/ Eric Schudiske

Announcing the September ‘Featured Geocacher of the Month’

Congratulations to all the Featured Geocacher of the Month nominees for September. The geocaching community is comprised of inspirational individuals – who go above and beyond in geocaching innovation, creativity, respect for the environment and helpfulness. Each nominee should be congratulated as an exceptional geocacher and individual. We are proud that each of the cachers is part of our worldwide community.

SuperGoober, Featured Geocacher of the Month

The choice for the September Featured Geocacher of the Month was difficult. A panel of Lackeys, relying on voting and community comments, could ultimately choose only one.

SuperGoober is the September Featured Geocacher of the Month. Dozens of geocachers wrote in to share stories about SuperGoober’s humble dedication to geocaching, geocachers and his local community. He has hosted and attended numerous events, led many geocachers on their first outings, and is involved in local geocaching organizations. According to one nominee, “Jeff is a model geocacher who all of us in the area and beyond can be proud of. He is always willing to lend advice/help to any cacher that approaches him or contacts him.”

SuperGoober will receive a collectors Geocacher of the Month geocoin, along with a Geocacher of the Month hat and certificate acknowledging their contributions signed by the founders of Geocaching.com: Jeremy Irish, Bryan Roth and Elias Alvord.

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for Geocacher of the Month, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@groundspeak.com.

Every nomination must meet the following requirements: Please include your name, the name of your nominee, their username, at least one picture of the nominee and description (in 500 or fewer words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Geocacher of the Month. Please inform your nominee that you’ve submitted them for the award. Nominations for the October Geocacher of the Month must be received by October 3rd.

Once we have received all of the nominations, we will choose the top candidates and post them on the Latitude 47 blog. You will then get a chance to champion your favorite. Our goal is to involve the entire geocaching community in this process so we might learn from each other.

/ Eric Schudiske /

“Screaming Skulls” GCPJNV GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – September 26, 2011

"Screaming Skulls"

“This is a very interesting location, try to have extra time to explore the area.” That brief hint is all the cache page for “Screaming Skulls (GCPJNV) offers about this visually amazing geocache location in Ontario, Canada.

The Go Getters hid the traditional geocache at this site in 2005. Since then more than 200 geocachers wandered into a grassy field crowned with larger than life sculptures in search of the cache.

One cacher who logged the difficulty one, terrain 1.5 geocache says, “I walked around in awe for about 45 minutes, checking out the statues, structures and miscellaneous other sights throughout the property. The house is very unique as well. Thanks for placing a cache here and thereby bringing me to a spot I would never visit. This one rates a ‘Favorites’ listing from me.” That cacher wasn’t alone. “Screaming Skulls” has earned 40 Favorite Points so far.  There are more than 1.5 million active geocaches around the world. Each can lead you on an adventure you never imagined.

"Screaming Skulls"

Continue your exploration of some of the most engaging geocaches from around the globe. Explore all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Groundspeak Weekly Newsletter – September 21, 2011

Give the Gift of Geocaching!

How many times have you given a gift that can help the recipient become smarter, healthier and more creative, all while introducing them to a community so strong that they gain friends all over the world? That is what it means to introduce someone to geocaching. It also means that you are opening the door for them to have incredible experiences with friends and family, visit amazing locations that they may not have otherwise seen, and feel the thrill of finding a geocache.

The best way to introduce someone to geocaching is to take them out with you. If that’s not possible, we suggest sending our Tell a Friend email and directing them to our “What is Geocaching?” video, which provides a basic overview of geocaching in less than 2 minutes.

You can also give the timesaving gift of Premium Membership. A Groundspeak Gift Membership provides the recipient with 12 months of prepaid access to premium features on all Groundspeak sites. The gift can be used to upgrade a new or existing Basic Membership or to extend an existing Premium Membership by a year.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocachers Care: Strength in Community

July 2, 2011 began similarly to any other day of geocaching for Mike (Radioman84) and his wife Iris (ikolor). Mike woke up, packed his geocaching gear, and hit the road. He drove three hours with his family to attend the SCGA’s 4th Annual Geo-versary in Merritt Island, Florida. But on July 3, 2011, as he and his wife prepared to cache along the drive home, their lives took an unexpected turn.

