A insane fundraser

I've been toying around with some ideas for a fundraiser to try and help our local caching club gain funds to buy swag type item's with their logo on it. Just to get those things the money has to come upfront, when the item's get sold then the money is recouped. So it's had to say hey let's get 100 logo pins and sell them. yes they will sell, but over a period of time and I don't thing the budget is there to do such things.

So sitting around thinking of what we could do that would kind of be "extreme", I was thinking about this place in Wisconsin. My thought was to advertise this as will he chicken out or go threw with it, and have people offer what they would like to contribute weather it be a dollar, or 50 dollar's.

Since this would be taken place in Wisconsin, I think it would be fair to offer the same to their state caching group as well.

So something like this. There is a cost up front. Hopefully enough money would be raise (if I don't chicken out) that will pay for the cost of the "stunts", Then the proceeds's would then be split evenly between Wisconsin and Iowa's, caching groups.

Maybe even set it up as an event, so people can come try to strick fear into me. lol And get together for the usual cache talk and fellowship. But for those who can't make it, and as proof, take my digital camcorder and video tape it all, then upload it to a site like you-tube or viemo, so those that could make it can see.

The "extreme" part is this:

http://www.extremeworld.com/attractions/terminal_velocity/video.aspx

That as one part of it. Then:

http://www.extremeworld.com/attractions/bungee_jump/

and then if I'm still walking or haven tried to run away:

Well, I can't find a video for it, but it's "The ejection seat".

So my question would be would people be interested in this and again the money would first pay for the taskes, then what's left would get split evenly between Wisconsin and Iowa's caching club website's.

Make a day of it, an event you can come and try to haggle me and make me even more nervous. And if I do chicken out on the tasks, I'll pay the cost of what the task's cost, so if you can get in my head and scare me off, that would leave even more money for the two caching clubs.

So far this is just an idea and this is the first I've talked about it. Let me know what you think and if I should look more into this. So please get the word out, as I' interested if my fellow cacher would like to "knock me off" or not. lol

Tape worm

Wow!!!

Now this was just crazy. I've got a cache hid on a very small island out 20 feet away from the shore. It's about a mile walk one way to get there. Yeah I had put it out in the winter and used the frozen ice as an advantage to get there, which I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. But these photo's I think speak for themselves. I wish I was there to see this, just crazy.

He's using a fallen tree as a "bridge" to get out to the island as seen above.



Here he is trying to dig the ammo can out of the ice.




Here he is standing on top of the ammo can.

I saw these and thought wow now that's diehard. I'd take the tubing option during the summer.

Scouting Caches

Well, it's going pretty good so far. This is quite a neat scouting project participating in the 100th year Anniversary. I'm a little behind where I wanted to be at this point but it's going well. The cold and the snow has made it a bit tricky.

I had a log today saying how one of the caches wasn't winter friendly at all. Which I didn't put that attribute on it. But I didn't think it was that back. I made the mile round trip hike in the dark, and didn't think it was too bad, other than the trip back was mostly up hill.

So far I've made the hide's themselves pretty easy to find and nothing tricky. Some of them are quite a hike, but sound's by the log's people have enjoyed them.

I goofed the other night thought when I was out hiding a cache and I think my cord's are 40 to 50 feet off. Thankfully the hunter was able to find it. It's on my list to get fixed this week. I did kind of have a funny feeling when I was taking reading's on that one, as my batteries in my GPS where running low, and I had all my spare's at home charging. There's that scout motto "Be Prepared".

I've been able to get permission for all seven counties that the Hawkeye Area Council is involved with. Some require permit's, some don't. Jones county where I live I have to meet with the ranger before I can hide anything due to a cacher not taking care of his hides. Kind of sad how one person can ruin it for the batch, but by the sound's of it all, I think the caching relationship can be repaired.

Just figured I'd post an update. I do have some surprizes around the corner and some challenge caches as well.

Hope you guy's enjoy them,

Parabola/Tape worm

Yes for those that haven't figured it out my new handle on geocaching.com is Tape worm.

Also if you are able to please consider using the donate link for the scouting. The money will go to help pay for all the ammo can's I was able to get, SWAG to fill the can's, and gas to get out and place those hides.

