Articles

Visit: Lake Houston Wilderness Park

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:45:50 +0000

I was one of those girls myself, and first attended the camp in 1980 at age 5 with my sister’s troop, and then continued to attend every summer from age 8 to 14. From 1988 to 1990, I was a horse wrangler at this camp, and participated in the closing ceremonies of the camp in a horseback flag ceremony. One of the reasons we were given for the camp being shut down and turned into a park was that the frequent flooding and high waters of “Peach Creek” were causing the mosquitos population to be out of control, and the health of the horses was at stake. A few of the horses had been diagnosed with “swamp fever”, or EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia), which is incurable and results in the horse having to be put down. The saddest moment of the closing bonfire was the ceremonial return of the halter of one of the horses who had to be put down (7-Up, a very popular buckskin mare) to the lady who had donated her to the camp. There was hardly a dry eye in the place during this part of the bonfire, which was held down on the banks of the creek under the big bridge that seperates the upper from the lower reaches of the property.

The rest of the property existed as a retreat for paper company executives, but was acquired by Texas Parks and Wildlife in 1990, along with the 200 acres, and was added to the state park roster. In 2006, TWPD granted the property to the City of Houston. The natural fauna of the park includes loblolly pines, sweet gums, elms and a variety of oaks. Wildlife includes coyotes, bobcats, river otters and several kinds of reptiles (including copperheads and water moccasins, so be aware), amphibians and birds. Nature programs such as owl walks and snake presentations are offered, as well as other nature programs. Horseback riding, biking and kayaking are other activities offered by this gem of a municipal park, as long as the visitor brings their own horse/bike/watercraft. The recent upgrades are only the first phase, and it is hoped this park will be around the offer Houston children a chance to experience wild nature for years to come. I encourage you to go see the changes for yourself and give this park a chance.

Related forum topic

Texas State Parks and The Budget

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:38:16 +0000

From that year on, some portion of the sporting goods tax was allocated to running the state parks, but the voters had decided to keep it less than 32 million in 1995. In 2008, the Legislature revisited the decision to cap the allocations, as sporting goods taxes had soared to over 100 million dollars in revenue and pressure had increased from representatives across the state. It was decided at that point to allocate 94% of the tax to running the state parks, and the remaining 6% to the Texas Historical Commission.

However, the trouble was getting the 94% actually in the hands of TPWD. Before the parks received the money they were due, it would be diverted away from them. In this current budgeting year, the sporting goods tax is expected to raise $250 million, but only 53.1 million is designated for the parks, while another 22 million will go to beach erosion. The rest, $175.9 million, will go to “balancing the State’s budget”. Currently (according to Representative Lyle Larson, San Antonio), with $125 million coming in,only $26 million is going toward state parks.

And yet, TPWD is stuck with its hand out, begging for money. With its current goal being to raise 4.6 million dollars, it’s less than 25% to its goal. The latest update (Feb 21 2012) of where they were towards this goal had them at less than 25% of what they need, at 1.14 million. Most of that has come from two huge donations: $500,000 from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and $250,000 from the Lufkin-based Temple Foundations.

There are ways to support the TPWD to keep the parks open, the employees paid, and the infrastructure updated. Those ways include what TPWD is saying on their homepage: donate $5 through the DMV when registering your vehicle, buy a conservation license plate, donate through the website, buy a state parks pass, and visit the state parks. Potentially, though, applying pressure to your local representative to support the allocation of the sporting goods tax to the parks and to not to support the diversion of the designated funds to other areas of the budget, may be a more effective way to keep the parks alive.

Featured Cacher For April 2012 - BBQBob2

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:36:44 +0000

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
I’m an engineer and a tinkerer and two of my favorite caches were hide in plain sight caches by Jarihend. They’ve both been archived and Richard and Janet have moved to Florida, but Richard’s “Can You Hear Me” cache in Friendswood and “What’s the Score” cache in Clear Lake were simple and elegant and were kind of inspiring. I’ve tried to make some fun and interesting hides and hope people have enjoyed them as much.

I also like history and any virtual that takes me to a new and interesting place is always appreciated.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
I enjoyed cachestacker’s “Cow Tipping” night caching event last year. The road trip aspect combined with some very good company and fun caches made for a very nice evening.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
There’s two that stick out. For my 1000th find I invited Jim (txgolfer) to join me in finding drew8’s very well done “Plundering the Treasure” multi. We had all but the final in hand and confidently headed into the swamp in June. After an hour or so of wandering, mossies, heat stroke and a torn shirt we had nothing, even with a desperate PAF call. We staggered out, having walked by the final about 5 times. Jim went back and found it with Joni a while later, but I’m saving it for #1500 now.

My most embarrassing moment came when staggering back (a common thread) from a DNF on an old friend, “Bad Czech” in Friendswood. As I dragged back to my car I saw a police car parked next to it. I said good morning to the two officers and told them I had been in the woods Geocaching. They said “ We know, we ran your plates and called your daughter and she said you were probably off doing your “nerd hobby”. Could not argue a bit.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
I’m not too good at them, but I enjoy solving puzzles. You always learn something new, whether its about the subject of the puzzle or about the person who made the puzzle.

What is your favorite local cache?
I’ll come back to drew8’s “Plunder” multi. Well thought out, with a good back story that takes you all over Clear Lake. Nicely done!

How about your favorite out of state cache?
We enjoyed a neat virtual in Virginia near Natural Bridge, where you turn a corner and see a scale replica of Stonehenge on a hill. The places caching takes you!

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
I enjoy the cooler winter temps for sure. Summers are better for easy PNGs and the pool.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
I used to go after FTFs very seriously and have kind of mellowed out of it. The temptation is still there but I’m getting much better at resisting it.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
My cache mobile is a very un-4WD Ford Taurus. Much better for the daily commute than the back woods. Found this out one Saturday morning looking for a cachestacker hide in Friendswood when my front wheels went into about six inches of soft mud. Did not need AAA, but did spend a few dollars at the car wash to get rid of the muddy evidence.

What other hobbies do you have?
I also like to woodwork, read, garden and keep up with my two growing grandkids, Emily and Colin.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Just picking up caches along the way. Pat and I will be driving to NY this summer for a few weeks and I’d like to add a few states to the souvenir file.

Is it all about the numbers?
Not at all. It’s about the fun and thrill of the find and of the comraderie of this great group we have in Houston.

Thanks for this interview.
Is there anything you would like to add? Thank you for the interview and I’d like to thank all the SE side cachers and the HGCS community for making this such a great addiction!

Featured Cacher for August 2005 - UsMorrows

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:19:19 +0000

What kind of equipment used (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)?
UsMorrows: The PDA Toshiba e755 PDA with Mapopolis Navigator and Dreamware (Wayne did a great job on his Dreamware). GPS is a Garmin GPSmap 76S and Garmin III+ . I usually leave the III+ hooked up to the PDA and use the 76S to locate the cache. The 76S is kind of bulky but the large screen is nice for us old folks. Other software is ExpertGPS, GSAK, National Geographic TOPO, GPS to Maplet, Geocalc and Mapsource. Of course many web mapping sites are used also. Depending on what kind of cache day is planned we may also carry the laptop with us. The cachemobile has three lighter plugs in the front and one in the back, they are often all in use. Geeze sometimes it looks like someone is fixing to have open heart surgery in the thing.

What are your all-time favorite cache/s and or adventure whilecaching?
UsMorrows: The list is long but distinguished but I will only do a few here. We like long walks in the woods so of course Four Notch Loop has to go here as well as Rumble in the Jungle and Fallen Timber. A Bridge Too Far is great not only for the uniqueness but the fun watching Frances. She doesn't get higher than the second step on a ladder and you should of seen her legs shaking. Here legs were even sore the next day from so much shaking going on. Since this is a family site I can't say the names she called Geowyz when she found the second stage. She almost fell coming back and butt scooted back. I don't know if you would call it an adventure but some of the most funwas when the stats pages were up and we were constantly fighting Geowyz for the top Houston Area Cacher. Some trickery was involved like caching all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday but not logging until after the weekend. Geowyz and us got near our 1000th cache near the same time and we laid down our swords and went and did number 1000 together, it was Bull's Favorite Puzzle Pie Cache GCKQ2N, that has to be on the list of favorites.

Do you have any other hobbies?
UsMorrows: Fishing, Hunting, Woodworking, Programming and Model Railroading. Many have been in neglect since Geocaching. Dang I need to retire.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
UsMorrows: I'll do two here, one for Frances and one for me. When a cache came up near the house I would often tell Frances why don't you go get it but she would say that she didn't want to go by herself. After Babslover, Indian Point and a couple of other ladies that cached by their self she decided to do a solo. That was Mease Tracks GCD394. The parking is a softball park on Red Bluff. There was a practice going on and she drove in and parked. It is a long walk and swampy. When she came out the gates were locked and there was one of Pasadena's finest parked at the gate waiting for the wrecker to get there to tow off her car. He wasn't happy about missing lunch and listening to this muddy woman explaining Geocaching to him. BillyH witnessed it as he turned through the cut-through to go to the cache. She got off embarrassment and got mad when she saw him drive off. She had her cell phone but of course it was in the car and wouldn't have been much good if the Tahoe was towed off. For me there was that cache in Terryl Park in Beaumont. Captain J had done a series on navigational caches and there was a prize for the first six that completed the series. We had done five and the last was in Beaumont. After doing the calculations for the final cache and being a clever person I told my boss I may need to take a half a day of vacation. I figured if I could haul it to the cache and get back I wouldn't need to waste any vacation. The first mistake I made was stopping at a store near the park for a cool drink. A car with some guy in it followed me into the park and was right on my bumper. I decided to pull into the restroom hoping he would continue on. I didn't look back but coming out I saw his car parked at the road. He walked by me and said Hi, with that kind of voice. As I was getting in my truck I heard him yell ""look here"" and it wasn't pretty. No way I was going in the woods now. I didn't want to give up on the cache so I went to Beaumont and ate lunch. When I came back I didn't see his car but it sure was hard finding the cache while looking over your shoulder all the while. Yea, there is the towel to wipe the mud off also."

Featured Cacher For September 2011 - no muggle

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:06:41 +0000

How did you decide on your caching name?
no muggle: Being new to the sport and having to log that first cache, and having no mentors to tell me what to do at the time, I just used my name. That account is still out there with that one logged cache. After looking at some caches and logs online I decided that no one uses their real name, they have cool code names. So I sat down with the computer and started trying to open a new account with the cool code names I came up with. Taken. Taken. Taken. Taken…. After what seemed like 100 tries, all taken, the first name I hit on that wasn’t taken became my new caching name. I think it’s a dorky name, but I’m not changing it now.

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
no muggle: I had a Garmin 60csx that I loved, that was stolen, and that I want back. But, since it was gone I had to get a new one. I replaced it with a Garmin 62s. I much prefer the 60 because it works better with the way I cache as far a loading and deleting caches. On the fly I use my droid phone with c:geo, but it sucks the life out of my phone very quickly. I never have figured out that GSAK stuff, so I probably do everything the old school way.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
no muggle: Here we go.
Favorite Virtual – GCB5F0 Ghost Children
Favorite Multi – GCKVC8 Plundering the Treasure of Captain Drew
Favorite Earthcache - GC23EVA Got Gator?
Favorite Puzzle GCNKYJ Stop! In the Name of Love (archived)
Favorite Traditional - GCRF6F Texas County Challenge

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
no muggle: Just the usual adventures—snake encounters (many), alligator encounters (2-both very up close and personal), failed water crossings, encounters with the law. Which brings to mind our favorite quote from one particularly back-woods north-west Texas patrolman who was fascinated that someone from the Houston area would drive all the way across the state to look at “his” tree -- “In west Texas, if it looks stupid, it probably is.”