Radioman84 out geocaching

As they were preparing to head out geocaching, Mike suffered from a massive stroke. Medical care workers took no chances. He was flown by a medical helicopter to the hospital in Orlando.

Mike was treated at the Orlando hospital for weeks. During this time, his wife Iris remained right by his side. According to Iris, “Mike and I spent three weeks in Orlando while he was in the ICU and the neurological floor of the hospital.”

Mike and Iris have been avid geocachers since November of 2009. Mike, a communications technician from Sunrise, Florida is known for his committed participation in the geocaching community and for his series of famous “What is that doing there” caches. Mike has found over 1,700 geocaches and attended around 19 events.

Once news of Mike’s stroke reached the Southern Florida geocaching community, they rallied together in support. Because Iris and Mike were staying in Orlando, geocacher friends organized a fundraiser barbecue.

According to friend and fellow geocacher Marty, the barbecue was to “help defray the high costs of Iris having to stay in Orlando as Mike recovers and other expenses that they will experience at this difficult time.” The barbecue consisted of  delicious food, a raffle, and donated items to be auctioned off. Iris requested for geocachers to donate money and supplies to the Hubbard House, a charity that provides services for families of seriously ill people seeking treatment in the Orlando area. At the end of the day, more than $2,000 was raised.

Radioman84 and his wife ikolor

Although they were three hours away from their hometown, Mike and Iris felt supported because according to Iris, “Cachers from all around Florida visited with me and Mike while we were in Orlando. I actually was able to steal away some time and go caching with some of them that came to visit. It felt so good to take a break and get to do something I love to do.”

As of today, Mike and Iris have returned to their home in Sunrise where Mike now frequently visits a rehabilitation center. The center is surrounded by specially hidden caches and is often visited by local geocachers.

Iris says, “a poster was made and signed by all the cachers that love him” and it now hangs in his recovery room. Mike is still on the road to full recovery. Marty, one of the lead organizers of the fundraiser barbecue, says, “[Mike] is in good spirits and even attended We are a little cheesy #3 event.”

Through this challenging circumstance Mike, Iris, and the rest of the geocaching world have experienced the beauty that can be found in community. In response to the event, Iris says “The amount of love is incredible.”

Radioman84 and ikolor at a CITO Event
/ Eric Schudiske /

Ghost Ship GC2HM40 GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK September 19, 2011

"Ghost Ship"

Geocachers who search for “Ghost Ship” (GC2HM40) unlock a haunting story of  a rusting ship hull. The jagged metal skeleton rests in a shallow tributary to the Ohio River. Liyah hid the cache one year ago. The difficulty three, terrain four cache has already earned nearly two dozen Favorite Points.

The cache page regales adventurers with the mythical story of the S.S. Shadow. It details the voyage of a cargo ship in 1885 that came under attack by river pirates. A chase ended in location geocachers search today.

The creative and detailed cache description encourages other geocachers to post memorable logs rich with their own details. Some logs are hundreds of words long with multiple pictures.

Most geocachers who logged a smiley on Ghost Ship say they would have never found this site without geocaching. One log reads, “This was an awesome find and one my fellow cacher and I will not soon forget! Not only was getting on the boat a challenge, but at first the cache alluded us and we had to really search for it! TFTC and the terrific story to tell!”

'Ghost Ship"

Cachers are warned to be cautious as they hunt for the cache on-board this “Ghost Ship.”  The real story of the ship is almost as spectacular as the cache page “Ghost Ship” description. To find both stories check out the geocache “Ghost Ship.”

Continue your exploration of some of the most engaging geocaches from around the world. Explore all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.