Safe Caching!!!

The H.A.C. Kick off and 101 Caching Event.

Just wanted to point out the kick-off event for the Hawkeye area council is listed and going to happen on Jan. 9th 2010. It will be from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Some temp's will be put out but are not loggable, and a new cache will be in place that is loggable, plus there's some really great hides already in Kent Park. If you haven't done them, you should put them on your to-do list.

If you can make it we would love you to come and join us. We will be doing a potluck lunch as well.

Here's a link to the listing on Geocaching.com

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=581622be-0a47-4fc3-8c7a-dfebf39125d5

Hope to see ya there!!!!

Parabola

A ammo can or two.

Well, I've been trying to work a deal with some folk's about a large order of ammo can's to use for the Geoscouting project for the upcoming year. I finally got the right guy, and was shocked at the deal he gave me.

We worked out that if any IGO member want's to buy a pallet full or bulk quantity's of ammo can's 30 cal's or 50 cal's, he will sell them at whole sale. Already they give geocacher's a 5% discount which has been very nice of them to do, but with the rocking price of the ammo can due to the future of them is unknown at this point, they have almost doubled in price over the past year. The military has been crushing the can's, instead of putting them up for auction. Any way's I told them I would definitely give them a plug. CC military surplus in Central city. This is almost a 50% discount off of the retail price of buying them one at a time. And is just a quarter lower than what they cost a year ago.

I was so happy when he said he would do this for any of us, so if a bunch of us want to get together and buy in bulk, and split the cost and the can's we can do that.


I have to thank my little sister for helping me get them all off the pallet, counted, take the lid's and put those on. And for trying to help me repair a couple that got dented due to the metal band's holding them to the pallet. And for them putting them back in the truck to move from my parent's to my house.







Another big thank you to my little guy for helping me unload them all out of the truck and get them stacked up in the garage while we are waiting on paint to start painting them.



I'm almost ready to release a major announcement for me to the public. It's been a hard decision, but I think it's a good one. Just there will be no more log's under the handle of Parabola on geocaching.com. I guess I'll just spill the bean's. I've retired my handle. Parabola had a good run, but is now done. Done caching, no way. But a fresh start I guess. My new handle, well it's out there with a few find's already. Then final cache I had to put on terra-caching.com due to how I wanted to finish I couldn't meet the guideline's. There's a write up with a cache called Parabola to finish him up, with a very unique kind of cache and I think another first of it's kind. I've even got the 2nd in command there involved. I guess call it completing the circle. To swipe a friend of mine's cache hide name. That the cause of the recent design of my pathtag's. The piece's all fit if you really look and study them.

I hope I've made some memorable caches for you to think back and say to yourself, what was I thinking going after that cache. What's left will still be maintained by me, and I don't know if I want to adopt them over or not, but they still will be watched over, till the time comes to put them to rest.

Not to fear, though, there's more coming, and I think the picture's in this post will show that.

See ya on the trail's,

Parabola

Pathtag's

Ok, I'm starting to turn into a pathtag junky. lol I made my first one and ordered I think 150 of them. Af first they where flying out the mailbox as fast as I could get them there. But finally have slowed down some. I've gotten a lot of neat tag's traded with me though. This is the first tag I made. And I'm no photoshop expert but am getting better.



After getting them in the mail and being pretty impressed with how they turned out, I had an idea. I have been looking to make a very unique kind of cache. It would have to be a terra-cache, cause I couldn't get away with this on geocaching.com. But I made another design and am having 150 made. Once these are made they will each go into an envelope sealed with logging instruction's. I'm shipping these to a bunch of people all around the world, and they will put one in a terra-cache hide and forget about it. As people find those caches and if they look at the envelope and trade for it. They will find they can log another cache. Only 100 coin's will be set out for logging a find on this. Which is a lot of find's on a terra-cache anyway's. I don't expect it to be worth much in point's but I think the MCE of it will be pretty high as I believe this is the first one of it's kind. I haven't gotten the tag's yet but just got the blue print for it and it's in production now. You'll see it's alot more cartoony than I had wanted.

