate of others.  When you are placing a cache,  make sure it is interesting/fun/safe, and make sure it is maintained.  When you are finding a cache, respect property and neighbors.  When you are logging a cache, be helpful and constructive with your criticism.  One harsh word can really put off a cache owner who was only trying to do something nice for you.”

# of Finds:

550

# of Favorite Points:

69

What geocachers are saying:

“We love visiting the Bat Cave, so we were very excited to learn there is a cache here…He found the cache after a bit of looking and said it was really cool, and remarked that it was one of the cleanest caches he’s seen in a while…Many thanks for this super fun one!” – Rosa Mundi

“My dad bought the old Batman series when I was young. Finding this place is awesome for me!” – tim_neal

“Always interesting to see places where movies and television shows were filmed. When my friend talked about doing this cache while he was out here, I placed it on my list of caches to do if I ever got out here. Well, this was the trip for me and I made a bee line here for this neat-o place.” – Hawaiian Ninja

Read More Logs

Photos/Video:

Batman isn't home. I hope Gotham is safe. Photo by geocacher goblin girl
Batman isn’t home. I hope Gotham is safe. Photo by geocacher goblin girl
Two geocachers reenacting one of their favorite scenes from the original series. Photo by geocahers Team Afrofish
Two geocachers reenacting one of their favorite scenes from the original series. Photo by geocahers Team Afrofish
The mouth of the Batcave. Photo by geocacher QuicVic
The mouth of the Batcave. Photo by geocacher QuicVic

If you could find a geocache near the filming location of any movie, which movie would it be and why? 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.

/ Paige Edmiston /

Announcing the October Geocacher of the Month

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

The geocaching community gave thanks this past month for three dedicated geocachers from three very different corners of the world. All the nominees were creative hiders who have committed themselves not only to maintaining their geocaches, but also to maintaining and growing friendships within the geocaching community. Each will receive special recognition for their contribution to the global adventure of geocaching.

Before naming the Geocacher of the Month, Geocaching HQ  reviews community input and blog comments. Each comment is read.

After tallying the sentiment and reading the comments, Mic68  has been officially named the Geocacher of the Month for October 2013.

One geocacher who commented wrote, “After visiting “Dragonheart” I kept referring to this cache as the best I’ve ever done. By now they have published another one which we have just finished a couple of weeks ago and I have to say that this cache definitely is a milestone in geocaching! Wow! In Germany people are willing to travel quite a bit if the cache is worth it and I see people flocking in. The mixture of storytelling, suspense, technical know-how and fun is hard to beat.  Also, this team is immensely nice and helpful! All in all they are very worthy candidates and I would be happy for them to win!”

Mic68 will receive the earned, never for sale, collector’s edition Geocacher of the Month Geocoin, along with a Geocacher of the Month hat and a certificate acknowledging his contribution, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com. See a list of all the Geocachers of the Month here.

mic68
Mic68 – Geocacher of the Month

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@geocaching.com. 

Every nomination must include the following items and abide by the
Netherlands following guidelines:

  • 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 Geocacher of the Month are accepted at any time.

Congratulations again to Mic68  for being recognized as the Geocacher of the Month for October.

/ Derek H /

Concrete floats! — Betonschiff Redentin (GC15D8C) — Geocache of the Week

Ominous, isn't it? It's also made of concrete. Photo by geocacher *Hänsel&Gretel*
Ominous, isn’t it? It’s also made of concrete. Photo by geocacher *Hänsel&Gretel*

Geocache Name:

Betonschiff Redentin (GC15D8C)

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

3.5/5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

Besides the fact that this geocache is located on an abandoned ship that’s amazing, slightly creepy and made of concrete? This geocache will test your bravery and boating skills, as well as teach you a lesson about history. During World War II, when steel was at a premium, engineers and ship builders moved to the next logical material: concrete. More than 50 ships were made in this fashion and served as transports and freighters. This particular ship ran aground at some point and has been sitting alone on a sandbar in the Bay of Wismar ever since. Now, geocachers keep the empty hull company while earning their smileys.

# of Finds:

676

# of Favorite Points:

410

What geocachers are saying:

(all translated from German)

“What can I say?? Beautiful surroundings, cool location, cool cache, just great!” – Kinnekulli

“We have had a very nice, hard, wet, dirty, hungry and exciting day on the concrete ship . Thank you so much for this!” – Kewiku

“This cache will always be in my memory along with this great team, the awesome views, and wonderful weather. This beautiful experience tops any other cache. Thanks to the owner for this possibility the whole thing.” – Meer♥Liebe

Read More Logs

Photos/Video:

 

View from the deck. I don't think it's sea-worthy anymore. Photo by geocacher rendl.
View from the deck. I don’t think it’s sea-worthy anymore. Photo by geocacher rendl.
Choreographed happy dances on top of the bridge. Photo by geocacher HeideParkSoltau
Choreographed happy dances on top of the bridge. Photo by geocacher HeideParkSoltau
Classic. "I'm king of the wooooooorld!" Photo by geocacher S-Man42
Classic. “I’m king of the wooooooorld!” Photo by geocacher S-Man42

See More Photos

 

What has been your favorite geocache in a historical place? 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.

