West Bend $1000 Cache Ba$h 2011 Mega-Event Cache

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Bec: Hi folks,

This event's been over for a while now. Time to put it to rest.

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Hidden : Saturday, August 13, 2011
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:


Official Photos taken at the event can be found here:
Are YOU in one of the photos??! Take a look!
2011 CACHE BA$H PHOTO ALBUMS

Photobucket
604 TEAMS signed our MEGA Event Logbook!
Individuals still being counted...

2011 WINNERS:

Cash Prize Winners:
$50 - Danelle Anderson (team name?)
$100 - WStemple (Albany, WI)
$100 - GoIrish75 (Grafton, WI)
$250 - Studzclan (Wisconsin)
$500 - Brian Zubrowski (team name?)

Creative Cache Contest:
1st Place: Tom K - "Near Water Hide" (Tom's 2nd consecutive win!)
2nd Place: Loonaticks - "Hornet's Nest"
3rd Place: Merk, Inc. - "Large Stump

Geo-Golf Contest:
1st Place: DakotaGirl (7.5 feet from hole!)
2nd Place: Britt98 (47.8 feet from hole)
3rd Place: NancyDrew777 (176.1 feet from hole)

*** ATTENTION! Please log and retrieve your trackables from the event page! ***

2011 Cache Ba$h Caches Are Published!

Bookmark list of the 2011 Cache Bash Event Caches
Download a pocket query file containing the 2011 Cache Ba$h cache info
Bookmark list of West Bend area night caches

Mark your calendars for the

4th Annual West Bend $1,000
Cache Ba$h
Logo
Friday, August 12 &
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Regner Park, West Bend, WI



The West Bend $1000 Cache Ba$h is an annual free family-oriented get-together for geocachers hosted by the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce, assisted by local geocachers. The Cache Ba$h weekend is chock full of fun things to do starting Friday afternoon and lasting through Sunday morning. Last year, over 1300 people attended our Mega Event!

Besides the opportunity to socialize with a lot of other geocachers in a great geocaching-friendly city, we will again be giving away$1000 in cash prizes as well as geocoins, geocaching items, and other great prizes. We're also currently planning to hide over 65 new permanent caches of varying terrain and difficulty in the West Bend area for you to find!

There's a good reason we're called the "Geocaching Capital of the Midwest"™. With over 800 caches within a 10-mile radius of the city, you'll never run out of caches to find!

ProfessorCrowd cheetogirl

How do I Register?

TO REGISTER: Log a "WILL ATTEND" on this cache page.
Please post the number of people attending in your team (# adults, # kids) to help us plan, and tell us where you're from so we can add you to the map at the bottom of this page!

SIGN IN: Sign in at Regner Park on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning during the event. Registered teams will receive their official booklets, playing cards, goody bags (limited supply), and cash drawing raffle tickets.

How do I get raffle tickets?
  • Cash Drawing: Each registered person in attendance automatically gets a raffle ticket just by signing in at the park! It's free!
  • General Prize Drawing:Each registered team can earn raffle tickets by either finding our Raffle Geocaches, playing Geo-Bingo, or submitting a Creative Cache.


 CACHE BA$H EXTRAS:

FREE SWIM PASS: All Weekend! If the kids (or you) get tired of caching, take a refreshing dip in the pool at Regner Park! Geocachers who sign in to the Cache Ba$h can enjoy the Pool and Splash Pad free of charge, courtesy of West Bend Parks and Rec!

Groundspeak Representative: We are thrilled that a representative from the Groundspeak Headquarters in Washington will be visiting our Mega Event this year!

Official Cache Ba$h Photo Board: Everyone loves to take their head shot in our photo board. Post your picture online when you log your attendance and you may end up on next year's cache page!

Put Yourself on the Map: Show us where you're from by placing a push-pin over your city on our Giant Map in Regner Park. The team that has traveled the greatest distance will get special recognition at our prize ceremony.

Milestone Board: Use this board to write down any special geocaching or personal milestones you reached this weekend.

Note Board: A note board will be located near the giant map. Teams can use it to leave notes or as a way to team up with other cachers. Maybe you're a new cacher looking for some help and teamwork; maybe you're an experienced cacher who's willing to take a newbie under your wing; or maybe you just want to team up to save gas while driving around West Bend. Slap your note on the board and see what bites.