This is what I submitted:



This is how they had to change it to make it work:




Some of it was the cut lines would be so thin the color wouldn't be able to be added to it. I'll add some jpeg's of the first tag I have. I haven't taken a photo of it as of yet.

Parabola

The thing's you find out caching.

The whole family went out this past weekend to grab a few caches but we where going way north up to Balltown to see the "Million Dollar View". We had a pretty cool trip going up and back. And we worked it just right so we hit the view at sunset. You can't beat that here in Iowa. Also I didn't know the oldest bar and grill in Iowa was right next to the viewing area. Which I guess it had a fire last year and we found out it had just reopened.






I kind of picked a few caches on a kind of weird route I picked out and somewhat did it on the fly. There's a puzzle cache that I had an idea since I can't figure out the puzzle, that since I was up in the area I would try, and my hunch was wrong. But while walking around scoping out the area, I noticed something that kind of looked like a leg in the tall weed's right at the edge of the tree line. I got a little closer and it kind of looked like someone had stashed their camping stuff or someone had tried to hide some dark green clothes. As I got closer it started looking more and more like it was kind of in the shape of a body. Since we where in the middle of nowhere I was wondering, glad the rest of the family stayed in the car. As I got close to the tree this was leaning against, I saw a hat as well. So for a second, I was wondering what I had found.

As it turn's out I found a dummy body for a search and rescue group, that was out practicing. There was a nice note attached to it that explained it all. Which was pretty neat to find. Never did find the cache, as it was a long shot on what I was trying to do, but I thought it did make for an interesting story.





The picture's I took where after I had stomped down the tall grass, and had moved the dummy so I could read the note. Plus I was coming at it from the other direction, to give more of an idea what it looked like.



I just thought this was one of those thing's that won't happen again and a case of being in the right spot and the right time. I sure was glad it was just a dummy though.

Parabola

Here's our new puppy a little over two week's old. We have to wait till he's at least 8 week's before we can bring him home from the breeder. Getting excited about getting him. He's a pure breed Shiba Inu, that has also been breed with the ability to sniff out ammo can's.

We are having a huge debate on what we should name him. I want to name him Manson, but the wife doesn't care for that. One name that's been said is Rusty. I thought "Fieldy" would be a great name for him too.

Got any name suggestion's post them. :)

Parabola

Iowa's All County Challenge (GC1T84M)

As many of you have seen I had a cache published called Iowa's All County Challenge. I've seen many people ask if someone would set one of these up, and have been asked a few time's myself.

First the basic's of the Challenge cache. You have to find one cache in every county in Iowa. Virtul's, earthcaches, event's, webcam's, locationless, caches don't count. The idea is to find a cache and I'm defining that as a hidden geocache container. I've laid out a few ground rules. Like if you find a cache that is missing, and replace the container, it doesn't count as a "find". I do give you prop's for helping out another cacher but that's not finding a cache, it' more like hiding one. If it's a multi or puzzle cache, then the listed cord's for the cache determine what county the "find" is in. If some how it land's on a county line, I will let you pick which county it count's towards. It won't count for both.

Due to a guideline change, I can't have you use a site like www.itsnotaboutthe numbers.com for verification of completion. The guideline won't allow a cache that you have to use a website that you have to sign up and make an account. You can choose on your own to use a site like that, but I can't ask you too.

I've tried to lay out some option's for you to keep track and send the info to me for verifying completion. The one I like is if you use the bookmarking feature. You will be able to set a bookmark on the cache, and list the find date, and what county it's for. I can pull a PQ from that and easily check it with a program I have. You can set it up to keep it private till you are ready for it to be verified, then make it public, so I can grab a PQ from it.

Another way that is pretty easy for me to check would be keeping a database in GSAK, and make and send me a GPX file. Then with the help of a macro I can check that way pretty quickly as well.

You may also keep a spread sheet, with the GC# of the cache, name of the cache, find date, and what county it's for. For obvious reasons, this will take me longer to verify it.

These are just some suggestion's and you may keep track however you like as there may be an easier way, that I don't know about yet.