/ Eric Schudiske /

The Olympic Geocacher

Dee Wright Observatory on the Eugene, Cascades, Coast GeoTour (geocache nearby)
Dee Wright Observatory on the Eugene, Cascades, Coast GeoTour (geocache nearby)

Traits like stamina, speed and a competitive spirit transform average geocachers into superstars. For one geocacher, those same traits made him pretty darn good at something else, being an Olympic runner. Ian Dobson qualified and ran as a U.S. Olympian in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

map

Ian Dobson - Olympian, Geocacher
Ian Dobson – Olympian, Geocacher

Now imagine a stretch of freshly published geocaches dotting the rugged landscape of the Central Oregon. There are more than 30 geocaches hiding from the dark summit of a volcanic mountain to the lush green of fern covered gorges. This is no geocaching power trail. Each geocache is part of the custom Eugene Cascades and Coast GeoTour. And each geocache delivers adventures to a unique location, often deep into the tall evergreens.

Ian Dobson trains in Eugene. It’s a runner’s paradise with the hallowed echoes of Olympic legends in each footstep. And thanks to the expanding GeoTour it’s a geocacher’s paradise too.

But what to do though if you’re an Olympic runner and a geocacher? How about finish the first leg of the Eugene, Cascades and Coast GeoTour in just two days? Sure.

That’s exactly what Ian and a team of geocachers did. Ian says the GeoTour was a great chance to explore, “I don’t think there’s anyone who lives here, whose been to all those places.”

The team logged more than 30 geocaches from the McKenzie spoke of the GeoTour in two days. Ian says that geocaching offers a good variety of locations and terrains, and the Eugene Cascades and Coast GeoTour offers not just mountains, but also beaches. The team headed to the Oregon coast and the Florence leg of the tour and kept up their pace. They finished that part of the GeoTour in just one day.  The final geocaches were found in the dark, as the team finished at 10pm.

Do you see the puzzle piece Ian is holding in the picture? If geocachers accumulate enough find codes from each leg of the GeoTour they earn the free trackable puzzle pieces. The team will likely be busy again. Another spoke of the GeoTour, through rolling country south of Eugene.

As we have established: you are a superstar too. Do you plan to challenge yourself with a GeoTour, or do you have a geocaching workout routine? Let us know in the comments below!

Near the "Blue Pool" on the McKenzie spoke of the Eugene, Cascades and Coast GeoTour
Near the “Blue Pool” on the McKenzie spoke of the Eugene, Cascades and Coast GeoTour
/ Andrea Hofer /

A Mega-Event in Florida Paradise

andrea 2
Andrea Hofer, , reports from Florida Finder’s Fest

 

Editor’s note: Geocaching HQ staff are joining geocachers at Mega-Events around the world to celebrate and share the adventure of geocaching. Andrea Hofer returns to her home state of Florida to attend the 2013 Florida Finder’s Fest. This is Andrea’s account of her trip.

by Andrea:

The 2013 Florida Finder’s Fest was a total blast. With hundreds of attendees in the Ocala National Forest, activities ranged from a chili cook-off to running through the woods at night. And of course caching, caching, caching!

Group photo from The 2013 Florida Finder’s Fest
Group photo from The 2013 Florida Finder’s Fest

Check out the photo gallery below for a look at a geocaching paradise in Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first step to arriving in style at a mega is to make sure your car is properly decorated.
I decked out my rental in Geocaching flags and the HQ car Travel Bug.
First thing in the morning I set out with a2arnold for a Jeep run.
Now I’ve learned that snorkels aren’t just for people.

 

 

Here we are crossing the St. Johns river on the tiniest ferry ever to get the other half of a multi-cache. St. Johns is one of only 3 U.S. rivers that flow north.
After that, it was time for the night gauntlet. This was my first time night caching, and if you haven’t tried it, you owe it to yourself to get out there and stumble through nature at night – with a group for support. Ocala National Forest is known for alien activity, so aluminum foil deflection beanies were encouraged.
I also had the opportunity to go caching with Hunster, who has racked up 80,000 finds in 8 years. This included a crash course in GSAK and in using a GPS, since so far I’ve been more of a mobile cacher. Photo Credit: Laurie Olesen
Ok, this part of my recap might scare you a bit, so consider yourself warned. One great part of megas is seeing the creative trackables people bring to be discovered. This one took me a while to figure out.

Florida2

All in all, visiting my home state and learning about local geocaching traditions (Florida Style caching, anyone?) was a fantastic experience. Thanks to IceCreamMan and his forest minions for all their work!

Don’t miss this recap video by Geopat92. I’m in there at the 5:28 minute mark.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puZa6FVdO8Y#t=398]