SCAVENGER 2023: To Rocky Point Event Cache

Congrats to the Pez's Bitches team -- Pezgirl22, Forbez & donut the cat -- on their 1st place finish with a score of 82 out of 88!

SCAVENGER HUNT RESULTS

This Geocaching event is a meet-and-greet social at the Rocky Point section of Hartshorne Woods Park in Highlands, NJ.  To earn an Attended for this Event, meet up at the event location between 11:45am and 12:15pm.

Event Date:  Sunday, October 8, 2023

Rain Date:  Sunday, October 15, 2023

Optional Scavenger Hunt:  12:00pm to 4:00pm on event date (or rain date)

While the event itself has a terrain rating of 1.0 (wheelchair-accessible), most terrains for the scavenger hunt are not wheelchair-accessible (ranging from 1.5 to 3.5).

Approximate Walking Distance (if pursuing all items):  4 Miles -- roughly half on asphalt trails.

Scavenger Hunt Details

• Starts at 12:00pm at the event location and ends at 4:00pm at the same location.
• Scavengers should gather at 11:50am to sign up and hear the introduction.
• Scavengers can compete in the hunt as a team of 1 to 4 people.  No more than 4 people on a team (exceptions for young children who are not veteran cachers).
• Teams should stay together, traveling in one vehicle, for the duration of the hunt.
• Teams must identify all members at the start.  Scavengers cannot switch or combine teams during the hunt.
• Lists of approx. 40 items will be handed out promptly at 12:00pm.
• Each item will earn 1 to 3 pts as indicated on the list.
• A team can only earn points for an item once.  If the item is an Acorn, a team can only earn points for 1 Acorn even if it turns in 8 Acorns.
• Items on the list are either: 

1. Physical Finds: Items to turn in for scoring; things possibly found along the trail or in your geocaching backpack.
2. Answers to Questions: Based on coords provided.
3. Required Photos: A few at specific coords; most are of things that you might find in the area.  Photos must include the event fan issued to the team.
4. Unknown: Could involve solving a puzzle or going to multiple stages.

• Physical items will be returned to you upon scoring.
• Teams will only receive 1 event fan for photos to discourage teams from splitting up.  If a team has 4 members, for example, that team will receive only 1 event fan.
• Suggested Equipment:  GPSr or Smartphone w/GPS.  Device for taking a digital or instant photos.  Hiking boots or footware for dirt paths.  Vehicle.  Pens.  Clipboard.  Something to hold physical finds.
• Return to the starting point by 4:00pm to hand in your loot for scoring.  It's okay to finish early.
• Winners will be announced as soon as scoring has completed after the 4:00pm finish.
• To assist with event planning, Scavengers are strongly encouraged to log a Will Attend indicating intention to compete in the hunt.  This will also enable Scavengers to receive any announcements.

About SCAVENGER 2023

SCAVENGER 2023: To Rocky Point is JerseyEric's 3rd annual scavenger hunt, inspired by his participation in the late sofiecat's final scavenger hunt, 2012 SJG SCAVENGER HUNT, at Wharton State Forest in Shamong, NJ.

SCAVENGER 2023 focuses on the Rocky Point section of Hartshorne Woods Park and beyond –- towards Sandy Hook and the Bayshore area in Highlands.  From WWII through the early Cold War years, Rocky Point hosted coastal defense batteries for heavy artillery.  It then served as a missile defense command center before transitioning to a public park in the Monmouth County Park System.  Nearby neighbors of Hartshorne Woods Park include the Twin Lights Lighthouse, Sandy Hook (National Park Service), Huber Woods Park, the Navesink & Shrewsbury Rivers, and Sandy Hook Bay.

The annual SCAVENGER event moves to a new spot in Monmouth, Middlesex or Ocean County every year . . . just as a coyote travels to scavenger for food.  Results from SCAVENGER 2022 and SCAVENGER 2021 are listed on their webpages.