Puzzled?
Have you gotten stuck on any puzzles that you'd appreciate brainstorming with other cachers about? Bring them along! (yes, puzzles AND other cachers ;) ) We'll try to figure them out together. Emphasis on figure out, or give nudges and hints if we already know how to solve them - solutions aren't being given away here wholesale. Focus is on local toughies, although puzzles elsewhere and easier local puzzles are also OK. CO has a pile of puzzles from all over that need help.
You can bring trackables to show off or share, but this event is primarily for working through puzzles together.
Kids, SOs, friends, family, visitors, travelers, new cachers, and caching-curious muggle buddies are all welcome. Don't know us yet? You will soon enough.
Tea, coffee, and light food are available right here; no purchase required. $ icon is just there as a reminder that there's an option. You are welcome to attend whether or not you buy anything. Please don't BYO since we we're in an establishment that sells these things.
It's February in NoVA. Likely freezing and/or slushy :( I need this date for my event calendar, so let's hope the roads are clear enough that we can warm up together :)
Whether you are cold or wet or not, 2026 is the 250th anniversary of US independence in 1776 so that's be the theme for this year. Get together in the warmth and talk about your winter caching fun. We will be *indoors*.
Hopefully the roads won't be too icy (I still remember the winter we had a ton of ice storms*). The event will be ON unless the roads are impassible.
Location:
Old Town Coffee
Herndon (just west of Fairfax County Parkway & just north of the Toll Road)
It's a shared space with Moo Thru ice cream, which unfortunately doesn't open until afternoon weekdays this time of year, so come in through the coffee-shop entrance.
Park in front or on the side. There's a ramp on the side of the building. Bus stops nearby, on the main street.
As usual, please don't attend if you have or have recently been exposed to COVID or the flu, etc., or if you're feeling sick in general. We'd rather see you when you're feeling well.
background image generated by Gemini AI
* My memory has it as 17 ice storms that winter; weather site says closer to a dozen:
https://www.weather.gov/lwx/winter_DC-Winters
January-February, 1994: These two months saw an unusual assault of ice storms on the Washington area. It began in mid January with an arctic blast that sent temperatures below zero over northern Virginia and western and central Maryland for a couple of mornings. The sudden cold wave shot up the use of electricity and natural gas. The effect was over such a large portion of the Eastern US that the power companies went into rolling black outs so as not to lose the grid entirely and requested people to conserve energy.
Between mid January and mid February, about a dozen storms hit dropping snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The most devastating storm struck February 10-11 leaving a coat of ice, one to three inches thick, from freezing rain and sleet! The hardest hit was an area from near Fredericksburg across southern Maryland and Annapolis. Some counties lost 10 percent of their trees from the heavy ice. Roads were blocked and impassable. Electric and phone lines were down with as much as 90 percent of the area's people without power. Even with help from out-of-state utility companies, many people were without power for a week. A presidential disaster declaration was given. Damages were estimated at near 100 million dollars for the region. There were numerous injuries from automobile accidents and people falling on ice. It was likely the iciest winter the Washington area has ever seen.