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
no muggle: I stopped along a dirt road going to a park parking lot because there was a cache about 125 feet straight in. I figured I could run in, sign the log, and be back before anyone else came down the road. I had just gotten my new phone and wanted to check it out for caching and figured this would be a good test cache. The cache hadn’t been found in quite some time so there was no geo-trail. Well, I got in there, found the cache and got turned around. I usually have a very good sense of direction, I got LOST. How could I possibly get lost with a road only 125 feet away? Normally I would have my GPS with tracks on so I could find my way back. But, since I was testing the phone I left the GPS in the car. I was only going 125 feet, afterall. I started in the wrong direction and didn’t come to the road so went back. Went off in another direction and didn’t find the road. After about 4 attempts to find the road I was starting to panic. I tried to call bittybit to come and rescue me, but no answer. By this time I could hear people talking so I started yelling for help. No response. Plan B: go to the voices. But what if it’s bad guys? I am alone in the woods in an unseemly part of town. Plan C: sneak up on the voices. Well, as it turned out, the voices were a parks department guy sitting in his truck and a sheriff going through my car. He was standing beside the open drivers side door of my car, going through my wallet, with my old dead phone in his hand. He had tried to call “mom” but for some reason the phone wasn’t working. Thank God. My mother thinks I am a little nuts for doing this in the first place and doesn’t like me going off by myself like I do many times. I can’t imagine what she would have done if she had answered the phone.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
no muggle: I like challenges –not the new things they just started, those are silly. Challenges like the Texas County Challenge, Earthcache Challenge, Texas State Parks challenges. I like earthcaches because they usually take you to some pretty cool places. I usually leave the reading and learning part to bittybit—some of those writeups are just too long to keep my interest and attention. I like traditionals. I like virtuals. It is probably easier to answers what is my least favorite type of cache—puzzles. I usually have to get a hint from the queen of puzzles to find out how to even begin.

What is your favorite local cache?
no muggle: I don’t even want to go there. I have done too many that I thought were awesome, and too many that I thought weren’t. Way too many to single out just one. As long as it doesn’t take me to a really scary, or crappy place it is my favorite until I find the next one.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
no muggle: Nothing springs to mind instantly. I have done a lot of out of state Earthcaches. Those usually take you to some pretty awesome places, so those would be my favorites. Unless I just need a fix, then anything will do.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
no muggle: I like caching every day. Why? Because I’m addicted. Because it gets me outside.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
no muggle: Tempted-always. But do I go? It depends. Do I have my PJ’s on already? Sometimes even that doesn’t matter. How close is it? Is anybody likely to get there before me? Sometimes I just don’t feel like it. Sometimes I do.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
no muggle: 2010 Prius. It has gone “off-road” on more than one occasion. It has also had several flat tires replaced already. I can’t say for sure that the flats were the result of caching, but I suspect so.

What other hobbies do you have?
no muggle: Who has time for other hobbies? I do love a good road trip and now most of them involve caching. I guess that’s why the Texas County Challenge appealed to me—just a good excuse for a lot of road trips and a great way to see this exceptional state of ours. Same for the Texas State Park challenges. And, of course, all trips require finding at least one cache, especially if it is a new state or country.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
no muggle: Bittybit and I have completed 4 of the seven 2011 Texas State Park area challenges and part of a 5th. I would like to complete all 7, but the Big Sky area is a little daunting. More road trips. I need 2 earthcache types to complete the Earthcache challenge—and they will both require road trips. My goal prior to my geocaching life was to go to all 50 states, which took me a long time, but I finally did it. Now I need to go back to all 50 and get caches. At least I already have the two hard states out of the way. Another goal is to keep my “home area” cleared out. My closest to home unfound is about 15 miles until someone puts out a new one. Then I must go get it. I need only February 29th to complete the Finds for Each Day of the Year. There hasn’t been a Feb 29th since I started caching, so in my mind I have completed that one. I need some 4.5’s and 5’s to complete the difficulty/terrain grid, but can’t get cachestacker to put out the right combinations.

Is it all about the numbers?no muggle: In the beginning, Absolutely. Now, probably. It’s just plain fun, and it gets me to the place I love the most—outdoors. Throw in a little exercise and what could be better? And, there’s always “just one more”.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
no muggle: Thanks to everyone who has put out the caches for me to find. Someday I will get the bug to put some out. I have a stock pile of containers that probably numbers in the hundreds—ammo cans, pill bottles, bison tubes, nanos, specially crafted—and someday I will put them out. Right now I am just too busy trying to find the ones that are already out there.

Featured Cacher For August 2011 - cook cachers

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:06:02 +0000

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
cook cachers: When we started we already had an old Lowrance we used on the boat. That and a pad of paper got us through our first year caching. For Christmas the boat got a new Garmin Colorado 400C (c is for nautical charts if you didn’t know), and we still use it for caching today. The Capt. can use GSAK, but I am mostly computer illiterate and happily so.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
cook cachers: We had an amazing 1000th tribute cache placed for us by bografan, easygroomer and criffree called Bottle Shock (GC1XWGE). Bogra and Mish came out to root for us, beer and wine were served, two of our three daughters were there and we made a boyfriend climb a tree. It was very memorable. We did Danger Island (GC1EV7K) for our 1500, and if you read our log you will see it was an amazing adventure. For our 2000 we went to Port Aransas to find Shell Shocked (GCVDB3), which we had looked for 5 times before. Ended up using a PAF, but had invested so much time in it, we were just glad to have it off the list. Land Ahoy (GC2K3A8), Toadal Shock (GC2JWR7) and CC Limps to 2000 (GC2JWVF) were excellent tributes to the Good, Bad and Ugly parts of my caching life.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
cook cachers: We love to travel, so our favorites will always be ones we get elsewhere. A couple of years ago we were headed to Belize for a sailing vacation. At the time, the oldest unfound cache in the world was “Oh so blue” (GC15D). We knew we would be sailing right by the island, so planned our trip to stop for it. The island is a fish camp and the cache had been given to one of the locals for safe keeping. He had since disappeared, but the camp owner was supposed to know where the cache was. He was out fishing while we were there and we never got to speak to him (although we did get some great fresh fish for dinner). Back in the US we contacted the CO to let him know how things went, and he finally decided to contact the camp owner. It was decided the original was missing and needed replacing, which he did. Another cacher had an amazing adventure getting FTF a few months later and that was that.

The next year we went back to Belize and there was an unfound multi available. We got to the first waypoint, used the info provided to solve for the second and set off down the beach. Approaching GZ, it was obvious what the COs had done, but it was also obvious the cache was not there. Suddenly the groundskeeper appeared and asked if we were looking for a red thermos; of course we were! Found the log and FTF prize safe inside. We figured it was good karma from the year before.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
cook cachers: You would think it was the day the Capt. tore his rotator cuff doing the TXPDGC at Monument Hill while reciting the “Charge of the Light Brigade” to entertain cachin shark. Or the time I broke my leg showing davarle, atennisbabe and cachin shark a cache I already had. But I really think it might have been criffree’s Cinco Ranch Song Series. We had just become premium members when these popped around 10 at night. The Capt. was already in bed, but the two younger girls were game. It was 11 when we arrived and seeing the first blank log made us excited to get the rest. We finished around 1am and had a .5 mile walk back to the car, across the front of Seven Lakes HS. We did not know how well patrolled it was, but within moments a squad car was upon us. We had ID and a good excuse for being there, so I proceeded to tell the officer about geocaching and pull some things out of my geobag, one being a collection of very small log Baggies. The cop took one look at them and told me it was a very bad idea to show things like that to an officer. The looks on my kids’ faces told me I should understand exactly why this was a bad thing, but for quite a long time I hadn’t a clue.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
cook cachers: The Capt. likes to cache when we travel, so his favorite are virtuals, Earthcaches and more exotic traditionals. I love them all, including LPCs on a hot summer’s day and a 2 mile hike into GBP for a single FTF. I am not a very good puzzle-solver, however the Capt. is, so we make a good team.

What is your favorite local cache? cook cachers: Much as I hate to admit it, we really had a good time doing Houston Area Pick 6 (GC219QQ). We could not have made more mistakes in getting around BNC, crossing swamps unnecessarily, walking the long way around, twice, for one cache, having to PAF the letterbox finally because we were soooooo tired by that point. In the end we got it and came back for the 10 year event. BNC caches are a lot of fun, but ssssshhhh, don’t let on to HC.

How about your favorite out of state cache? cook cachers: How about out of country cache? This summer we went to England and Wales. The first cache we got there was on a walk To the Pond (GC2VX7R). The light trickled through the tree cover and on to the ivy-wrapped tree trunks, giving the path a verdant, ethereal glow, like a LotR Elven wood, sweet!

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
cook cachers: Winter because there is less chance of PI, snakes, ticks, and all out heat stroke.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?cook cachers: Yes.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
cook cachers: 1998 Chevy S10 named Charlie, the best truck a girl’s ever had!

What other hobbies do you have?
cook cachers: We sail a classic S&S designed Yankee 30 out of Kemah Boardwalk Marina. Some may have seen a few of our caches there. We also ride motorcycles with a Law Enforcement MC. Mostly we like to travel, which all of our hobbies allow us to explore.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
cook cachers: 366 day matrix, D/T matrix, 3000 finds and staying ahead of JustKeely!

Is it all about the numbers?
cook cachers: There are numbers in this game??? I like numbers, but good hides, time spent with family and friends, new and interesting places to remember caches by, that’s what really keeps me caching.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
cook cachers: To the ladies I cache with most often - atennisbabe, cachin shark, davarle, kirbydox, Maxwell’s Hammer, and the lately absent because she’s working Mrs. Muddy Buddies, thanks for your friendship, good humor and for saving my bacon on any number of occasions.

To my arch nemesis MOS73 – sorry about all the stuff I write about you in my logs…you did know about that, right???

Finally, a shout out to the WSFTFC – bografan, cachin shark, criffree, easygroomer, familieryan, geogeex, lgne, and everyone else who has made a nighttime FTF run and stood around chatting into the night afterward. That’s why we named the new Westside Event FTF, because everyone is welcome and all we do is stand around talking!

Featured Cacher For July 2011 - GeoGeex

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:05:02 +0000

How did you decide on your caching name?
GeoGeex: Like many others I used a normal login name to create my geocaching.com account. Suffice it to say that it didn’t take long for me to realize that I didn’t have the “cool” factor with a geocaching name like “kwade13”. I was really beating myself up for that so I decided to do some investigating into how I could change my name. I ended up emailing the folks at Groundspeak and they responded to let me know that they would change it, but only once. So now I had to come up with a really cool name. The hobby that had kept me busy up until I discovered geocaching was fighting malware. I had gone through online training at GeeksToGo so that I could help people rid their computers of viruses and such. I was on staff there and at several other sites. My wife had repeatedly told me as I was going through malware training to own my “geekness”, so I decided to do so. I wanted to tie “geo” with “geek” so I started looking for different combinations that were available. I discovered there were quite a few geeks into geocaching already (perhaps we all are!) but I was finally able to find a name that was available. By spelling geek with an “x”, I was able to come up with a unique name but also make it sound plural so that it would include my entire family. Thus, GeoGeex was born.