Before I get to the part that some people aren't too keen on, I'm working on designing a pathtag for this cache. A person that completes this, will get one of these pathtag's as kind of a "reward" or "trophy" for finishing it. These will not be set up for trade, and the only way to get one is to complete the cache. I would have loved to make up a geo-coin for this, but that is out of my budget.

Now on to the one rule that I made, that some aren't happy about and first off, I do agree you have valid reason's. This rule is only "finds" on the publish date of this cache count. So anything found before 6/03/09 will not count towards this. I've done this for a few reason's. One, if I lifted that, it would be found tomorrow. There are some cacher's that have done this on their own, just to do it. In fact I remember two set's of cacher's that are family, that where trying to beat each other to find one cache in every county. It was fun to watch their side game. At that time there was a few county's that didn't have a cache at all. Two, I thought this would give everyone a fresh start on this, and level the playing field to see who does complete it first.

You have to remember I don't chase First to find's. That's my choice and I just don't get into them that much. But on a cache like this, I really really would like to see who is nut's enough to complete it first, just due to you have to travel the whole state. Yes, I am aware that a few county's only have a few caches, or have "cached out" the whole county. My suggestion around this, is to contact another cacher that lives in the area, and encourage them to hide a few more cache's. My thought behind this is this will add to the game more across Iowa, and maybe even get some people that are not very active, some communication with some active cacher's and they will get bit by the bug again (so to say). I kind of see this as you may get the opportunity to meet/talk or maybe even find another caching partner, and encourage the spread of the game in a positive manner more threw the state.


This was my reasoning of why I put that requirement in. I've been doing some research on this as it was called to my attention by some cacher's. Which thank you for posting your thought's and idea's. I'm well aware that some are set up as doing this as a "trailblazer" (all find's after the cache publish date) or as "Heritage" (find's found before the cache publish date.

I looked threw some bookmark's that hold many many different kind's of Challenge caches, and looked into some of the All county type's. There are some others that have this same requirement that all caches have to be found after a certain date. There's also a lot that don't have that requirement and break it out using the "trailblazer" and "heritage" method. Colorado and Florida are two that caught my eye on a date requirement, off the top of my head.

I've talked to a few people about this as well, and have found a lot of "twisted" feeling's about this. Some wondering if they want to bother, or just work on it over time, and not try to rush threw it. Which I don't encourage anyone to just rush threw it, stop and see some of the great park's Iowa has to offer, and have fun exploring new area's to you.

If I'm going to drop the rule, I feel (thanks to someone for pointing this out too) the rule would have to be changed fast, so there's no, "well I had to do it this way" and "this person got off easy on this". I want to keep if fair to everyone. So that kind of lead's me to think, I should leave the rule stand as is since it was there when the cache was published.

Plus those people that know me, well you know I kind of follow my own path and just do my own thing, and that has a big effect on the caches I place. Believe me the terra-cacher's know that well, as the "torture" I've put them threw, while hunting some of my terra hides. Ammo can's hanging down in the middle of cliff's, part's to an offset 30 feet up in a tree, crossing river's, are just a few thing's for example's.

So to wrap this up, instead of seeing post's wanting me to change that or not, I figured I would make this post on my blog, and let you post your thought's on the whole thing. Please feel free to post your thought's, comment's, suggestion's, but please do so in a positive manner. I'm not out to tell someone they are "wrong" or "I'm the cache owner it's mine and I'll do what I want". I would like some construction feedback. So again, feel free to make a post on this blog, and maybe thing's will change as I hear others opinion's.

Seriously, have fun exploring Iowa, and the caches they have to offer, team up with other's and have a group hunt to take out some county's. Communicate with your fellow cacher's, maybe some encouragement by asking if they are planning on putting out a new cache, will get them more involved.

I look forward to your comment's.

Happy and safe caching, and get out and enjoy Iowa!!!!

Parabola

Pathtag Design for All Iowa County Challenge Cache

I'm trying to come up with idea's for a pathtag design. This is going to be given away to every person that completes my All Iowa County Challenge Cache and will not be available for trade with the pathtag community. I'd like to make a geocoin for it, but cost is a huge factor. So I went to the next thing and thought a pathtag would be nice to add to someone's collection of caching trinket's. Plus it would be kind of like a "trophy" for completing it.