FAQ: What is in my Goody Bag?
  • Geo-Golf Form: Pick any location in Regner Park, record those coordinates on the form, and submit your form by 10 am on Saturday morning. The closest waypoint to our pre-chosen coordinates will win a prize at Saturday's drawing!
  • Geo-Bingo Cards: Find geocachers that match every square on your card and submit your completed card by 5:30pm on Saturday to earn one extra raffle ticket for the General Prize Drawing!
  • Creative Cache Ballot: Each team may vote for their favorite cache of the Creative Cache Contest. The eligible creative caches will be displayed near the stage area at Regner Park from 4-5:30pm on Saturday.
  • Swag: The early registration bags will have small items donated by local businesses.
  • Coupons: Be sure to check your bag for coupons you can use throughout the weekend at various West Bend area businesses. On a hot summer day, the free bottled water coupon has been a big hit in past years.
  • Dash Card: You can display this postcard on your vehicle's dash to let law enforcement know that your vehicle is not abandoned while searching for caches. It also will allow you to enter Pike Lake State Park at a discounted rate of $5 per vehicle.
  • Garbage Bag: The first rule of geocaching is "Leave No Trace." Practice CITO (Cache In, Trash Out) when visiting caches.
  • Maps and other helpful information about West Bend.

THURSDAY After 11:00 pm Publication of 65+ Qualifying Caches for Raffle
This is the approximate expected release time of over 65 new permanent caches on Geocaching.com. For your convenience, a link to these caches will be added to the cache page for you to download from home. (Please note: Sign-in and park downloads will begin no sooner than noon on Friday.) Everyone will still need to Sign In on Friday to get their Stampable Playing Card.

FAQ About the Raffle Caches
  • How do I play?
    • Pick up the Official Booklet and Official Playing Card at Sign-In. Download the caches to your GPS receiver (we can do that for you). The Official Booklet contains information about each cache, including hints and parking coordinates. Each cache you find contains a unique stamp or codeword and you can stamp the corresponding square on your Playing Card. Playing cards must be turned in by 4:30pm on Saturday to qualify for the General Raffle.
      • Raffle tickets will be awarded on the following scale:
      • 1-10 caches: 1 raffle ticket
      • 11-20 caches: 2 raffle tickets
      • 21-30 caches: 3 raffle tickets
      • 31-40 caches: 4 raffle tickets
      • 41-50 caches: 5 raffle tickets
      • 51-60 caches: 6 raffle tickets
      • 61 + caches: 7 raffle tickets
  • What type of caches can I expect?
    • We want to stress that all caches are loggable caches approved by Geocaching.com. Therefore, please treat the caches and locations with respect so that they last a long time. Caches may range from micro-sized to regular ammo cans, and our cache hiders are known for their creative hides as well. Almost all of the hides are traditional; however, there is at least one puzzle cache this year. There is a variety of difficulty and terrain levels to appeal to many different cachers. There is at least one water cache. Some caches may be challenging, but there are plenty of kid-friendly caches too. In fact, we introduced a family-friendly "Park Tour" of some of West Bend's city parks.
  • Where are the caches located?
    • This year, about 2/3 of the caches are placed in or very near West Bend. Only 1/3 are located in the surrounding countryside or neighboring villages. The closest cache is walking distance from Regner Park, and the furthest cache is about 15 miles away. Many caches are placed in parks and recreation areas or along trails. We will have maps available that show the location of all the qualifying caches so you can better plan your route. Note:A few caches are placed in Pike Lake State Park which requires a Wisconsin State Park Sticker on your vechicle. If you don't have this sticker, a special entrance rate of $5 will be given to geocachers by showing the dash card you got at Sign-In.
  • Are there prizes inside the caches?
    • No. The caches may contain "swag"--toys, trinkets, or other items that geocachers trade. Observe the Geocacher's Code: If you take something out of a cache, put something back in of equal or greater value. You may also see trackable Geocoins or Travel Bugs inside the caches. Only take these special items if you are willing to log the tracking number online and move it to another cache.



The Weekend Line-up:


FRIDAY: Regner Park

12pm LIMITED EDITION CACHE BA$H GEOCOIN FOR SALE:
We will be selling a limited supply of a special West Bend Cache Ba$h Geocoin for $10/each. You may purchase this geocoin during the event at Regner Park starting Friday, Aug 12, at noon. No advance orders. First come, first served until supply is sold out. Limit per person will apply on Friday. Collectable pathtags are also available.

12-3pm, 5-8pm SIGN-IN BEGINS at Regner Park. Registered cachers may sign in and receive their goody bag, Official Cache Ba$h Booklet and Playing Card, and individual raffle ticket for the cash prize drawing. Individuals must be present at Sign-In to receive a cash prize raffle ticket. Sign-in will continue Saturday morning.