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
GeoGeex: When I first started, I had no idea how much I would actually cache as my attention can get turned rather quickly so I didn’t want to spend too much. I settled on a Garmin eTrex Venture HC. Having never owned anything else, it worked really well for me. I did have some trouble in the deep woods sometimes with keeping a signal and it only worked as long as you were moving. I would get near GZ and then do this huge arm flourishing movement so that it would think I was walking and point in the right direction. I found over 900 caches with that thing before it went bad. It went out two days before I was to leave for the 10 year event down in Port Aransas. I had hoped to find #1000 down in Port Aransas but it wasn’t going to happen now. The cool thing was that it was still under warranty at REI so when I took it down they let me pay the difference for a Garmin 60 CSx. I was styling now! It took me awhile to get used to it but it sure makes a difference! I’m perfectly happy with it and don’t really have any desires to upgrade although the 62 CSx is pretty tempting! The biggest tool I use though is GSAK. In my opinion, it’s a must have for any serious cacher. I also always have my Android phone loaded with cgeo on hand. This setup allows me to do paperless caching.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
GeoGeex: I have a lot of favorites for various different reasons. Since I’m a huge puzzle hound, just about any puzzle put out by BigBender or FamilieRyan is a sure winner. And of course, any FTFC cache I (or we, if it’s a co-ftf) find the trophy in flies right up to the top of my list, and so far that includes FTFC #74 – Does Not Compute (GC26NNT), FTFC #79 NtN018 Training Academy (GC2FGNP), FTFC #83 A Remorseful Cache (GC2M9WF, FTFC #86 – Prolonged Mediocrity (GC2NZ6B) and primero en encontrar el número de cache (FTFC #90 - GC2YK4E) . Most of the time, my favorite caches are not about the cache itself but in sharing an adventure with some of my friends. The Project (GC22PQ8) is one such of these adventures as we tromped around in sub-freezing temperatures in the dark for quite awhile to find something that wasn’t exactly expected. Thanks to FamilieRyan son for putting us out of our misery on that one! When it comes to just the cache itself, Geogeex1000:Anatadaephobia (GC28DJY) is quite an ingenious hide with several decoys to help you along the way! The one cache that really sticks out in my mind though, and it just so happens to be the only cache that I have found outside of Texas, is VIEW CARRE’ (GCE02C) in New Orleans. The size of the stash and the huge geocoins are a nice treat but they don’t compare to the personalized tour you get from one of the highest buildings in the city. Everyone should do that one.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
GeoGeex: That’s what caching is all about! The adventure and sense of camaraderie with friends! I have had many, many adventures with friends and I’ve cherished them all but the biggest one I ever embarked on was a chase for the FTFC trophy with my better half Mrs. Geex. The specific cache is FTFC #86 – Prolonged Mediocrity (GC2NZ6B). Here in lies the story:

After a long weekend of traveling around, we were relaxing in bed a bit before hitting the sack. This cache popped up and of course, all priority shifted to it. I worked on it a bit and then asked Mrs. Geex what she thought it could be. She didn't hesitate to tell me what all that mumbo jumbo was related to. Sure enough, I made the final connections but I couldn't get the green light! I rechecked my calculations and had missed a minus sign in one of my numbers and voila! I got the green! I asked a few of my fellow ninjas if they would like to go with me and grab the trophy. Fortunately, none of them were available. Fortunately? Why yes, because Mrs. Geex said, "I'll go with you...if you stop and buy me a large sonic drink." After I picked my jaw up off the floor and did the happy dance, we geared up to go. I had briefly looked at a map and thought I had a good bearing on how to get to it. For attempt #1 we pulled up to a nice parking spot and got our gear ready. Oops, we only have one flashlight! Oh well, we'll have to make do. The first thing we encounter is a small bayou. I knew we would have to cross it and it looked really shallow there. Mrs. Geex took one step and then two...and found herself up to the top of her boots in mud...more like quicksand! I grab her under the arms and try to pull her out but she is stuck! I end up stepping too close for leverage and my right leg sinks to the knee. Great. Somehow I manage to pull her free leaving both her boots in the mud. I then waller around in the mud until I get my leg free and retrieve her boots. We are covered in mud in the first 5 minutes! This is when I first noticed that she had yoga pants on. “This is a terrain 4!” I said. “Those are gonna get torn up in the thickets!” She said I didn’t tell her it was a terrain 4, but that I said we were just going to go after a little cache. I suppose I didn’t mention that part. We walk further down the bayou and find a much better place to cross and continue our trek. About .8 miles from the cache, attempt #1 ends into a crossing bayou with way too much water to cross. I figured this was the end of the line for this run. Nature call #1 visits Mrs. Geex and just when the "full moon" appeared, the coyotes cut loose across the bayou. It was kind of eery! We laughed all the way back to the van. Upon enclosing ourselves in the van, we realized that the quicksand we had been in smelled of raw sewage. We then decided we would drive east a little further and try to find another way.

The first stop had "No Trespassing" signs up so that was a no go. We circled back and went west to see if a road circled back behind somewhere. We ended up at a construction site that looked promising. So we geared up and headed out for attempt #2. After about a quarter mile walk, we ended back up at the same bayou that stalled us on attempt #1! This was beginning to suck and I had come to the conclusion that it wasn't going to happen tonight. On the way back to the van I was walking ahead of Mrs. Geex and she had the flashlight but the moon was pretty bright. My leg catches on something and down I'm going! I land flat on my back with my arms out to the side. I heard a huge CRACK! I was just hoping that wasn't my leg! Mrs. Geex, through her laughter, shined the light down to discover a two foot high fence and illuminated my treasured Belizian walking stick in two pieces! Oh man! This night was turning into a nightmare! We make our way back to the van as my wife sang the 80’s song, “I’ll Tumble For You”. I told Mrs. Geex this run was done. She said, "I did not drive all the way out here, get mud up to my back, tromped around in weeds taller than I am and shine my backside to the animal kingdom to not get that trophy!" I was amazed at her tenacity! Nature call #2 for Mrs. Geex, no coyote catcalling was heard. So we decided to head back east again and check out some other options.

We cross a railroad track and I looked over at the GPSr and it looked like it was pointing straight down the tracks, but we continued on. We saw lots of pipelines but no good entry so we turned around and headed back. We pulled over at the tracks and decided to make a go of it. The tracks basically run right through a swamp. There was water on both sides so we were hoping that a train would not show up. The cache was about a mile away and the rocks were large and hard to navigate with rubber boots on. My wife was certain that my graceful behind would fall and crack my head on the rail (I had already bitten the dust caching twice this weekend). I had forgotten my gun in the van so I headed back to get it when a law enforcement officer slowed and shined a light into my van. He didn’t see us in there so he went about his business. I got what I was after and met back up with Mrs. Geex down the tracks. Nature call #3 for Mrs. Geex, again no coyotes but a short while later we found a deceased coyote in the middle of the tracks. Mrs. Geex wanted a picture but I said we could get it on the way back. We walked for an eternity across the cross ties and rocks checking frequently behind us for train lights as my wife thought it was possible for a train to sneak up on us.

Finally the GPSr pointed directly into the woods. We would have to bushwhack .28 miles! Groan! We had come too far so in we went. It was very slow moving because we only had the one flashlight and so I had to go forward and then turn around with the light so that Mrs. Geex could follow. By the time we reached the cache, we were beat, sweating profusely and smelled of funk. Then I see the reason the terrain is rated 4! I lay my stuff down to begin the attempt at the cache. I forgot a pen! I cannot believe I forgot a pen! I'm hoping there is one in the cache. I reach the cache and open the lid to find that beautiful trophy! My wife shines the light up and takes a picture but it didn’t' turn out. I get the log out, but unfortunately there is no pen [:(]. I take some camo tape and tear a couple of tiny strips to form an "X" as my name. So all the log has is that simple camo "X", but I was not about to go to the car and come back with a pen! I dropped a cheap toy in the lightweight container to try and weight it down but I'm not sure it will serve as the trophy did. With the trophy in hand, some of the adrenaline was gone and the weariness set in. The bushwhack back to the tracks seemed easier than going in as I worked with the forest instead of brute forcing my way through. After finding the tracks, nature call #4 for Mrs. Geex, those sonic drinks sure do hydrate you.

We walked down the tracks with the bright moon shining our way, happy that we had persevered. But our adventure was not over! About a third of a mile away from the car, we turned around and spotted the light of a train coming down the tracks! With water on both sides, we couldn't get more than 10 feet away in either direction. We stayed on the tracks but picked up our pace. Mrs. Geex was afraid of getting sucked up in the train when it went by so she told me when it reached us she was going to sit down! No amount of logic was going to change her mind, so I kept her moving as fast as we could with the loose rocks. We eventually abandoned the tracks and kept going down one side but the rocks were even looser. Apparently we had spotted the train when it was a long, long way off because it was slow catching us. Trying to stay upright on the loose rocks at a fast pace was taking its toll. The bottom of our feet was beginning to feel bruised. When we were about a tenth a mile away from the road, we could hear it barreling down, no whistle, just the vibration of the tracks and the hum of the engine. At this point, we were almost sprinting trying to get out before it reached us. About the time our feet hit the pavement, the train went roaring by! I couldn't believe we had actually made it out before it got to us! We stripped off muddy boots and waited out the train.

We stopped a couple of places to get a drink but nothing was open at 3:00 in the morning. Despite all the little mishaps tonight, we had a really good time and laughed all the way home. I'm sure moving that trophy back to the west side helps the happy factor! We left home at 10:30 pm and got back at 3:30 am. 5 hours of fun! You can’t get much more entertainment for the price of a coke.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
GeoGeex: My most embarrassing moment came early on after I had just begun caching. I was out with my young son on this particular day. We parked by a nice building and enjoyed the view of the small lake on the way to the cache which was located near a bridge with huge bushes. We went into the bushes and found the cache with no problem. There was only one way in and one way out. While placing the cache back I heard someone come up outside the bushes and they were fishing. Oh man! Now what to do? I sat for a few moments hoping they would go away but I was having trouble keeping my son quiet. After a bit, I decided there was nothing else I could do so out we went. I was holding his hand and dragging him along while I got some surprised looks. I almost wanted to shout about the cache we had just found and show everybody but instead I just skulked my way back to the car.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
GeoGeex: My favorite type of cache is one that hasn’t been found! Yes, I admit it. I’m an FTF hound. That’s probably because I like the social aspects of geocaching. In Katy, chasing an FTF is considered as common as breathing! All kidding aside, it’s not really about who gets there first as much as it’s about everybody getting there. I just enjoy meeting up with my friends and chatting for awhile in a calm, relaxing atmosphere. If I were to pick a favorite cache type though, it would probably be the puzzle. As a kid, I would always beg my mother to buy me those Logic Problem magazines at the grocery store. I would sit for hours solving those things. Having said that, I like all types of caches and it just depends on the mood I’m in for what flavor I’ll have on a particular day.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
GeoGeex: Winter cacher all the way! Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t like snakes. So anytime there isn’t snakes about, that’s when I want to be out. I remember in December of 2009, it snowed and several caches were popping that night. I went out after them and grabbed quite a few with no fear of stepping on anything. It was fantastic! Now this doesn’t mean I don’t cache year around because unfortunately I have one of those addictive personalities and geocaching has got me snared. I merely invested in a nice pair of Gore-tex, snake proof boots so that I could feed my addiction even when those slithery pests are waiting on me!