I'm rolling around with having the state on there and it saying I've cache out all of Iowa or some tag line or something. When I get some jpeg's thrown together, I'll post them.

The way I wrote the cache up, I do think I've got some time before I have to get this done. But if someone does finish it before I get them made, I'll get them one.


Parabola

The Maze Part one.

Well, I'm going to take a little time to talk about the Maze. This is going to take me a few blog post's. It was really neat. If you have little one's try and make it. It's a neat way to introduce how a GPSr works along with a lot of history of caching and the history of GPSr's. But there wasn't a single Garmin in there. Only Maggy's and Trimble's. There was some cool custom made circuit board's that where in the shape of animal's that really where GPSr board's. Those where pretty neat.

Here's some photo's of it and when I get more time, I'll try to talk much more about it.


Nope wrong way


I don't know why the wife pointed this out.



Parabola Jr. gives him a thumb's up.



The family hanging out with Shauna the Lackey

I got to meet a Lackey

I met my first Lackey tonight. I didn't know what to expect, as I first thought it maybe a very serious type of person, but after we all got some time to chat with Shauna Muggs, she's just as much of a cacher as the rest of us. Just all kid's at heart.

In the picture from left to right is: c_dog, Shauna, not sure who's in the back in the middle, Parabola, shabs.

I was pretty excited I got to meet a Lackey. But we had all gotten together for a little pre-party before the Maze Exhibit in the morning. They had some good food, some great company, and got to chat about some of the great adventure's while out caching.

I wanted to get a picture of her and I posing like Jeremy's picture, but she didn't want to do that for a reason. But I did get to tease her about it. :) It was neat to hear some of her story's and I so wish I would have gotten to hear more of them.

Anyways it was great to meet you Shauna!!!! Thanks again for taking the time to do the photo opp. It's the first part of a goal of a geocoin of mine. Now how many more Lackey's can I hunt down? Here's the TB reference number for my geocoin if anyone want's to look it up. I'm still working on the write up and the perfect picture for it for the coin page.

Also it was great to hear about what kind of fun to expect at the Maze.

Beaver's Playground

Here the other day it wasn't raining out for a change when I got off work. I really need to mow the yard something bad, but really wanted to go for a little hike. I have a couple of caches I hadn't done yet in an area in Central City. There's a park to the south east side of there that is really a neat tucked away place. I saw a couple of car's in the parking area's, but never ran into anyone. I was thinking they where mushroom hunter's.

I went and did this two stage cache. A really neat one. Stage one was a mask hanging up on a tree. On the back of the mask was the cord's for the final location, which turned out to be a well hidden ammo can. The sketter's where pretty bad and I haven't fully loaded my cache bag for summer yet, so I didn't have any bug-spray or anything with deet in it. So I had to fight my way threw them. The weed's in the wood's where up to my knee's and I saw a lot of mustard seed plant's and a lot of neddle's. Lucky I had one jean's.

I found a nice animal trail to follow on my way back form the final and if I would have spotted that I could have avoided walking threw the weed's. Oh well, what fun is in that.

Then I was off to this one called LCC 50th Beaver's Playground. I headed off on the main trail and found a spot on the trail that looked like it went back toward's the cache. Some of the brush there was up to my armpit's all ready. But shortly after I made it threw the thick stuff and it was easy walking under the tree's. I got closer and closer, and then I saw swamp water. I looked down at my GPSr and saw only 400 feet or so away. I seemed to have walked out to a "peninsula" (for lack of anything better to call it) as I had to follow the water almost all the way back to where I left the trail. But I kept on following the side of the water hoping to find a low spot to cross. I think in a few week's the water level will go down and the route I tried to take will be passable.





As I was walking along the edge of the swamp, I looked over and saw kind of a clearing threw the tree's. Sure enough there was the trail it had twisted and turned and was going in the direction I wanted. So I hopped back on the trail and follow that till I came to a stream. Now it was a big decision time. Don't cross on the trail and hope the cache was on this side of the stream and swamp, or cross and hope I can find a way to wrap around.

