Historic Geocaching Events:

In the summer of 2010, The NightFox and Princess Daisies held two memorable photo scavenger hunt events (GC227QX and GC290YR)  Since this special Community Celebration event type is to celebrate the past 20 (21) years of geocaching, this event will pay homage to those two.

The posted coordinates for this event are also a special part of my personal geocaching history. This was the site of finding my first nano. It was only with much hand-holding from the CO that I was able to make the find. I am forever grateful to Fexy01 for teaching me what a nano is. Amazingly even after all these years, I have never met him, AND that cache is still here. I promise not to set up the check in table on that bench.  

Schedule:

• 9:30 am – 9:55 am Arrive and check in
• 9:55 am – Instructions, Q & A
• 10 am – Open envelopes and go!
• 10 am – 12 pm Hunt, snap, send
• 12 pm - Head back to posted coordinates
• 12:30 pm – Winners announced (Announcement will happen as soon as scoring is finished and everyone  returns)

The Event:

It's a photo scavenger hunt! Your team will earn points by hunting for the items on the list, snapping a picture of your team with the item, and sending the picture with the list item number to me, HikingSeal, to collect your points. The top three teams will receive fantastic prizes!

Your Team:

Your team may consist of as many people as you can legally fit in one vehicle. Your team can be you and your spouse and kids, you and some geo-buddies, you and your geo-pup, just you (but you’ll have more fun with more people on your team), etc. You get the idea. Just remember all your team members need to be in the pictures, so if you want to rent a tour bus for the event, good luck with the pictures.  

In your “Will Attend”, please list the caching name(s) of your team members. Don’t worry if it changes by event time. I’m just trying to get an idea of the teams. When you check in, you can provide your final team roster. Pick one person on your team to be the photographer/contact (details on this role below).

If you're a solo cacher, don't have a car, don't know other cachers, just generally looking for a team, please post a note to that effect below. Please get your teams organized BEFORE the event. Because of COVID, I don't want folks in awkward situations during the event because they want to help out someone without a team but they don't want to spend two hours in a car with someone they don't know well. Feel free to use the cache page to find teams, then use the message center to communicate any private information.

Feel free to come up with a creative name for your team. While the "Will Attends" are coming in, if it's a family team, I'm using the caching name. For teams composed of multiple unrelated cachers, I'm using the name of the first team member I heard from for the name until I hear differently.

The List:

List items will vary in point value depending on difficulty to find. The items I found while constructing the list are within a two-mile radius of the event. Approximately 106th to 72nd and 13th W to 13th E. They will not be inside nor on a trail like the JRPW. Of course, you may find items similar to the ones I had in mind that are at different locations. Some list items are not location-based.

Each team will be provided with a copy of the list in a sealed envelope at event check in. DO NOT OPEN the envelope until instructed. At the same time the teams are told to open their envelopes, a copy of the list and a link to a pdf version of the list will also be added to the cache page in this section.

Pictures:

To earn points for an item, you must snap a picture of your team with one member wearing the celebratory hat.  At minimum all your team members must be in the picture minus one, the photographer. Selfies (Usies) are certainly welcome or feel free to accost a passerby to take the picture.

Designate one member of your team to be the photographer, or at least, it’s that person’s phone that is used for all the pictures. Send that picture to me, HikingSeal, via geocaching messenger WITH THE ITEM #. Tell me the item # so I don’t have to guess. Your team’s score will likely benefit from me not guessing.

It will be easier for me to have everyone’s picture in the message center; however, that takes data. If that’s an issue with your phone plan, it would be fine to text them to me. Be sure when you check in that I know your team contact person (photographer) so I can credit the points to the appropriate team.

For those of you who cache with different apps or a GPS, it will be easier for you to use the message center if you download the Official Geocaching app. You don't have to cache with it. Just open the message center and start a thread with me. You don't even have to leave it to take the pictures. Please practice before the event. I don't want anyone to not win because they couldn't figure out how to send pictures.

Scoring:

The toughest part of this kind of event is everyone standing around while the pictures are scored. This is why you are sending them in with item #’s as you take them. I hope to have everything scored by the time everyone returns to the posted coordinates. (Not only will this allow more timely scoring, we don’t have to have our heads together staring at your phone because who knows what will be going on with COVID by the time the event arrives.)

The top three teams will receive some pretty cool swag!

Only pictures in messages time-stamped by the geocaching messaging between 10 am and 12 pm will count toward your score.

Spectators:

If you don't want to participate on a team, you are welcome to come 9:30-10 or 12-12:30 to cheer the teams on. If anyone wants to help me score the pictures as they come in, let me know.  Update: TheNightFox has volunteered to help with the scoring. I should only need one person especially since he has some experience doing this, but if someone wants to be a backup in case his kids recruit him to be on a team, let me know.

Summary:

• Find an item on the list
• Take a picture of your team with the item. One person should be wearing the celebratory hat.
• Message (text) the picture with the item # to HikingSeal
• Repeat for two hours
• HAVE FUN!

Final Standings

Community Celebration Events - 2020

This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 20 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between May 2, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.