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
GeoGeex: Did I mention that I’m an FTF hound? Yes I am! That’s what I live for! That’s why I get up every morning and check my email before even brushing my teeth to see if I need to hurry and get out the door so that I can grab that really late night publish that no one has gotten yet. I’m currently running a 9.3% FTF rate against my total finds. I have slowed down a bit lately as life has been rather hectic but chasing FTFs is definitely a big part of the game for me. Maybe it goes back to the social aspect of the game and how active the FTF community is here in Katy. And while it’s not the primary goal of the Night Time Ninjas, it does play a big part because caching at night goes hand in hand with chasing those newly published caches.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
GeoGeex: Ah, yes. I drive the coolest of man-made transportation devices. I hate to reveal it because it’s such a great vehicle for stealth. No one ever expects it. Are you ready for it? It’s a 2005 Honda Minivan! Ha! It has a nice little spot in the back behind all the seats to hold all my geocaching equipment and several ammo cans to boot! Ok, who am I kidding? Truth is, I used to have a really cool Nissan Titan pickup truck with a sprayed in bed liner, folding seats, DVD movie player, the works! When gas went up to almost $5 a gallon a few years ago, I just could not justify commuting with that gas hog so I traded it in for Nissan Versa. After my step-daughter turned 16, she got that car, momma got a new one and I got the mom-mobile! Geesh! The things you do for the ones you love. But it does have that nifty spot for hauling all my stuff and I don’t get any traffic tickets in it either!

What other hobbies do you have?
GeoGeex: There are other hobbies besides geocaching? I used to be an avid gamer but I have vowed to never go back there. It just isn’t healthy physically, mentally or spiritually. I like to spend my spare time with my family. We do just about everything together, except geocaching because for some reason they think I’m way too serious about it, go figure. We love to spend time at the beach or seeing new places which we don’t get to do often enough. I like to go deep sea fishing. I also enjoy cooking so around the holidays I do lots of cookies and cupcakes. I just got a brand new electrical smoker and have added this cool device that adds the smoke for like 8 hours so I can set it off overnight and wake up to some tasty food.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
GeoGeex: I have a few goals I’m hoping to reach soon. One is to get to 2000 caches although I’m not really pushing that at the moment. I’m sure once I get past 1900 and it seems real, then I’ll push onward. The only real goal I’m working toward right now is filling in my day matrix, which actually slows down my caching because I’m always “saving that one” for when I need one quick. I’m hoping to complete it next year on February 29th! I would like to bolster my FTF numbers and of course chase as many FTFC caches as I can. I’m very close to having placed 50 caches and I would also like to place a big series.

Is it all about the numbers?
GeoGeex: In the beginning it was. So much hoopla is made about reaching 1000 caches that in the back of your mind it’s almost inherent that you achieve that in order to gain “street cred”. I’m sure it’s not the same for everybody, but it was almost like a second job to get there. Once there, I slowed way down. Now I only do the things I want to do. If I want to grab a few caches then I go. If I want to sit on my duff, drink a beer and watch Food Network, then that’s what I do. I find that there is a definite correlation between how close you are to a milestone and how important it becomes. Having said all that, I still like to claim as many FTFs as I can. The most fun I have now is telling the story of finding the cache in my log.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
GeoGeex: First off, thanks for the honor of being nominated and thanks to the great people who help to make the HGCS site a great place. I’m very honored to be a part of such a tremendous community of people. Everyone I have met has been friendly and helpful and I have had some wondrous times with many of you. I have made many, many friends but I just want to say thank you to my mentors, especially FamilieRyan and Criffree who took me under their wings and helped me along the way. A special thanks to the Trinity of the Night Time Ninjas, EasyGroomer, Bografan and Criffree for honoring me with my own NTN number, NtN0013. A big shout out goes to the WSFTFC, you know who you are. And last but not least, a huge thank you to my darling wife Penny, who tolerates my crazy addiction to this game (don’t think I don’t know you kick me out the door just to get some quiet time to read)!

Featured Cacher For June 2011 - Tantillos.com

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:04:20 +0000

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Tantillos.com: Our favorite caches are any of the ones that are hoisted up into a tree and involve a tool to retrieve. We also enjoy finding caches that haven’t been found in a while. We also enjoy the caches that take us some place to see something we never would have found without caching, such as Howard Hughes’ gravesite, the Funeral Museum, art museums, the Orange Show, the beer can house – stuff like that. But to name a specific cache that is our favorite would be way too hard. We enjoy them all.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Tantillos.com: The Geocaching Lower Arkansas Division (GLAD) were hosting an event, so we were pretty sure we’d be able to scoop up some FTF’s in and around Andrea’s hometown. We drove all night, stopping for caches along the way. Then we saw our target, a FTF! GZ was right at the end of a driveway. We hoped the driveway was the cache owner’s, but we really had no way of knowing for sure. It was still dark, but we really wanted the FTF. Armed with a flashlight and hoping we didn’t get shot, we started examining the yard decorations. We saw a little fire hydrant on the side of the driveway and thought it had potential. It moved a little when we pushed on it, so at this point we figured we were about to get the FTF or really ruin some homeowner’s morning. Since we didn’t get shot and we are still caching today, obviously it was an FTF about 300 miles away from home.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Tantillos.com: Our most embarrassing moment probably sounds a lot like everyone else’s. It involves getting busted. We were at Bay Area Park looking for a cache. We had found at least 100 by this point and thought we were pros. Our stealth was immaculate. No one had any idea what we were doing. So, there we were, using our sticks to dig and poke at the pine straw under a likely tree. Pretty sure we could have only been more subtle had we actually been using shovels. About that time, we heard a voice behind us. “I usually try to be a little more discreet when I’m doing that.” It was Sharpbiker, who had actually been watching us for several minutes from across the way. Lesson learned. We always assume someone is watching now. Even if it’s just cows.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Tantillos.com: We prefer regular, straight-forward, here are the coordinates go and find it caches.

What is your favorite local cache?
Tantillos.com: Marcus’ favorite cache is “X” Marks the Spot, the final coordinates because it took him 45 minutes to get in and 45 minutes to get out, using a machete both ways. Andrea enjoyed finding the cache that was under the mailbox with the R2-D2 covering because we were hoping to see one of those mailboxes and geocaching led us right to it.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Tantillos.com: It’s a toss up between Dunn’s River Falls because we had to go to Jamaica and climb up a waterfall to get it or the Diamond Mine in Arkansas because who doesn’t like to look for diamonds while they are getting a smiley?

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Tantillos.com: We like winter caching because there are fewer snakes.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Tantillos.com: Sure, if they are within a mile of our house or over 100 miles away from our house. But we hardly ever go for FTF’s that are 5 to 10 miles away from home. We’d never make it.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Tantillos.com: We have the roughest, toughest, dirtiest Prius you’ll ever see. We’ve taken it places we wouldn’t even take our SUV to find a cache. We’ve driven over countless dirt roads, grass roads, ditches, bushes and curbs. But at an average of 45 MPG, it’s the perfect caching choice.

What other hobbies do you have?
Tantillos.com: Bird watching and geocaching. Knitting and geocaching. Cross-stitching and geocaching. Bike riding, especially if you can find caches along the way.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Tantillos.com: The next BIG milestone will be 7,000, but we would like to get a cache in Canada and all the states between here and there this year. And our running goal is always to find the next one.

Is it all about the numbers?
Tantillos.com: Of course it is. Why would we log them and keep up with our finds and talk about milestones if it wasn’t? We think that’s all part of the fun. We like to check the stats and see how we did this year compared to last year, how far we’ve travelled to find a cache, who all has found the caches we’ve hidden.

Featured Cacher For May 2011 - Agtitan

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:03:36 +0000

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
Agtitan: When I first started geocaching, I used my BlackBerry using BlackStar Navigation. Some of my caching friends would always give me a hard time about using a phone for GPS, and not having a real GPS…so in early 2010, I bought a Garmin Oregon 450, which I still currently use as my primary GPS. I also now have an Android phone, and use c:geo it which is great because I can see satellite and have real-time access to all the caches. It's also great for chasing FTF's so I don't have to waste any time loading waypoints on the Oregon (more on that later).

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Agtitan: This is a hard question because there are so many great caches that many different people have put a lot of time, effort, and thought into. But to name a few of my all-time favorites, I will list them out: Precarious - A NTN Cache (GC2QP9Y), View Carre (GCE02C), House Series - Transylvania Manor (GC1NWW1), Necropolis of Brittania Manor III (GC2B034), Shhhh, be very, very quiet!!! (GC1PQ3K), The "A" Bridge (GC1M6PM), Arrow-Space (GC2B9ZQ), Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Museum (GCB6A8), Bubbles the Bayou Monster (GCNWHV), BNC - Caching is Fu-Tile (GC19ZFN), Cleveland Water Works (GC232QX), Daisetta Sinkhole (GC2176V), Houston Area Pick 6 Challenge (GC219QQ), MBR#15 - Where did I leave my pills? (GC26FMQ), Moray Eel (GCMP79), Phenomena of the Mind Series "Jamais vu" (GC2R32W), Step into my Parlour - Night Cache (GC1QE02), and Trees of Texas (GC22844). These are just a few of my favorites. There are so many more that I'm sure I left off the list!

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Agtitan: I am a part of the Night Time Ninjas, a group of cachers who enjoy caching at night. I was the 19th ninja accepted into the group. I could stay up all night and tell you about some crazy night time caching adventures! Most of them involve other ninjas as well, as we normally run into each other hunting for FTF's at night. On one such occasion, I was chasing after "FTFC #81 - It's All In The Name" by myself. It was November 21, 2010, I had just got home to my house in Atascocita around 11:00pm. I had spent the last few hours watching Texas A&M beat Nebraska, and watched Jonah Hex. Good times. Earlier in the day, I had enjoyed the wonderful weather at the Dog Eat Dog event on Bay Area Blvd. Anyways, it had been a long day, and I had just changed clothes and started relaxing in bed. My phone buzzed, and I saw the cache publish! I quickly start solving it, and about 45 minutes later, I had the solution. I scouted out the terrain via satellite and began to plan how I would attack this cache. Plugged it into my Garmin, and was a good 50 miles away from the cache. I hopped in the truck, leaving my home in Atascocita around 12:30am. Finally arrived to the parking coordinates about 1:25am. I had dressed appropriately: jeans, boots, and a sweater to protect from thorns. My gear consisted of my GPS, pen, pathtag, walking stick, extra batteries, and Maglite. Started down the "trail" through some very thick brush. This was some of the WORST bushwacking I've ever done! You couldn't even call it bushes, it was pure thorns and absolutely no pathways during most of the initial bushwack. I even had to get on my stomach and crawl through some areas. After the initial 0.33 mile bushwack, I arrived at a clearing in which there was a large new 5-level barbed wire fence. I thought no way I would have to cross it, so I started walking the fence line. But my GPS kept pointing over the fence. I walked back and forth for 15 minutes before finally calling Carrie at 2am to confirm before I attempted to cross the fence. She confirmed it was over there, so I unwillingly started to cross the fence. Thankfully the barbed was wound so tight that it was kind of a step ladder, just with lots of barbs. Thankfully I made it over with no problems. 500 feet, 400 feet, crap another barbed wire fence. This one was older so I was able to squeeze between some of the levels. However, one barb did get my back and ripped my shirt. 300 feet, 200 feet, then I start to bushwack off the road again through some more nasty thorns. At this point, I didn't even care about the pain of the thorns, I just kept pushing forward and would deal with the repercussions/pain later. Finally made it to GZ and spotted the cache and grabbed the FTFC trophy! I was just about to take a self portrait of myself to post with the log, but about that time, I started to hear coyotes howling, and it was getting closer and closer and closer! I was starting to actually get really scared because I was in the middle of nowhere by myself, and had nothing to protect myself except my walking stick and hands! I shined my Maglite, and saw eyes of the coyotes staring at me from no more than 50 feet away. Terrified, I threw everything back in the box, shut it, and ran out of there. On my way out, I found a much easier way out than I had taken to get in! Always seems to happen that way doesn't it!!! Significantly less thorns!! I could have avoided 95% of the bushwack! Fun times!

