Special event celebrating 25 years of geocaching - November 15th
Where and What
This tools of the trade themed event is held at 2750 N 2nd Ave (Lower Ross Park) Pocatello, Idaho. At this event we will be meeting up and celebrating 25 years since geocaching began. There will be games, some new puzzle caches released that morning, team building challenges, GIFF filming shoots, TOTT bingo, a 30 second best geocaching story contest, and other social trimmings in this lovely cliffside Ross Park setting.
For those who are feeling extra brave, there is a rappelling clinic to practice your Terrain 5 skills. You are welcome to bring your own climbing gear, but if you have none, come all the same and there will be harnesses for you if you want to try it.
A handful of puzzles will be released at the start of the event with a variety of difficulties and styles. One of them is a bingo card that can score you a flashtag coin. You'll want that flashtag coin...
The Flashtag coin trio
We have a trio of Flashtag coins you can win at this event with three TOTT activities (limit 1 free per person):
- Coin 1 - Rappelling
- Coin 2 - Submit a completed TOTT bingo card at our info/bingo table
- Coin 3 - Take part in the TOTT high reaching contest (even if you just attempt)
Calendar of events
Friday November 14th:
10:15-10:45am GCBATPM Maybe we should take a break in Hell?
1:30-3:30pm GCATNAM ZOINKS SCOOB! 180' clifftop celebration
7-7:30pm GCBED2C Exclaiming For Frozen Dairy confection!
Saturday November 15th:
9-3pm GCBA0B5 Cliffside gathering celebrating 25 years of geocaching
7-7:30pm GCBEQX3 I still don’t fully understand the soda thing
Sunday November 16th:
7:45-8:15am GCBATNR Cup of Joe?
Noon-1pm GCBDXWT Welcome to OK Ward Park TOTT style trash pick up
3-4:15 GCBDRVV We booked an entire cinema for the giff
Schedule
9am - Grand welcome to the event - puzzle sheets, Geo-bingo cards, and event info handed out, trackable table table opened, and Geo-race started
9:15am - cliffside group photo & GIFF filming for next contest
9:30am - TOTT contest and rappelling begin
12 noon - best 30 second geocaching story contest - TOTT prize
- Pause for lunch - no rappelling
1:30pm TOTT competition - the highest reach
2:30pm - final goodbyes and reveal of next year's event
Parking and facilities
There is plenty of parking at the nearby aquatic center as well as both sides of the road for overflow parking. There is even more parking at the top of the cliffs off of Avenue of the Chiefs by the Ross Park disc golf course. There is a short hike / easy scramble to the top of the cliffs where we are meeting and plenty of room for a large crowd. All 5 of the restroom options are gone for various reasons (winterized and closed, liability with the animals, closed for remodelling...) so I rented a porta-potty. Nearby stores and restaurants have restrooms and it is a small enough town that they are freely available.
Should incliment weather come our way during the event, we have a wet weather location at the nearby Lower Ross Park Pavillion and its bounty of benches. If it is even worse then we have the Fredregill st chapel they have reserved for us during the time block.
Food - there are some great options nearby. I had 3 food truck vendors lined up for this event but two have staff shortages and one cannot get their frier to work at these post-October temperatures. The ones I hadn't heard from I still haven't heard from. Don't plan on food trucks. Apologies. Next year will be in summer.
Trail access
This is the last day Pocatello's gated trails are open and accessible until the spring season starts May 15th. The gates will close Sunday November 16th at 6am. This is your last chance til then to easily drive up Trail creek, Kinport Peak, China Peak, and a bunch of others.
Safety
All of the various social events are away from cliff edges and should pose no concern to people with vertigo or similar conditions. For families with children seeking context, children play in this area a lot, especially during the summer, though we will see very few people since it's November. There are park playgrounds above and below the cliffs and the nine hole disc golf course nearby is the easiest of the 6 in town.
For those doing the optional rappel, we use double rope rappel systems and a 'third hand' autoblock hitch beneath the belay device for extra safety and redundancy. This makes for a slightly slower rappel but mitigates the majority of hazards rappelling can pose. The B.A.R.K. check will be performed on each and every rappel where the following are checked:
- B buckles double backed on harness (and harness properly worn)
- A anchor is Solid, Equalized, Redundant, Efficient, and would have Negligible Extension.
- R rappel device is set up correctly, including the redundancy device - the "third hand" autoblock.
- K knots in the end of the rope and/or the ropes reach the bottom.
If there is lightening within 15 miles, all rappelling activity will be concluded until 30 minutes without lightning have passed. Wet weather conditions could make the rock slick. A safetly line will be set up ontop of the cliff so people can be clipped in when harnessed and near the cliff edge and prevent slipping off. Thank you for understanding as we prioritize your safety above squeezing in the maximum rappel trips. This is primarily a social geocaching gathering and celebration rather than a rock climbing skills class.