Whew! What a crazy, wonderful, mixed-up month we have had here at Geocaching HQ. In the last few weeks, we hosted a party that brought geocachers from all over the world together (Geocaching Block Party – maybe you’ve heard of it?), celebrated International Geocaching Day, and unveiled the first ever International Geocaching Film Festival (GIFF)….all while keeping the 31 Days of Geocaching streak alive. Okay, we didn’t all go #31in31. There were some frustrating 13-hour DNFs and some waking up at 12:08 am only to realize what was forgotten the day before. But we all learned a bit more about what it means to be a geocacher and what it means to work and to play at Geocaching HQ. So overall, not too shabby. And as if that wasn’t enough, rumor on the street is that we’ve made “orange headbands” the hottest fashion trend of 2013 (you ‘ll want to keep reading to learn more).
We thought Week #1 of 31 Days of Geocaching was pretty great, but it turns out that Week #2 was two times the fun! This week we learned that every day can be an adventure if you choose to make it one. Here is a photo recap from our HQ explorers:
Day 7: No hitting the snooze alarm this morning! A few caffeine-loaded Geocaching HQ explorers skipped up a mountain to catch sunrise over Mt.Rainier and grab an early morning Smiley before work. (Pssst…check out our new geocaching and Forest Service volunteer friend photo-bombing from the fire lookout.)
Day 8: What do you call a race that involves running, biking, swimming, and geocaching? A geocachalon. This heart pumping adventure was the brainchild of Videographer Reid Kuennen (Username: reidsomething). Office Manager Maria McDonald (Username: AKprincesswarrior) jumps into ice cold Lake Union to celebrate sweet victory.
Day 9: Copy writer Derek Hamilton (Username: scattermycaches) struggled to figure out this smarty-pants geocache hidden by one of our own, Community Volunteer Support Coordinator Cindy Potter (Username: Frau Potter). Derek says, “Call Bill Nye! There’s science in this tube!”
Day 10: On Saturday, Partner Programs Manager Annie Love (Username: Love) decided to lead her family off the beaten path. She reports, “Even though the geocache was 100 feet away, our group decided that exploring the creek drain and jumping in the swimming hole was necessary before we started our search.”
Day 11: Community Manager Annika Ledbetter (Username: Lebbetter) was a hero on Sunday (coincidentally also her birthday). She says, “This dinosaur was saved from extinction. After almost being lost for 4 years on Bainbridge Island, I rescued Dino and brought him to Geocaching HQ. We gave him a warm welcome and a day full of fun.”
Day 12: These intrepid travelers journeyed for hours (mostly because they have terrible navigational skills) to a hidden marvel that (for once in their chatty lives) left them speechless.
Day 13: Product Manager Joel Werdell (Username: Tieyak) takes his geo-parent responsibilities very seriously. His daughter Bennet says cheese after finding some sweet swag.
Day 14: Watch out for Troll droppings! Today marked the release of the Geocaching HQ GeoTour. We created this Tour to help share our favorite places in the Center of the Universe with all of you out there in our geocaching galaxy.
Day 15: Beering up for Block Party – our Keg Squad organized a refreshing get together at a local micro brewery. Armed with tiny beermugs, we made our way through Ballard’s breweries. As we crossed a busy street to our next refill, Geocaching Reviewer “The Leprechauns” remarked, “This is not jaywalking, this is urban bushwacking!”
Day 16: UX Manager Nick Botner (Username: Whiskey Bones) and his team take the cake for best Team Trackable. (Yes, it is actually a flying shark. Jaws has nothing on this monster.) Less than 24 hours left in the count down to Geocaching Block Party and International Geocaching Day 2013! But don’t worry – we still managed to earn a smiley in the midst of all the party planning panic.
Stay tuned for more adventures from Geocaching HQ. What are your favorite tales from the 31 Days of Geocaching trail? Tell us about them in the comments below.
Click for a printable version of the 31 Days of Geocaching Calendar
This has been one exciting week at Geocaching HQ! Last week we accepted the 31 Days of Geocaching challenge. We vowed to find at least one geocache every day in August. And guess what…Our streak is still alive! Here is a photo recap of the first week of our 31 Days of Geocaching.
If I can get the bird a little closer I can read the coordinates for the final on his leg…
The best friendships are made on the journey to go geocaching. Who says friends have to be the same species? Tell us your funniest caption for this picture of a possibly exceptional friendship, like “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” You could even win a ‘barely coveted prize’ (emphasis on the ‘barely’) in the 39th Geocaching Caption Contest. This picture was discovered on the Recent Geocaching Log Images page. You can discover the 1000 most recent images from recent logs.
Submit your best caption by clicking on “Comments” below. Please include your Geocaching username in all entries. Then, explore captions other geocachers have posted.
“Like” the caption that you believe should take home the barely coveted prize. If you think your caption should win, convince your fellow geocachers, your friends, and family to “like” your caption. Geocaching HQ staff will vote from the top finalists to decide the winner of the contest.
It’s a “Will Attend” that will fuel memories for years to come. We’re inviting the entire worldwide geocaching community to join us at the 2013 Geocaching Block Party on August 17 in Seattle. It’s a Mega-Event not to miss. This year’s Block Party weekend lasts longer, promises more geocaching fun and has plenty of events for everyone. You’ll even be able to grab a cozy spot in front of a giant outdoor movie screen for the first annual Geocaching International Film Festival (GIFF). GIFF will showcase the best videos from geocachers around the world. You and the rest of the audience will choose one lucky video to receive the “Audience Award.”
The Thursday and Friday before the Block Party, you can reserve your spot on a behind-the-scenes tour of Geocaching HQ. You’ll get to find the Geocaching HQ geocache, meet some of the folks at Geocaching HQ and see where all the geocaching magic happens.
Saturday from 11AM to 6PM, you can soak up the fun at the Geocaching Block Party. Activities include a new GeoTour near Geocaching HQ and meeting the Geocaching HQ staff and many of the volunteers that assist the worldwide geocaching community. Sound like a lot? Don’t worry. You’ll be able to refuel at the onsite food trucks. Log your “Will Attend” now, then share this new Block Party Invite video with your friends. We’ll see you there.
Still want more? Wrap up your weekend in Seattle on Sunday with the Going APE Mega-Event. The journey through a long mountain tunnel delivers geocachers to a majestic and legendary location.