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Agtitan: I'll keep this one short and sweet because I think most have heard about this story by now…but a few weeks ago, Kenny (geogeex) and I were hiking in southern Bear Creek Park going after Precarious - A Night Time Ninja Cache. After several miles of hiking, twelve snake sightings, and several painless creek crossings, there was one creek that was less than accommodating to me. I was in the middle of the log we were crossing on, and I made a slight turnaround to look for a snake we had seen earlier. About that time, I lost my footing and took a dive into the drink. I didn't realize until about 15 minutes later, but I had lost my Aggie ring in the creek. We weren't able to find it, but I did take coordinates, and posted them on Facebook. Z_Malloc unselfishly hiked with a metal detector two miles out to where I lost the ring, jumped in the water and started searching. He found my ring!!! It is an unbelievable story, and I have a new friend for life! You can read more about the story here: http://goo.gl/UGpCX

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Agtitan: At first, I would go after nothing except traditional caches. However, one night when meeting up with CriffRee, FamilieRyan, and GeoGeex at an FTF, they started getting me interested in puzzle caches. I now have found 154 puzzle caches, with over a hundred more puzzles I have solved but not yet found. Puzzles are my favorite because it requires a little bit more work than just a traditional. Not only do you get that rush when you find the cache, but you also get a rush when you solve the puzzle and get the coordinates! Also, most of them are great brain exercises and helps keep you sharp!

What is your favorite local cache?
Agtitan: My favorite local cache would definitely have to be "The "A" Bridge" (GC1M6PM). I found this one with my parents (rocky4) when we were both still very new to caching. In fact, at the time, I think we each only had about 20 or so finds. The camo on this cache was awesome, and it was so exciting when we finally found the cache! I would recommend this one if you haven't yet found it! Also, I enjoy any cache in George Bush Park. I have found a good percentage of all the caches in the park, but I still have many left to find.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Agtitan: View Carre (GCE02C), in New Orleans, LA. This was a really fun cache. If you haven't had the chance to do this one yet, I highly recommend it. You will experience some amazing views of New Orleans from the top of a skyscraper. This is definitely a must-do cache. I also really enjoyed the wherigo cache (GC1Y3HH) at Downtown Disney in Florida, as well as all of the virtual caches at each of the parks in Disney World. Finally, "The Man In Black" (GC4E07), at Daytona Speedway in Florida, is a great virtual cache honoring #3 Dale Earnhardt.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Agtitan: Winter caching for sure! The snakes are not out as much, the weather is cooler. I still cache during all the seasons, but summer caching is brutal in the heat.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Agtitan: Nope. Not at all. Just kidding. Yes, I am a member of the West Side First to Find Committee (WSFTFC), and chasing after FTF's is definitely an addiction of mine. As of this interview date, I have 134 FTF's. It's great because I've met so many other cachers when going after FTF's. As I was completing this interview, a new puzzle cache published at 11PM, "Night Time Ninja Aptitude #11" (GC2V42P). Of course, I had to put the interview on hold to solve the puzzle and go get the FTF in the middle of George Bush Park at night! Definitely an addiction.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Agtitan: My cache mobile is a 2006 Nissan Titan. It's got 60,000 miles on it, and is full of soda tubes, a couple ammo cans, and other cache swag. My next car will hopefully be an Infiniti G37S.

What other hobbies do you have?
Agtitan: I really enjoy the outdoors. I enjoy biking, camping, and hunting. I try to bike as often as I can, and love to find new bike trails around town. I also love going to state parks and camping. It's great because you can combine camping, biking, hiking, and caching all inside the park! I also try to go hunting at least once or twice per year with some friends.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Agtitan: My goal was to get at least 1000 caches per year. I reached 2000 caches on April 16, 2011. I think my next real "goal" will be to get to 5000, but that probably won't be until 2013. I'm sure once I get closer to 3000, I will start getting excited about that milestone and kick it up a little bit. I'd like to keep hiding more caches, and making interesting containers. Also, I am trying to finish all the caches in George Bush Park.

Is it all about the numbers?
Agtitan: At first, it used to be. After all, I am a CPA, so I'm always keeping track of the numbers! But now I've slowed it down a bit and enjoying the scenery a bit more, and enjoying the camaraderie with other cachers.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Agtitan: I just wanted to thank everyone who places and maintains caches for the community to find. Thanks to everyone who goes after my caches too. It's been a great year and a half of caching, and I am really looking forward to many more years of fun caching to come.

Featured Cacher For April 2011 - PlusOne

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:02:12 +0000

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
PlusOne: No doubt, it has to be BARNEY SMITH, the TOILET SEAT MUSEUM in San Antonio.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
PlusOne: We were on a trip to visit some friends in Marble Falls TX, we went to visit BARNEY SMITH. Since we had a series of caches that we were planning to search for that day, we planned for taking only 20 minutes to go in and look around then leave. Barney showed us the toilet seat covers for the geocachers he had made. Okay a couple of more minutes. Then I spotted a toilet seat cover he had made for the Church of God of Tennessee. Since my grandfather was a minister of that group, I asked Barney why he made one for them, and then the game was on. We had to stay longer and talked and talked. Not knowing Barney will talk your head off, we stayed for THREE hours listening to him and his many stories. He showed us his VCR tapes, his well-kept books and some of his other pieces. It was the most enjoying caching time I had.
After we left, we talked about Barney Smith for a long time and had to skip several caches along the way to Marble Falls. After meeting with our friends there, we had to find a hotel. We passed up on a couple of them then stopped at La Quinta Hotel and got a room. When we got to the room, we stepped out onto the balcony and had a view overlooking the lake. What a surprise to cap off that day. We really enjoyed the visit with our friends, the visit with Barney Smith and the whole day.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
PlusOne: None that I recall, maybe the one where we stopped near a guard rail and a State Trooper came up behind us and asked us what were we doing. We told him we were looking for a cache and he was okay with that but he asked us to move to a safer place. We did.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
PlusOne: The easier ones.

What is your favorite local cache?
PlusOne: Probably BUBBLES for the fun we have there.

What other hobbies do you have?
PlusOne: I love to spend what little free time I have singing and performing with the Houston Choral Showcase, playing the piano and the flute.

From Employee notes at MDACC
While working as senior administrative assistant in the Integrative Medicine unit at MDAnderson Cancer Center, she was a mentor, as well as a keen listener who anticipated needs, exceeded expectations, and was passionate about work and compassionate in her interactions with patients and families.
She was volunteer for the annual Living Fully with and Beyond Cancer Conference, many a health fair or exhibit, hosted thousands of visitors over the years, and was proud of the role integrative medicine plays in the lives of our patients and those who care for them. And, she was humble. When sent kudos or recognition, she was always said she was just doing her job.
A survivor of both Hodgkin’s disease and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – at once, as well as time spent as a caregiver to a family member with cancer, allowed her to empathize with patients, visitors, and co-workers.
Her co-workers say she exemplified MDACC Caring value. “She always remembered a special date, event, or challenge we might be facing professionally and personally,” says Laura Baynham-Fletcher, a director at the Integrative Medicine unit. “She had an amazing grace about her that reminded us of what reall important and to stay focused on why we’re here. And, she gave great hugs. She was an amazing person and we’ll miss her immensely.”

From her Mother – Marlene Sapp
When she was little and would travel with her PAPA (her grandfather) and NANA (her grandmother), standing in the front seat with her arm around PAPA . . . he would roll the window down and she would say, “Now Papa that wind is blowin my cuuls” and he would roll the window back up.
When he was pasturing a church, she loved to go into the church and play the piano with the hymn book upside down. Papa would ask her if wanted to turn the hymn book right side up and she would say no thanks! I can read it just fine.

From her Daughter, Cristi
She was an amazing wife, daughter, mother, friend and would have soon been a wonderful Nana-Mama to her first grandson in a few weeks. She always took others in as her own family and did everything that she could possibly do to provide and love on them. She was a woman of true integrity, strong work ethic, a mentor, and a truly talented flutist and singer. She spent much of her free time during the past 18 years singing and dancing with the Houston Choral Showcase as well as other music groups.

From her Husband, Nealon
Sharon, you are my love.

Featured Cacher For March 2011 - Georeynozos

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:01:44 +0000

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
Georeyna: When I was featured cacher a few years back, the use of any equipment was minimal. Bacically a Garmin and great knowledge of the city had to do. I was even caching like Nebulus703 and would walk barefoot to a cache but of course I was a mile off and on someone’s private property.Today I use the iPhone, Oregon, Colorado, 60csx and nuvii. Yes, I have them all at my disposal and use them at various times while caching. But I assure everyone, I do not *Mark Waypoints* with the iPhone!!

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Georeyna: I have three. The first was the House Series that I had a chance to hike with Raven. Each cache was unique and I was so amazed at the workmanship placed in all the caches and it was fun to have a good friend along. The second was the GW8. I went with Kirbydox, Fendmar, Nov64 and met others at the event. We had a great time and even got to meet Maxwell’s Hammer’s son, who really gave us an opportunity to see Seattle from downtown. It was amazing. (Got a quick pic with Jeremy too!!) Last, the E.T. Highway, which I got to join Rich and Lola and Kirbydox. We had a lot of fun, we found out we could work as a team. There were times we doubted ourselves, but we kept going. Rich ran over my foot about 3 times, but hey, I am still walking. Maybe that explains why I fall down so much!!

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Georeyna: I had the opportunity to do the APE Cache while in Seattle. I had so much fun climbing up to the top with my friends…observing the beauty of the cache and its bounty, the beautiful mountains around it. It was awesome. Having my geobuddies by my side while we observed the beauty was the cherry on the sundae. It was amazing.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Georeyna: Embarrassing moments and I go hand in hand. My most recent most embarrassing moment is I did the Smile Series with Rich and Lola. The first time I fell, Rich and Lola chuckled and made sure I was ok, second time questioning whether I was drunk but Rich came over and picked me up, third time, they were too tired to care and just made a decision that I was a klutz. Lola was very cute and yelled to Rich *She fell down again!*. Rich was so tired he could not even come up and *pick me up again*… I was on my own.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Georeyna: I love them all. I can not really pinpoint a favorite. Lately though, I have been into completing challenges, like the *county* challenge and others. Nov64 got me interested in that, so that is my next goal.

