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/ Alex /

When there are 366 days in a year…

This Leap Day, Get Outside!

It only happens every four years. It gives us 366 calendar days which means we all have one extra day to go geocaching. So of course, we’re celebrating with a souvenir — actually, make that two!

The first souvenir can only be earned on Leap Day itself — February 29 — by attending a geocaching event. The other souvenir can be earned all weekend long (February 27-29) by getting outside and finding a geocache. 

Plan an Event

Why does Leap Day exist?

Leap Day exists to correct for the difference between the calendar year and the astronomical year. The 365 days of the calendar year represent Earth’s movement around the sun every 365 days. But Earth just ate a pizza and is actually moving a bit slower than that: it takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds for Earth to revolve around the sun.

And so, the calendar is adjusted to compensate for that extra time, by adding an extra day to the year about every four years (but not every four years). If we didn’t correct for the difference between the two calendars, the northern hemisphere would eventually end up celebrating New Year’s Eve during summer. In the southern Hemisphere, more cities might see a snowy Christmas. By the year 2736, the US would celebrate the 4th of July in deep winter.

And if you like swirling down an interesting internet search spiral on the mixed-up history of the Julian and Roman calendars, click here.

 

Geocaching near GC322MF in Croatia.
Leaping at GC322MF in Croatia.

/ Paige Edmiston

Remportez deux souvenirs pour le jour bissextile!

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Cela n’arrive qu’une fois tous les 4 ans. Il y a 366 jours calendaires ce qui signifie que nous avons tous un jour de plus pour géocacher. Donc bien sûr, nous fêtons ça avec un souvenir — non en fait, deux !

Le premier souvenir ne pourra être remporté que le jour même — le 29 février — en participant à un event géocaching. Le second souvenir pourra être remporté tout au long de ce week-end (du 27 au 29 février) en trouvant une géocache. (Indice : Vous voudrez certainement gagner les deux…).

Planifier un Event.

/ Paige Edmiston

Zwei neue Souvenirs fürs Schaltjahr

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Es passiert nur alle vier Jahre. Dieses Jahr hat 366 Tage, was bedeutet, dass wir alle einen extra Tag zum Geocachen haben. Und das feiern wir natürlich mit einem Souvenir — genau genommen sogar zwei Souvenirs!

Das erste Souvenir kann nur am Schalttag selbst, dem 29. Februar, erworben werden, indem man an einem Geocaching-Event teilnimmt. Das zweite Souvenir kannst Du erhalten, indem Du nach draußen gehst und einen Geocache findest, und zwar am ganzen Wochenende vom 27. bis zum 29. Februar 2016. Wir vermuten mal, dass Du alle beide haben willst …

Veranstalte ein Event.

/ GeoTours

Spokane History GeoTour

Location: Spokane, WA
Favorite Points:
605

Why the Spokane History GeoTour is unique:

The Spokane area is home to Riverfront Park—a beautiful downtown park known for being the of Expo 1974—and Spokane Falls, with many historic sites to see nearby. The area has incredible trails, rivers, lakes, and mountains. Hiking, biking, and boating are readily accessible as well as skiing and ice skating in the winter. Spokane has art museums, a children’s science museum, and amusement parks including Silverwood Theme Park just across the state border in Idaho. Spokane truly is, as they say, Near Nature, Near Perfect.

Continue reading →

/ Alex

It’s Bigger on the Inside! — Who?: Regeneration (GC5ZFGA) — Geocache of the Week

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Geocache_of_the_Week_vFINAL_BLOG_120815_883x300Geocache Name:

Who?: Regeneration (GC5ZFGA) by haloedversionls

Location:

Pennsylvania, United States
N 40° 30.441 W 078° 23.949

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

2.5/1.5

Why this is Geocache of the Week:

If there’s a secret recipe for making a Geocache of the Week — and we’re not saying there isn’t! — it probably includes the words “Doctor Who-themed” and “gadget cache”.

Those are certainly both on the ingredients list for Who?: Regeneration. Although still relatively “young” at six months, this cache is a more attractive regeneration of a different Doctor Who-themed cache which the cache owner had previously hidden in the same spot.

And it’s a great cache — it even has a field puzzle element! Whovians will spot the Tardis blue of the cache’s exterior from a mile away. We’re going to be quiet now and just let the words of the cache owner and other geocachers, and the photos of the cache, speak for themselves.

What the Cache Owner, haloedversionls, has to say about it:

Can we assume you’re a fan of Doctor Who?
“Yes, I am also a fan of the Doctor and dressed up as David Tennant’s iteration of the Doctor for Halloween in 2014. I enjoy the adventure and exploration of the show. Much like geocaching: adventure and exploration. The Doctor would make a great geocacher! Imagine the possibilities: the ability to find caches anywhere and at anytime. Also, the Doctor is clever, and we all know that geocachers often are some of the cleverest people.”

What inspired this geocache hide?
“The original cache was inspired after my wife and I had finished binge watching a season of Doctor Who. A friend of ours was moving to Oxford for a time and we were discussing the geocaching opportunities in England if she were a geocacher. One subject led to another, as conversation tend to go, and shortly after I was hanging a blue box. A few years later, I became unsatisfied with the original, so I archived it and replaced it with an improved box with a mini-gadget involved to open it.”

What’s your (or your wife’s) favorite episode of Doctor Who?
“My wife’s favorite Doctor Who episode is the end of the forth season (new Doctor Who) where the tenth Doctor (David Tennant) unites with  companions Rose, Donna, Marthy, Mickey, Captain Jack, and Sarah Jane. I, on the other hand, likes John Hurt’s short appearance as the Doctor in the 50th anniversary episode. I really likes the ‘multiple’ timelines plot and I seem to notice some other clever cameo or reference each time I watch it.”

Anything you’d like to share with the geocaching community?
I don’t think that I have anything momentous to share with the greater geocaching community. I guess, make everyday an adventure.

What geocachers have to say about it:

“We received news of the Tardis in our area and approached cautiously. Were the Daleks nearby? The good Doctor tried to use his sonic screwdriver, but had to get it adjusted by a helpful companion. We signed the log and moved to another time.” –r.e.s.t.seekers

“Loved it. Cool Puzzle and cool cache. Felt soooooo good when the door swung open.” –dominator1777

“Where do I start with this cache?!? I’ll start with saying it’s perfectly executed, and The Doctor himself would enjoy this homage to his beloved Tardis. I (WillowTree) have been a HUGE fan of Doctor Who since high school, and all I can say is this cache made me beam (I would attach the photo as proof, but it’s too much of a spoiler). All I can say is thank you for such an enjoyable and wonderfully nerdy cache! I loved it. So did MrBee 😉 Favorite point worthy for sure! Dropped off a Travel Bug.” –MrBee&WillowTree

Photos:

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Learn about some more of the most amazing geocaches around the world. Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.