12-3pm, 5-8pm DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE
The Wisconsin Geocaching Association (WGA) will provide equipment to download the 65+ caches directly to your GPS receiver at the park. Downloads are compatible with almost any Garmin or Magellan, or any device that uses a standard USB cord or serial port. If your device uses a unique download method (such as Geomate Jr), bring the cord or inquire in advance. Downloads will continue Saturday morning.

6pm-8pm MEET AND GREET, Regner Park

Social Time:
 The Meet and Greet is designed for you to meet and socialize with other geocachers. Perhaps you can work on completing your Geocacher Bingo card.

Chirp Cache Meetup!!
A new type of cache called a "Chirp Cache" will be hidden in Regner Park, thanks to LostBy7! Chirp is a wireless geocaching beacon that sends messages to certain compatible GPS devices (Garmin Oregon 300+, Dakota 20, and some GPSMAP devices). If you don't own one of these units, this is the perfect opportunity to find a fellow cacher who does have one so that you can form a group to search for this unique type of cache.

Trackable Table
This is the the place to discover and swap Geocoins and Travel Bugs to move to new caches around the world. If you are new to Geocaching and would like to learn more about these trackable items, this is a great time and place to get information from veteran geocachers.

Kid's Cache Creation Station:
Kids can use their imagination to design or decorate a small container using our arts and crafts supplies. Make finger puppets, animals, or their own creative cache.

Plants of Wisconsin Geo-Quiz:
Correctly identify Wisconsin's Native and Invasive plants using hints around the pavilion to get coordinates to candy treasure. Great family activity.

Night caching
Coordinates to 2 new night caches will be revealed tonight. You will have to drive to these caches. Night caches require the use of a flashlight in the dark to find the cache. For a Bookmark List of a few other Night caches, click here.


SATURDAY: Regner Park

All Day: FREE SWIM PASS Take a refreshing dip in the pool or enjoy the Splash Pad free of charge, courtesy of West Bend Parks and Rec! (Fri, Sat, Sun)

All Day: GEOCACHING VENDORS Shop or browse the merchandise available to purchase from various vendors. They have lots of neat stuff to make hiding and seeking caches more fun! This year, our vendors include Magellan link and Firemonkee's Cache Closet link.

All Day: WISCONSIN GEOCACHING ASSOCIATION BOOTH The WGA will be providing information and assistance to new geocachers, selling WGA products, and signing up new members. Wisconsin residents may join for free at this event. If you are in the WGA, or want to be, stop by their booth for extra contests and fun! Did you know... They are having a Weekend Photo Contest and selling a limited edition Pathtag just for this event?!

8am-10am SIGN-IN & DOWNLOADS CONTINUE For those who didn't sign in the day before, now is the time! Sign in for raffle eligibility and to sign the log book!! Goody bags of teams who have not signed in will be redistributed to other teams on a first come, first served basis.

9 am BEGINNER GEOCACHING CLASS Hosted by the Wisconsin Geocaching Association. If you are new to the sport of geocaching, plan to attend this class at Regner Park. After some "classroom" instruction, participants will get a chance to use a GPS unit to find caches hidden in the park (some loaner GPS units will be available).

9am-1pm LEAVE NO TRACE BOOTH Visit this non-profit organization that promotes outdoor ethics and learn how geocachers can help reduce our impact on the environment.

8am-10am CREATIVE CACHE ENTRY DEADLINE Design and submit a unique cache container to be voted on by your peers. The top three containers with the most votes will win a prize. Do not put your name on the container. The actual container must be submitted (not just a photograph). For submitting a creative cache, teams will receive a raffle ticket for the General Prize Drawing. Multiple entries are allowed, but only 1 raffle ticket will be issued per team.

10am GEOGOLF DEADLINE
Pick any location in Regner Park, record those coordinates on the GeoGolf form you received at Sign-In, and drop off the form by 10am. The closest waypoint to our pre-chosen waypoint will win a prize at the main prize drawing.

2pm CHICAGO GEOCACHER PODCAST- LIVE! Come listen to Scott and Walt of The Chicago Geocacher Podcast live from the table under the bandstand! Careful, they bite! Seriously, it will be a rollicking hour of fun, covering their unorthodox take on caching! Their podcast will also be available on iTunes or their website.

2:30pm-6pm SNACKING & SOCIALIZING Gather at Regner Park before the big Prize Drawing to chat with fellow cachers, swap trackables, or just relax. Drinks and snacks will be available to purchase.