What is your favorite local cache?Georeyna: I have many favorite caches but I will give Kudos to HoustonControl and his BNC caches. I love the area and appreciate the hard work he put into every cache. I can’t say it is a cache, but the BNC Series are my favorite caches.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Georeyna: I recall a cache I did with the geofamily while at GW6 in California. It was a puzzle cache and one had to go to the graves and solve questions about the deceased. The graves dated back to when California was being discovered and people were making it home. Once we finished that cache and got the cords, we were lead to a box that was a bit deceptive, until you realized you needed a key to gain entrance. We found the key, slyly hidden and claimed the cache. The cemetery was very old but the creativity was awesome.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Georeyna: I like cache 365 days of the year. Why, because I get to experience the outdoors, spend special moments with my children, friends and alone. Geocaching is very therapeutic and helps me exert energy, think about tasks, family and my life.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Georeyna: Heck No!! Have you seen the FTF’rs out there, I am afraid that I will go into a *death roll* and lose. And I do not mean a death role with one FTF’r, it could be 5 of them!!

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Georeyna: Stucky? Yes the *ole Stuck Bucket* as Team Four Paw so proudly baptized it. Stucky is not a 4wd, but I treat him like one. He has been dinged, wrecked, keys locked in him, new tires but basically has kept up with me. Stucky has made my geofriends cringe when I am trying to 4 wheel, but hey, Stucky has not let me down and he is a 2002 Chevy Tahoe. I am gonna keep him till he I am at his side and I am saying goodbye. That could be when I finally roll down a creek bed and he has been totaled but all I can say is I have good times with *Stucky*.

What other hobbies do you have?
Georeyna: I love to Needlepoint and have done many projects. Really we are called *Needle Artists* because of the different mediums we use on the art. It is not just thread anymore, it could be wire, beads, ribbon, buttons and other items. It is not your grandmother’s needlepoint!!

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Georeyna: I would like to complete the County Challenge, thanks Nov64, and the *I have been everywhere.* challenge. I hope to complete the *I have been everywhere by the end of summer*.

Is it all about the numbers?
Georeyna: At first yes, now NO. Everyone whom I was in competition with have about 500+ caches more than I, except HoustonControl, so I guess our competition is still going!! Oh, um HoustonControl, we are still in competition, just FYI!! LOL!!

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Georeyna: Yes, I am coordinating the Texas Challenge 2011. I love caching so much, I decided to take on the TC2011 and have been blessed by wonderful, and I mean wonderful, team to assist me. The team consists of ATMA, Maxwell’s Hammer, Agnav, Scrapnphoto’s, GSGuru, and my *calm yourself down* co-coordinator TexasDreamweaver. The challenge will be fun, with all the Type A Personalities I am dealing with, this promises to be a challenge to remember, even better than GW8. I want to thank everyone who has helped, who are dedicating themselves to certain committees and who are helping all because we have one thing in common, geocaching. I have truly been blessed with wonderful friends and I thank and appreciate all of you.

Featured Cacher For February 2011 - Lattitude_A...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:01:10 +0000

After finding that first cache, I’ve been hooked ever since. This summer I decided to track down the geocacher who was the person that posted the tweet about geocaching. So what did I use to track him down? Well, Twitter of course, but it was harder than you think. He didn’t ever mention his geocaching name in his tweets. I finally saw in an old tweet that he had found a geocache in a cemetery in a small town in Texas. I then tracked down that cache on the geocaching map, put two and two together and discovered that the cacher was “TheGreatFinders”. I later found one of his caches and revealed to him that he was the one that got me into geocaching.
I also have looked back over the past year and wondered why I am into geocaching so much and I why have I not lost interest. I have to say that even before geocaching I have always loved exploring. I remember when my wife was working on the weekends, that I would just take off with the kids go on a long drive. Sometimes I would decide to drive on the roads as close to the coast as I could. It was a bit of an adventure. You’ll read about my daughter later, but because she is handicapped we had to stay in the car for the most part, but I loved seeing cool new places. Now that I am geocaching that itch to explore is something that generally happens at every cache. I look for some redeeming factor about the cache and usually I get it in spades. The explorer in me tells me that the fact that the spot where I am finding this cache is a unique spot where I have never been is a redeeming quality in itself.

How did you decide on your caching name?
Latitude_Attitude: I’ve posted this on the forum but for those that haven’t seen it here goes: Since I started caching with the kids, I gave them an opportunity to come up with the name. The first try was geopeeps but that name was taken and I hate names with numbers so I suggested Latitude Attitude. I was thinking about the Jimmy Buffett song ""Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"" The kids liked it and it kind of fit with geocaching so we used it. I didn't realize that I'd be signing a lot of logs with that name so the name is a little long....but at least I now know how many t's are in latitude and attitude.

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
Latitude_Attitude: Well I started with my iPhone and still use it often. Sometimes I use the iPhone as my primary unit if I’m doing an urban cache and always as a paperless caching tool. I was pretty good with it, but when I took the kids camping I broke down and got a Garmin 60CSx. Someone (HC) told me that the iPhone was not very good in the deep woods. Now I would not be caught in the woods without my Garmin….honestly I usually have both devices whenever I am out. I also am using GSAK to load up my GPSr with caches. I am learning that GSAK has many other useful applications as well.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Latitude_Attitude: Wow where do I start. I’m not very critical so I have fun with just about any cache but if you twisted my arm, I would have to say that some of my favorites are:

GC16Z2C – Things that go Bump in the night
This is a must do if you are in the area. I felt like a kid finding those fire tacks. Awesome cache!

Any cache in the Baytown Nature Center – The place is awesome and Houston Control has some excellent caches out there.
Also my favorite series is (GC2HQV6 1st in the series) BB's ""The Curse of the Goatman"" Series – This series is awesome because the cache containers are all unique and because it was dedicated to my daughter “Rachel” who has Cri-Du-Chat syndrome and is chronically ill. She can’t walk, and is mentally challenged as well but she loves going for a car ride. I like to take her caching when I can, but have to look for caches that are very close to where I park the car. (can anyone say LPC) Well this series was perfect for us. Unique cache containers, interesting hides. and all hides were close to where I parked the car! I took Rachel and my youngest daughter to finish up the series several months ago and ran into Bert doing maintenance. He got to meet my girls, and I got to thank him for putting out the series.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Latitude_Attitude: This was a hard one I have had so many fantastic adventures and I try to make every caching trip an adventure but I have to say that in the past year I’ve had several geocaching adventures which involved bees. (I have adopted a bee as my icon for HGCS) The first caching adventure was with a now archived soda tube trial.
The second time was with a bumble bee attack and was actually much worse and made me physically sick.
So these were special in the sense that I will never forget those caches, and I think I’ve built up an immunity of sorts to bee stings. I was stung by a honey bee again at a cache and it really was pretty minor…especially compared to the bumble bees! I guess the most fun and non-bee related adventure was the recent trip with 8 other geocachers to grab the “One Huge Smile” series in George bush park. The place was really cool and caching with a bunch of folks was really fun.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Latitude_Attitude: Well I’ve had a few more than you would think but probably the most embarrassing where other folks were around to see was when I was on a very productive FTF run late one night. I had hit Baytown Bert’s Goatman series and had 8 FTF’s and met Nebulus703 for the ninth. I then decided to take Nebulus703 to grab the other caches that I had already found. I drove him to the cache and then he would jump out and make the find. We were sort of driving slow and about to turn in to grab another cache when I noticed a police car drive by. We stopped and Nebulus703 jumped out to find the cache. Just then the police car comes back and turns in about 100 or so feet behind me. Nebulus703 jumps back and I’m thinking the officer is going to pull up to us and find out what we are up to. But he doesn’t he just sits there? So I decide to leave and figured that the officer can pull me over if he wants but no harm so far. Unfortunately my wheels started spinning. Yep I was stuck. I tried the back and forth method and was inches from getting on the pavement but it was not to be. Finally I gave up and got out of the car. The officer was still just sitting in his car? Then as Nebulus and I were talking about what we should do next, another officer pulls up to where the other police car was. Then they headed our way, stopped and the questioning began. It turns out that the first officer was stuck in the mud too! From what I heard he was taking some ribbing from his fellow officers. I explained a little about what we were doing and about geocaching to the officers. One of them said that he had heard about it and that he in fact had caught some teenagers behind the Lowes that were geocaching. When the officer mentioned the cache behind the Lowes, I started to tell him that that very geocache was hidden by yours truly but I bit my tongue and held it in. I didn’t know how he would take it so I decided to let that little factoid slide. After talking about geocaching for a while and showing the officers the cache Nebulus decided to head home so he walked back to his car. I chatted with the officers for a good ten to fifteen minutes and got to hear several interesting stories about life in the Baytown PD. I told them about the series and how it was dedicated to my daughter. They were interested when I told them that the series went from Evergreen road to tri-city beach road. They said that in the future they would be aware of all the caches and wouldn’t worry as much about illegal activity. Finally a wrecker came and pulled the officer’s car out and then pulled mine out. So the result of the nights excitement: Being pulled out of the mud, $40.00! 9 FTF’s and Having a crazy geocaching story, priceless. What I didn’t say is that I was actually driving my wife’s new car!!!! So after settling up with the wrecker driver I headed to a car wash to clean the car. I finally get to bed somewhere around 3am.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Latitude_Attitude: All of them….One of the things that I like about geocaching is that there are so many aspects and creativity with all the different types of caches! I’ve got to say that ""Traditional"" are what I look for the most because of time constraints.

What is your favorite local cache?
Latitude_Attitude: I mentioned my favorite caches in the previous question but I must say that after finishing most of the Soda Tube trials, that they were really fun…err…well as in any challenge, I did feel good about finishing each cache and few, I really felt like I had really accomplished something. (Curse you Aaronbarbee!)
I also would like to give a shout out to a geocacher (MaverickMonk) that I have communicated with when he first started geocaching. He has hidden three quality caches in the Baytown area, but his Poseidon series is really excellent, especially Poseidon's Adventures #2 GC2MJE7 which was recently published.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Latitude_Attitude: Because of my daughter I don’t get to travel too much and haven’t traveled out of state in years. Five years ago I went to a conference in Seattle. Man I wish I was geocaching at the time. I heard there were these three caches that were really special in that area. ) One day perhaps.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Latitude_Attitude: Because of my circumstances I go whenever I can weather permitting. But around here my favorite is winter. It is so much better than the summer! I actually prefer the cold weather and cold temps as long as I have the right kind of clothing. Summer brings out the mossies, chiggers, snakes, PI, and the heat. Not fun stuff.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Latitude_Attitude: Absolutely! I didn’t start out that way but after reading logs of caches in other areas from FTF hounds, I kind of caught the bug. After meeting Nebulus703 on several late night FTF runs I try to team up with him if we were both planning to go for the FTF. I enjoy sharing the FTF moment and I think we push each other a bit to go for it. If anyone in the Baytown wants to join the FT party PM me. But of course expect to get a late night calls…..