I finally decided to cross the stream and found an animal trail that went the way I wanted to go. I followed that all the way to the edge of the park and the edge of the swampy water. Then wouldn't you know I found another clearing. Only this time it opened up to some farmer's field. I keep to the edge of the wood's and closed in on the cache.



When I was about 50 feet away I found a neat stream I had to cross. Luckily there was some stick's, mud, and clay, that it kind of formed a natural bridge. But I didn't see that till I took the old "leap of faith" across. I was able to hone in on the cache itself easily enough. But I did spot a much easier way to get to this cache. It wouldn't have been as much fun though, but it would have been an easy walk.







I traded some travel bug's, signed the logbook, and returned the cache how I found it. I ended up take the same way I came in all the way back. I'd have to say it was a fun day in the park, and the weather was perfect. Just if I would of had the bug-spray with me. The funny thing though, is I didn't pick up any tick's. I thought for sure I would have picked up a few going threw some tall grass. I'm not complaining at all, just thought I would have a couple to toss out the window as I drove home.

I kind of thought this was funny

Have you ever came across that sign saying you shouldn't been there? I know I've seen quite a few. Some by accident. I took this picture cause I thought this was the "cheapest" No trespassing sign I had ever seen. I found it kind of funny. Yes there was a cache within 20 feet of it, and the parking part was the kicker. But I just thought I share this picture, I took it about a year ago, and just came across it while trying to organize my picture's a little better. And it still crack's me up. Also if you would happen to find this same sign, don't park by it. There's enough nail's and screw's and broken glass around to take out a tire.



I know of another sign that cracked me up but I can't find the picture of it. It said taking picture's from that side of the sign is free, cost of trespassing and they had listed the cost of the fine. And then to top it off, it said "us watching you get a ticket for trespassing is priceless. It made more sense if you read it in person. I just thought these where kind of a nice break from seeing the normal old No trespassing sign's by seeing a funny one.

I do wonder if that one made out of the two pallet's is still standing or is even there anymore.

Scott County Park

Yesterday, it was a little cloudy but I had some puzzle caches figured out, and knowing me, I'll lose the info before I get to look for them. So I took a round about trip and made a side stop at the Herbert Hoover Site in West Branch. I had to visit the tomb of Herbert and his wife and get a picture of me there to get credit for the virtual cache. As many time's as I've been to the museum there, and caches there, I never knew about the tomb's. It was kind of neat to see.



I show how missed my exit's and crossed over into Illinois, and snag one in the parking lot where I turned around at. Then I was headed back in the general direction. A little side road's here and there looking for a few on the way. I finally made it to the park about 2 in the afternoon.

I've been to this park once before, but never really realized it's size. It's huge. I can see where if you know the layout of the park, the parking area's, and the trail's it would help out alot. I parked on the south east side and started off on a trail. As soon as I hit the wood's it started raining on me. As I kept going the trail's seemed to become shallow stream's. But I pressed on. I got near one cache but could see it was on the other side of the real stream. So I crossed on a log. I'll bet it was like the movie "The Goonies". Trying to cross a wet log, with muddy and wet shoes. But I made it, found the cache, and realized I had to cross it again.

Then I picked off another geo-cache, and then headed off trail and up a hill out into a kind of open field for a terra-cache. The whole time I was out in the open it just poured on me. Then after that I headed towards another geo-cache. As soon as I got back into the wood's, the rain stopped. In fact in less than a half an hour the sky's where clear. This is the area I wasn't sure what was smarter, turning around, and heading back to the car. Or keep going on the path I was on. Well, I was soaked from head to toe, so might as well just go with it. I pressed on. Just to find a parking lot. Go figure. I headed back to the car to move it.

I worked in another terra, and on my way to that one, well I was walking along in some ankle high grass, and just as I put my foot down, a three foot long snake goes, flying across the ground right between my leg's headed towards the lake. I'll bet I was a .10 in 3.2 second's. I still am not sure what kind of snake it was. It was a solid dark color, almost black, but not quite. It was a good three inches around, but I never saw it's head. I was thinking a bull snake, but I think those are more of a brown or tan. UGH!!!