2:30pm-4:30pm PLAYING CARD TURN-IN Return your Official Playing Card to the registration desk to claim your raffle tickets. One member from each team must be in line BEFORE 4:30 PM with the card in order to qualify for the General Prize Raffle. Teams will receive raffle tickets based on how many qualifying caches they found and stamped on the Official Playing Card:
1-10 caches: 1 raffle ticket
11-20 caches: 2 raffle tickets
21-30 caches: 3 raffle tickets
31-40 caches: 4 raffle tickets
41-50 caches: 5 raffle tickets
51-60 caches: 6 raffle tickets
61+ caches: 7 raffle tickets

4pm-5:30pm CREATIVE CACHE VOTING Stop by the cache table to vote for your favorite creative cache container. One ballot per team was given at Sign-In.

4:30pm TREASURE BOX ACTIVITY FOR KIDS Kids under 12 can pick a key and try opening the Treasure Box to see if their key unlocks the Treasure to win a prize.

5:30pm GEOCACHER BINGO DEADLINE Find teams that match the squares on your Bingo Card (given to you at Sign-In), and turn in the completed Bingo Card to earn a raffle ticket for the General Prize Drawing.

5:45pm GROUP PHOTO Gather at the pavillion before the drawing for a group photograph of all the Cache Ba$h participants.

6:00 pm: PRIZE DRAWINGS:
You must be present to win. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of Geo-Golf and the Creative Cache Contest, and there will be two separate Raffle Drawings. Tickets earned for finding caches, playing Geo-Bingo, or submitting a Creative Cache will be eligible for the General Prize Drawing. This drawing gives you a chance to win geocoins, gift certificates, fun geocaching items, and other great prizes, including two eXplorist GPS units donated by Magellan!! Secondly, each person in attendance as part of a registered team received one ticket at sign-in to be eligible for the Cash Prize Drawings totaling $1000:
1st Prize = $500
2nd Prize = $250
3rd Prize = $100
4th Prize = $100
5th Prize = $50



SATURDAY EVENING: Players Pub & Grill
7 p.m. - ? POST-BA$H PARTY

See Event Page GC2XYZV for details

Note: New bigger location! Full menu! Kids welcome with parents! This is a separate social event hosted by the Ecorangers. After the Ba$h concludes, meet at Players Pub & Grill to eat, drink, and socialize with fellow cachers from around the state and world. Share your Cache Ba$h geocaching stories and swap trackables. Children may attend with their parents.


SUNDAY: Regner Park
7:30-10:30am, WGA "Pass the Syrup" PANCAKE FEAST

See Event Page GC2Z328 for details and to sign up.

This is a separate event hosted by the Wisconsin Geocaching Association. They are again bringing their famous pancake breakfast crew to West Bend. Enjoy sausages, fruit, drinks, and of course, tons of pancakes! They are also having their GPS Turkey Shoot game in which you can win a $50 gas gift card!


2011 Cache Ba$h: Is YOUR state/country represented??

Tell us where you're from in your log so we can add your state!


2011BashMap

Additional Countries: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Japan


Disclaimer: Event attendees assume all risks in seeking geocaches. Neither the West Bend Chamber of Commerce, West Bend Parks and Recreation Department, nor any of its members or volunteers, may be held liable for any direct, indirect, punitive or consequential damages connected with this event.




2011 Committee Members:
West Bend Chamber of Commerce (Official host)
West Bend Parks & Recreation
Geocachers:
Earth Angel of Ecorangers - cache hider
LDove - cache hider
Dr. Dolittle- cache hider
Goldie Diggers - cache hider
Kmhiker - cache hider
Teambeek - cache hider
Mr Greenthumb - cache hider
ThePharmGirl - event page writeup
jvechinski - downloads & map maker
Interested in volunteering or joining the committee? Contact the West Bend Chamber or a current member!


Information about West Bend:

Hotels:
View local hotel options here at the West Bend Area Chamber website. Make your reservations early! If you are having trouble finding open rooms, call the Chamber for assistance.

Restaurants:
For an unofficial list of West Bend restaurants (as well as campgrounds and hotels), click here.

Sights:
West Bend is proud to be home of the Washington County Historical Courthouse Museum, Jailhouse Museum, and the Museum of Wisconsin Art. We have an extensive trail system which includes the beautiful Riverwalk with its multiple art sculptures. We also have part of the paved Eisenbahn Trail which starts from West Bend's southern border all the way north (bring your bikes and strollers!) into Fond du Lac County. Many of our caches are hidden along the scenic Ice Age Trail which winds its way through the city and outlying communities and parks.

Attention Dog Owners! Most of our parks and trails do NOT allow dogs, including Regner Park. However, Rolfs Park is a special 20-acre fenced-in park for dogs, located in West Bend on the west side of 18th Avenue, a quarter mile north of Paradise Drive. Geocachers may take their dogs to the park and use it free during the event weekend. As an added bonus, while enjoying the park they can also search for several caches hidden somewhere on the grounds.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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