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Latitude_Attitude: Well my cache mobile is my geovan and it is truly a beater. It is old, ugly, beat up 2003 Plymouth Grand Voyager. But the AC works, and it still runs. It also has lots of storage. I usually keep all my caching paraphernalia in the Van. (Boots, change of clothes, Machete, Winter gear, water, breakfast bars, geocaching bag, materials for repairing caches, and a few geocache containers.

What other hobbies do you have?
Latitude_Attitude: I don’t have much time for hobbies (besides geocaching) but love camping and at least get out once a year with the kids. I also am planning on getting a canoe soon. I did some whitewater canoeing when I was younger and would love to get the kids involved. Plus I can combine canoeing, geocaching! (CLAPS Series) I also like reading science fiction. I have also listened to a lot of the Escape Pod podcasts which is a podcast of short science fiction stories. I don’t get to read as much as I used too so I tune into an episode or two to get my SF fix.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Latitude_Attitude: I would like to hide more caches this year. I have all these ideas in my head and I need to make them a reality. My problem is that I want to really create quality caches that are unique, which takes more time that shoving something under an LPC. I also want to hit the CLAPS series with the kids…..when I get that canoe.

Is it all about the numbers?
Latitude_Attitude: Not really, don’t get me wrong I love checking out the cool stats that you can get with the GSAK Macros. But for me it is about the experience. Because I am on the obsessive side about geocaching (ask my family), sometimes I have to remind myself that this is not a race slow down and enjoy the experience. Also, not that I always do this….but especially for some of the local caches, I try to take in the whole experience if I can. If the cache is at a museum, or interesting place, I try to visit the place where I pick up the cache and usually bring the kids along for the experience as well. There was a local cache that highlighted a famous Barbershop and I waited to grab it until I needed a haircut. I think that experience made the cache ten times better. I really have had so many neat and interesting experiences because of geocaching that when I look back over the past year those are what I remember not the numbers. Also due to my daughter’s health issues and other things going on, I know that I can’t always get out there and look for caches and certainly not spend hours and hours doing it for the most part, so I just try to do what I can. Usually I will grab a cache or two when I have time. Late night FTF’s are nice because everyone is asleep and there is a nurse to watch my daughter so I’ve been doing the FTF runs lately.

I also think geocaching it is about the people. I was amazed at all the friendly and open folks out there that are involved with geocaching. The experienced cachers seem always willing to help us newbies along and have been very accepting. I really don’t think I would enjoy geocaching as much if it were not for the people that I have met, communicated with. I really wish that I could attend more events or go on more caching trips but I’ll just have to enjoy what I am able to do.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Latitude_Attitude: I guess one thing that I would like to say for someone who is new to this is don’t underestimate yourself. A year ago I would have never thought I could have found all the caches that I have today. I remember looking and many caches and saying to myself, that one is just too hard….you’ll never be able to get it. After finding some of those caches and gaining more confidence I know now not to pass by any cache without giving it a shot. But now I remember to carry bee repellant!

I created a short photo album of my kids because they are very much a part of geocaching and I take them whenever they want to go (not as much as I want them to go!) http://picasaweb.goo...ier/Geocaching#

Featured Cacher For January 2011 - Sunshot99

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:59:41 +0000

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Sunshot99: I am terrible with names of caches but enjoy looking for TeamCull caches and also in Louisiana I liked caches by Gonepostal35.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Sunshot99: We were on the trail looking for a cache in the Kisatchie National Forest outside Natchitoches, Louisiana and our GPS batteries were almost dead. I started getting worried that we would not find our way back to the truck. We made our way to GZ and found the cache and inside the cache was a fresh pack of batteries. So good! It taught us a valuable lesson on remote caches – always carry extra batteries.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Sunshot99: Wow, mine is pretty embarrassing! I was caching up off SH 290 by a ditch that was across from a golf course. I spent an enormous amount of time looking for a cache and nature called (#1). I went into the trees to take care of business and felt like I was out of sight of everyone. As I finished, I looked up and a husband and wife were standing on the other side of the ditch at a golf hole. They were good sports about it, they smiled – waved – laughed a bit then went on there way. I died! My face was so hot I thought my head was going to explode. I made a bee line for the truck where my family was waiting – told them the story and got embarrassed again. The kids were brutal with the jokes.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Sunshot99: We are not much of into multi’s and you would have to look for a long time to find other cacher’s worse at puzzles. So by default I would say we like traditionals. Ophelia is really good at the lower caches and others get frustrated when we cache together because she finds them so fast. I like finding the caches that are a little harder but the teenagers are more into the PNG’s.

What is your favorite local cache?
Sunshot99: Again, I am terrible with names but it was a Bosan cache that was inside a pipe. It took me a few minutes but loved the hunt.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Sunshot99: We travelled to Egypt this summer and I wanted to go get a cache in my favorite area in the Sinai. We were at the “Blue Hole” outside of Dahab and I took off walking by myself. A herd of camels passed as I made the three quarter of a mile hike to the cache in 100 plus degree weather. The locals thought I was crazy to be out walking but it was cool. I get back between the rolling hills to a rock mound just off the trail and starting moving a few rocks around. I wanted to be careful not to put my hand on a scorpion. I found a nice big cache with several travel bugs from Europe. What a great caching experience!

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Sunshot99: When I am ready (and have time) I don’t care what the season or the weather is like. It seems like we have not had as much time lately to get out and cache. We are very active in Scouting and it takes a lot of time. I have to say that all things being equal, I like the late Fall caching when the leaves have dropped and the poison ivy is not as bad.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Sunshot99: In 2008 I went for every one I thought I might get. I was able to get 8. I am a supervisor at work now and I have not had the opportunity to go for many lately.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Sunshot99: My Dodge Ram 1500 pickup turns many caches into PNG’s – just ask Mr. Cull. It is not a 4X4 but it goes into a lot places that would be long walks otherwise.

What other hobbies do you have?
Sunshot99: We are into camping both with the scouts and as family outings. I like to Scuba Dive and the boys are just getting into it. We hike a lot of trails around the state.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Sunshot99: I would like to hit 2000 before the end of 2011. I think it is doable but we will have to spend a little time working on it.

Is it all about the numbers?
Sunshot99: It is not about the numbers but they are cool. I like getting my teenagers off the video games and out doing something. The numbers are a great way to track your progress and set goals.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Sunshot99: No, not at this time but thanks.

Featured Cacher For December 2010 - Nebulus703

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:59:11 +0000

How did you decide on your caching name?
Nebulus703: When I was a lot younger I heard the word nebulous and thought it was a really cool word. I think the reason behind that is because I’ve always been fascinated by space and well, nebula, nebulous, how could I not like this word? The 703 comes from my birthday (July 3rd) and it was a way to insure that I would have an available screen name. So I changed my AOL screen name to Nebulus703 and yes, I misspelled it on purpose because I honestly thought that it looked a little cooler that way. Ever since then, all of my accounts on any website would be Nebulus703.

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
Nebulus703: I use paper with notes with highly detailed information, memory of what the area looks like on Google Maps, and my ancient yet extremely durable phone with no internet access and with no camera. No batteries to worry about but it does become a pain having to pull out a flashlight when caching at night so I can look at my GP- er, I mean, notes. I’ve been known to drop pencils and pens when caching so I carry three pens with me everywhere I go.
As for actually just going out and buying a GPSr… I don’t know. At first I was going to save up money for one and just continue caching without one until I could afford it. Well, we see how that turned out. I still don’t have one and I don’t think I want one but I might change my mind later down the line.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Nebulus703: AB’s STT #2 Aim For The Water is definitely memorable. I got a few of my friends into caching and they immediately wanted to do all the STT and I figured that I’d might as well go for it too. They were amazed when I actually shimmied up the pole on Texas Ave. that one day. Later that night after getting a confidence boost from the two STTs we picked up earlier that day, we decided to go for Aim For The Water now that we were serious about this. The trek out there was awesome, it was dark and we didn’t use any flashlights, we climbed to the top and I ran into a couple of raccoons that were literally face to face with me when I poked my head out. We located the cache, signed it, then just hung out on top of the structure for an hour or so just talking. We could see everything and just being in this secluded place far away from everyone with some of my best friends was just an awesome feeling.
Another favorite of mine is HC’s night cache in Jenkins/J.C. Holloway Park in Baytown. I love night caching and this was done so well. I went solo while doing this and even though I’ve walked through these trails thousands of times I still got a few chills down my spine.
And of course, STT #9 Pole Vaulting. I knew that someday I was going to get that cache. After getting five other STT caches my confidence level was way up there and I talked to one of my friends and we actually set out to do it. This cache SUCKS but it’s still one of my favorites due to the dedication you have to have to actually get to it. I didn’t use any climbing equipment at all to get this and well, you can read about it more in detail later. I’m still extremely proud of the fact that I was able to get that cache. I was showing off the burn marks on my arms for days just so I could brag about it!

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Nebulus703: Well, there’s Pole Vaulting again. A couple of my friends and I got a canoe and strapped it to a truck and drove it down there to go for it. Then we paddled the canoe out into the nastiest water ever. We got to the pole that the soda tube was tied to and by then I was already having second thoughts. I’ve been able to shimmy up poles since I taught myself how to do it when I was three but this was still intimidating. What’s in that water? There are some sharp remnants of other telephone poles out here that I might impale myself on if I were to fall off, do I really want to do this? But finally, I cleared my mind of any negative thing that bugged me and jumped right out of the canoe and started shimmying up the pole.
Once I got to the top, which was no easy task by the way, I couldn’t get a good grip on the soda tube. I couldn’t use both hands because I needed one to stay on the pole and I didn’t want to fall into the water with god knows what lurking in there! So I used my teeth to grab the soda tube and then I unscrewed the lid off in victory. I descended the pole slowly and had to make the awkward transition of getting back in the canoe. Yeah, I failed. I jumped back into the boat and it flipped over. If that wasn’t bad enough, we were out in this disgusting water where dangerous creatures could be living and I had my cell phone in my pocket. Great. So we flipped the boat back over and paddled back to shore. From there we dried ourselves off, signed the log, and dried our phones off. Luckily, my phone was able to recover and I’m still using it without any problems.
Then we paddled back out there with the lid and log in my hand. Then as we were halfway to the pole I dropped the log into the water! NO! We managed to find the blank second page of the log but not the one with our names on it. We couldn’t write it on this second page either due to it being soaked. Luckily my friend had a piece of paper on him just for such an occasion and we signed our names as well as Thacatfish’s name because if you’re insane enough to go for this then your name better be on the log! I climbed back up the pole and put the cache back together. I came back down, jumped into the canoe and it didn’t flip over that time. Awesome.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Nebulus703: Well besides the cell phone and log dropping debacle that I previously mentioned, there was one cache that I almost lost completely! I was going for one of BaytownBert’s caches on Sjolander in Baytown. This was a nano cache and I was doing this at night. After finding the cache I went back to my car to sign the log. After spending far too long rolling up that tiny piece of paper I realized that I had lost the cache. I panicked. I looked everywhere for that little nano! I looked all in my car, under the car, back outside in the grass or the road in case I dropped it. All I was able to find was the lid to the nano and that had fallen underneath my seat but where was the other part? Finally, I looked down and noticed that the magnetic nano was stuck to the button on my pants. I gave out a big sigh of relief and put the cache back.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Nebulus703: I think I prefer traditional caches the most. They usually involve the least amount of work and the least amount of time to do. Puzzle and Multis are fun but they usually take a lot of work to pull off and since I don’t have a GPSr, I might have to end up taking multiple trips home to my computer to see where the coordinates take me. A traditional cache is just one trip and one smiley right there.