I moved on and worked on a geo that was listed as a traditional but really was a two stage cache. It was an easy first stage as just get some number's from a sign and put them in for the final cord's. But I spent a good while looking for it, finally I looked up at previous log's, and saw a string of DNF's. So I bailed on that one.

Then I found another parking area. There was a terra and a geo way back from here and I though I could slip by and work another geo in if I went this way. Looking back at it now, that was a dumb idea. I took the deer trail, heavy bushwhacking (yup even this time of year), fought off some man eating plant's. But I finally made it. In fact I was so intrigued by the area, I walked right by the terra cache and had to turn around. I looked for that one for a long time but couldn't find it. I know the owner and I'm sure it's well hid. My GPSr was bouncing all over the place while I was there. So much I just put it down and starting thinking ok, where would I put it. That didn't work eather. So I figured I head down to this last geo then head back and take a fresh look for it.





I made it to the last planned geo in the area, but then realized if I took this other trail, I could start looking for the first stage of a 5 stage muli cache. So I went that route. After locating that I got the info needed, but got a phone call from home sawing some bad weather was coming in. So I kept going on that trail, and figured out just where I should have parked. Oh well, if one always stuck to the main trail's they would miss all the neat thing's out on the side trail's. Which I almost forgot I stirred up a turkey out of it's nest. Three egg's in there. I didn't bother them, just neat I was about 10 feet away when it took off, and if you've ever heard a turkey taking off from a few feet away, they sure can startle you.

I made my way back to the car. I didn't get to the puzzle in the park I had figured out. But there was some puzzle on the way home, I had figured out. Can't you tell it's been raining out a lot? I've been working on puzzle caches. I was about half way home and two caches left to go, and go another phone call from the wife saying about the tornado near Central City. So I figured I'll be driving right into it. I picked off the last couple and got three TB's to move along through the day.

As I drove home, I got a little rain but not much. But very shortly after I got home, oh yeah the rain broke lose. But all in all I'd have to say I had a great time and got to see a lot of Scott County Park, but I've still yet to scratch the surface of it. I can't wait to go back. I only picked up two tick's, and there was a few sketter's out. Gonna have to dig out the bug spray.

Wow spring must be here

I've noticed within 50 mile of me new caches popping up right and left. A sign that spring is here and people are getting out. So far I haven't been able to get out much, but hopefully that will change soon.

I have to tease Iowa Admin a little. I every time I run a new PQ, with in a half an hour, a bunch of new caches pop up. Can we time that a little better? lol

I see that a new bike trail has opened and that is the main source of the new cache's. I'll looking forward to getting my bike out, and PJ has been bugging me about getting his out. Look's like some bike ride's are in our future.

I hope to have some new cache adventure story's soon to post. I realized I'm going to need to mow my yard already.

Amana Nature Trail

Yesterday, I really needed to check on a terra-cache I had that was missing. I had been trying to get there for about a month but been busy and finally got time to fix it up. While I was in the area, there was one geo-cache that I had looked for a couple of year's ago.

Well, at that time I couldn't find it. So I thought what the heck, I'm in the area, it's raining, but why not, the tick's aren't too bad yet, and the vegetation hasn't taken off just yet. So off I wondered around, checking thing's out and I ended up taking a different trail so I could see the scenic outlook again. There's an Indian dam that is visible from that out look, when the water is low. So far I've never been able to see it. According to the information sign it's the only known one in Iowa. I would really like to see it.



After checking that out again the rain had picked up, slowed down, picked up, then kind of stopped. Once I was in the wood's it wasn't too bad as the tree's blocked most of it, but I did have some fun on some muddy trail's. I headed along the trail getting closer to this cache that I couldn't find. I was so engrossed in the area and listen to some frog's, I went right past the cache area.

After turning back around I started to bushwack the last bit there, then I ran into a pretty deep ravine. That's when I remembered yeah that was the way I took last time. Since it was kind of muddy out, I took a different way around. I got to the cache area, and kind of slapping myself in the forehead, thinking how did I ever miss that.

