This is the first of 12 geocaches we have placed corresponding to the 12 years of the annual West Bend $1,000 Cache Ba$h, with this cache celebrating the very first one, Cache Ba$h #1 (GC1AW6D), from the year 2008.
THE CACHE IS NOT LOCATED AT THE STATED COORDINATES. You must first solve the VERY VERY EASY puzzle to obtain the correct coordinates. Enter your solved coordinates into the geo-solution checker provided below to confirm the correct solved coordinates.
Including this one, 11 of the 12 caches we have placed are located at Ridge Run Park. Free parking is available on weekdays after 5pm, and all day on weekends in the nearby 300-car special event east parking lot at N43 25.154 W88 12.818 (or you can likely take your chances going earlier). Or you can park at any time farther away in the 90-car west, 57-car central, or 10-car northeast parking lots of Ridge Run Park.
Solve the following puzzle to get the correct coordinates, matching up the question with the correct answer. A geo-solution checker is provided below. The cache is located at:
N43 ° AB.CDE W88° PQ.RST
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QUESTION
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ANSWER
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A = First president of the United States
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Green Bay Packers = 3
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B = Exact date of man’s first walk on the moon
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FTF = 1
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C = First month of the year
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Mercury = 2
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D = Winner of the first football Superbowl
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Year 2000 = 9
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E = Geocache abbreviation for “First to Find”
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Gold Medal = 4
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P = One of the first movies ever filmed in color
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July 20, 1969 = 5
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Q = First planet that is closest to our sun
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The Wizard of Oz = 1
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R = Location of Wisconsin’s first Cache Ba$h
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George Washington = 2
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S = Olympics award for winning first place
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West Bend = 8
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T = YEAR that the first geocache was placed
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January = 1
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THE FIRST CACHE BASH, HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Cache Ba$h 2008 was the very first geocaching bash in West Bend, but it wasn’t its first mega event. That didn’t happen until a year later. But the event that happened in 2008 introduced the format for the mega events that have followed every year since.
It all started when LDove, an active local cacher in the area, asked Craig Farrell, president of the West Bend Chamber of Commerce, for permission to hide a cache on the chamber property. Realizing that this could lead to something beneficial for both geocachers and the city of West Bend, they soon made plans to hold a geocaching event dubbed the “1st Annual West Bend $1,000 Cache Ba$h.” It was truly visionary, and became one of the first geocaching events in the world to offer large cache prizes.
Other West Bend geocachers were brought on board including Earth Angel, Ecorangers, jvechinski, and ThePharmGirl, and together they planned this unique and ambitious event. Fifty caches were placed for the event, each containing a different inked stamp. Geocachers were provided with an event gamecard, and would stamp the gamecard with the stamp that was located in each cache. The more caches found, the more stamps on the gamecard, and therefore more chances to win in the $1,000 raffle.
Some of the many other activities for the weekend included a Friday night meet & greet event hosted by Ecorangers and LDove, and a flash mob event that Sunday. The family-friendly event had children's activities available as well.
The Cache Ba$h 2008 event was an unprecedented success, with an attendance of 381 people, at the time the largest geocache gathering ever in the state. That success led to the bold move to host Wisconsin’s first Cache Ba$h MEGA event (minimum 500 people required) the following year. With the exception of the pandemic-postponed event in 2020, there has been a West Bend $1,000 Cache Ba$h MEGA event every year since, thanks to the vision and hard work of a group of some very capable and dedicated individuals working together. It's no wonder that West Bend is known as "The Geocaching Capital of the Midwest!"
Some statistics from that first year:
- 130 attended logs (with 381 confirmed participants)
- 400 caches overall located within 7 miles (currently it's 1,200 within 10 miles)
- 119 favorite votes on those 50 caches as of summer 2021 (not bad considering that favorite votes weren’t created until 3 years later!)
- Friday night meet & greet (“Drink, Think & Coin Clink”) and Sunday flash mob event
- Only 8 of 50 caches still active as of summer 2021 (get them while you still can!)
This cache is dedicated to those who have worked on the Cache Ba$h unselfishly to give back to the community and for the love of the game!
Enjoy all the caches at this year's Cache Ba$h 2021!
Placed by members of the:
(click to visit our website)