Regardless, it was great to get out and even though it was raining, the temp out was perfect. And this area near Amana, called the Amana Nature Trail, is a nice place to take a walk in. And someday I hope to see that Indian dam. I was trying to figure out how to make it a virtual terra, but I was able to find all the sign's in the area on the web, so I haven't figured out what I could use for a cc code, that makes sure someone makes the long trip out. But that long trip is worth it.

No more ALR's

It's no secret I haven't been to happy about this no more and you must get rid of all ALR's on all caches on geocaching.com. I've got one that I just don't want to get rid of the ALR. In fact I need to get clarification to even see if it was an ALR. A six stage multi cache with a total of three log book's. You have to sign all three to claim a find. It's not going out of your way to do anything extra. If you are doing the cache as intended you will see all the log book's. You don't have to do the chicken dance or stand on your head while signing.

So to remain in compliance with the guideline's, I made it a "request" instead of required. But after some serious though and thinking how I could change it so what I wanted to do with the extra log book's, I have decided it's time to archive it. I'm leaving it open for the time being to let a few that have express interest some time to finish it.

From what I've gathered it was reviewer's that got the ban in place. Not sure why. But it sound's like they became more of a problem on the coast's and not in our area at all. I don't think there where too many caches with ALR's on them in Iowa anyway's.

I'm starting to feel this is a step in the wrong direction and a kind of limiting what a person can do to make a creative hide. Something extra involved that doesn't have anything to do with geocaching is the given reason for the ban. So how far is that going to trickle down in other cache types. Puzzle's that the puzzle doesn't relate to geocaching?

I'm still surprised the existing one's were not grandfathered over.

Also one had to wonder is this the start of a cache owner losing the ability to police the log's on their caches. If an armchair logger, log's a find will we still be able to delete the bogus log or are they going to take that away from us. I've seen temp ban's and some permanent ban's now for some cache owner's that have deleted log's for no reason other than they didn't like the log. But you have to wonder if they are going to take that ability away here soon.

I wasn't around when virtual's where taken away but they still let the existing one's go or "grandfathered in". As long as the owner was still logging in and policing the log's, then they are left alone. But I can imagine it was a mess for a while with complaint's. I've delt with some of the lackey's and mod's on mine, just cause I didn't' think our volunteer reviewer needed to deal with it. I'm sure he's busy switching cache type for people that are removing the ALR's, and that and taking care of new caches coming out. And I didn't want to add extra work for him.

Just some food for thought, I guess. But as the forum thread's keep growing here, and more thread's are opened. Well, the debate's are no longer debate's, they are getting ugly. I've heard from a few folk's that had a code word hidden in their final cache that was to be e-mail to them by a finder, and they had to drop that as that was an ALR. I guess this should be interesting how it play's out. I would have rather groundspeak leave it into the hand's of the local review's to decide to approve a ALR or not. But I suppose that would lead to lack of consistency due to different opinion's of reviewer's.

On the plus side of thing's we went out today and redid some neat cache's and PJ had a lot of fun with those today.

MOGA 2009

It's just about that time again this year, where a bunch of Iowan's will head to Mo. for a mega event known as Moga. This year I'm not competing in any of the comp's. Just going to get out and explore the area, and find some caches.

Last year was my first trip to the Mark Twain Lakes area, and what a neat place to visit. I'm not sure again what's all in store, but last year it was like ammo can heaven. Got's to love that. These year it's just me going again. I think next year I'll take PJ out of school and take him down. These are just what he loves to find.

I've got the tick spray now and I think just some packing and I'm all set to go. I was able to find a terracache there as well last year. It was a virtual cache and it really highlighted a neat monument.

The view from the top of the dam is really cool as well as from below. This year they say there's over a hundred new one's coming out, plus I still have a few from last year, and a lot from the year before that.

Regardless, if you love to hike, this event you will enjoy.

I'm getting excited now about the trip. I'm hoping to shoot some video while I'm down there as well as post the photo's. Last year I never got the time to post the photo's. It sound's like we have a great group of IGO'ers going again. Some of the older cachers (I mean that have been around longer than I not age) are not going this year. :( If you enjoy event's check it out. It's quite a lot of fun.

MOGA, MOGA, MOGA!!!!