What is your favorite local cache?
Nebulus703: I already mentioned three favorite ones and all of those are in my local area. But I guess I could mention ONE more. I guess I’d have to go with Latitude_Attitude’s Sofa Dude Trail #3 outside the San Jacinto Mall. A friend and I got this one when it was dark and it was our very first FTF. We met LA out there and he told us that he had recently changed the coordinates so all of our hiding places that we had planned were shot. We eventually found the really clever and awesome container and laughed about it. Our very first FTF and it was just exhilarating.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Nebulus703: I’ve never cached out of state. Next time I leave I go to Colorado or Louisiana I’ll be sure to compile a list and grab a few.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Nebulus703: Well seeing how I started caching in June of this year and have never really had a chance to go caching in the winter I guess I’d have to go with the only one I know. Besides, I HATE the cold. I’m such a wimp when it comes to the cold. Don’t get me wrong, 100+ degree heat isn’t fun either, especially with all the hair and the bushy beard that I have, but I’d take that over freezing temperatures. Also in the winter it’s usually a combination of cold and wet and that’s such a horrible combination. However, I wouldn’t mind trying a few caches out in the woods during winter due to the vegetation and insects not being so bad.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Nebulus703: YES. I check every chance I get to see if there’s a new one in the area. I don’t have a premium account so I don’t get them emailed to me so I work a little bit harder on FTFs. I’ve met Latitude_Attitude as well as Maverick Monk (or Arm7070) out on the trail before while trying to get a FTF. Most of these involve me having to go out at night and get them. Luckily for me I’m a borderline insomniac so sometimes I cache when I can’t sleep.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Nebulus703: My cache mobile is a black ‘95 Acura Integra. It’s a really old car with over 190,000 miles on it but it’s still going strong. Inside the car you can find potential cache containers, sheet music, candy, a hippo figurine on the dashboard, and so much other stuff. I pretty much live in my cache mobile.

What other hobbies do you have?
Nebulus703: Music. I’m currently pursuing a degree in music and I also give private guitar lessons. Teaching is such a rewarding experience and I love it very much. I write music, perform music, and pretty much think about it all the time. I can play five instruments and I’m hoping to add more to my arsenal.
Skateboarding is another one although I haven’t had a skateboard in over a year. I’ll occasionally drop by the skate park and see if any of my friends are there so I can ride around a little. I skate a lot differently than those around me but I’m having fun with it so it’s cool.
I can also be quite the gamer but I’m as not bad as I used to be. I used to be an addict and it was horrible. Now, I still play video games every now and then but I play more of the classics and ones I grew up with as opposed to the newer ones.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Nebulus703: My first goal was to get to 500 by the end of the year and I’ve already accomplished that. I truly am addicted. So why not go for 600 by the end of the year? Or more? I’m almost to 600!

Is it all about the numbers?
Nebulus703: Yes and no. Personally, I’m a numbers freak. I love stats. I love keeping track of how many finds I have per day, per month, how many FTFs I have, so on and so on. However, I’m still very new to this hobby and sometimes numbers don’t necessarily equal experience. There are all kinds of different caches out there and each one has the potential to be its own unique adventure. It’s the experiences and adventures that matter the most but counting up numbers and stats can be fun too… at least to me.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Nebulus703: Yeah! I want to thank all of those who put out caches. Without any caches being put out then this hobby wouldn’t be any fun. I’d also like to thank BaytownBert, Houston Control, and Latitude_Attitude for giving me help when I needed it.

Featured Cacher For November 2010 - BaytownBert

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:58:32 +0000

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
BaytownBert: I use a Garmin Oregon 450 and a Tom-Tom for roads, plus I plot out my agenda/route on paper and print it. I have a love/hate relationship with technology you see and still like to hold paper in my hand. In an emergency, it sure beats leaves. Ever try that with a Smartphone? Sometimes I print out an aerial view of where I am going for reference also. If you walk the Huge Smile series in the near future, you may find one of my plastic sealed maps in a thorny bush area somewhere...feel free to use it (I dropped it - not the other!). I still research each cache and load them singly or update them before I go – I know, I should use pocket queries or GSAK, but I do not. I could use some help here I guess, but being mostly a lobo kind of guy, I just stumble happily through life and then make stupid videos of myself falling down with flatulence sounds.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
BaytownBert: I love the long endurance series best of all BBSPES (Brazos Bend State Park Endurance Series), Noble Road was very good, and the Alphabet Soups series was primo too. My other favorites are Aaron Barbee’s PUC’s and Houston Control’s caches, because they almost always draw attention to history or something interesting.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
BaytownBert: I was caching solo north of Liberty, Texas just the other day and trying to find a cache which I figured had dropped from its empty tether into a deep creek bed about 20 feet below. I attempted to get down there, but slid out of control and fell the last 8 feet into the bed. It was really stupid of me being 58 years old, but I have a lot of break-fall experience from years of martial arts training and all that happened was I drove my hand about 6 inches into the muck. Yuck. The cache was nowhere to be found after all of that, but I told myself I should think twice before I do something like that again (not likely).

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
BaytownBert: I have them all the time I guess, but since most of the time I am trekking solo, I reenact them for my videos. The reason I video me is because I don’t mind making fun of myself and I feel that what I post, others often can see themselves, both for the adventure we cachers experience and the limbs that smack all of us in the face when we are bushwhacking. The flatulent sounds just add…humor. You decide.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
BaytownBert: I’m pretty much a traditional cacher, I guess. When I first began caching again after a 6 year lay-off, I couldn’t stand nanos or micros and now, due to being educated a bit, I realize there is a place for all sizes. Everyone is not as mobile as I am and some are downright physically challenged and a micro or nano in a parking lot is about all they can muster, so I added some park and grabs in my hides. However for the more adventurous types, I try to make them very physically challenging. I am guilty of hiding well-disguised preforms in hard to find places, like my Brawndo series in Baytown. It’s an endurance series after-all, designed to keep folks fighting brush and thorns in and out of the woods throughout the whole thing…with a few climbs and snakes and mossies for good measure. I love to place regular size caches with lots of goodies also and I religiously maintain my caches. On the opposite end, I hate micros and nanos in ligustrum bushes in high-muggle areas and won't do them, or close to private homes and businesses, especially if electricity is involved.

What is your favorite local cache?
BaytownBert: I guess my favorite local cache is one of my own, because it was my 3rd attempt at a hide and it has stumped so many seasoned Vets (GC25TKG). I placed this one in an attempt to be sneaky and I was delighted when folks had trouble locating it. Between Woodpicker and Mudfrog they tally over 10,400 finds and could locate it in September. No Muggle with almost 4400 finds gave me a call and I swapped secret info for maintenance favors on another of mine they found lacking.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
BaytownBert: Out of State? What’s that? I work about 500 hour’s overtime every year. LOL Seriously, I haven’t cached out of state since I returned to the sport.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
BaytownBert: Both have their advantages, however, I do not mind sweating and I love sunshine. If I hear about a physically challenging series or cache(s) and it is scalding hot and humid, I am drawn to it like a Democrat to a free hotdog lunch. If it's cold and windy and overcast, I'll find something else to do. Seasonal Affective Disorder.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
BaytownBert: Yes, but usually I can’t get to it for a myriad of reasons. If I am off-work and there is nothing stopping me, I burn out of there like a liberal going to an anti-Tea Party rally. I am going to make a humorous video about FTF in the future. I hope to catch the passion some folks experience.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
BaytownBert: I’m almost embarrassed to say it is my 2007 KIA RIO 5 instead of my beloved 1997 lifted-Jeep Wrangler Sport which I drove for 5 years when I was President of the TX4X4 Cyber Club – Now morphed into Tx4WD.org. The hatchback area is loaded with caching repair supplies, new cache containers, and a subwoofer.

What other hobbies do you have?
BaytownBert: Off-roading (currently Jeep-less), photography, blogging, hiking, writing in general, and local history. I run 5 mailing lists, baytownbert.us, and ourbaytown.com when I'm not working at the Chemical Plant by the San Jacinto monument.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
BaytownBert: I am taking it one day at a time and trying not to become obsessed like I do in everything I ""get into"". Sound familiar? I have a feeling I'm in good company here.

Is it all about the numbers?
BaytownBert: Yes and no. I’ve seen this argued both ways. For me it is about numbers to a certain extent, as it shows my skill level. When a person has 5000 finds behind their name and they have earned each number, they have Jedi status in my eyes. However, I want to earn each number and I want to remember to be in the moment while I’m earning them. When I go out for a day of caching, I want to be rewarded with a lot of total finds too, which adds up to bigger numbers, right?

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
BaytownBert: Yes there is. If you are out and about and come across one of my hides which needs repair, have at it. I am attempting to keep a ratio of hides to finds right at 10% and this means I will have a lot of hides eventually. It takes a village to support an idiot.I've taken it upon myself to present creatively named hide pages and attempt to leave original and humorous write-ups with photographs when I leave log finds. Most people do not understand how important feedback is until you own some hides. Latitude_Attitude almost always leaves great feedback and I know there are others.

Featured Cacher For October 2010 - Zoothornrollo

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:57:51 +0000

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
Zoothornrollo: We both use Garmin E-trex units. Mrs. Z still uses our original 'old Yeller', and Mr. uses a Hcx. We use the iPhone to locate caches, and get information about them while 'in the field', but not for locating GZ. It is pretty useless most of the time for zeroing in.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Zoothornrollo: GCFA7D – South Kaibab to Bright Angel is our new favorite (details in the caching adventures question). Up until this summer, it was GCAE2C- Tunnel Vision. We were the last to log a find for it and it has since been archived. We were in New Mexico soon after starting our geocaching adventures, and came upon it. It was rated 3/ 4.5 and was 350 feet down a very steep, rocky slope. We had to abandon hiking sticks and work our way down going backwards on all fours most of the way. We searched for quite a long time because the signals weren't very good in the canyon, but after the effort of getting down there, we weren't going to give up. Then, we had to scramble UP the slope. All without benefit of a trail.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Zoothornrollo: This summer, we hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We had to make our reservations at the Phantom Ranch 13 months in advance, but we were determined to cross the hike off of our 'bucket list'. We saw that there were a few virtuals in and around the canyon, and then spotted a multi! It turns out that the trail we planned on taking had a multi-stage virtual. We had to take pictures at various places on the trail, and describe some features near the waypoints.
The seven mile hike down the South Kaibab Trail to the river was tough on us 'flatlanders', but we had been hiking at higher altitude for a few weeks, and that helped. We spent two nights in the bunkhouse at the river, and headed back up.
It is nine miles up the less steep Bright Angel Trail to the rim, but it still took us ten hours. Another highlight of the hike was signing that trail log that counts as a traditional cache. We like caches that combine our love of hiking and Geocaching, but don't think we'll plan very many more three-days-to-finish multi-caches.
Of course, completing the Texas County Challenge was an adventure in and of itself!

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Zoothornrollo: Just after purchasing our standard transmission cache mobile, we stopped at a cache in Tomball. We got out of the car, and started looking for the cache. Mr. Z hadn't put the parking brake on, and the surface wasn't as level as it looked. The cache mobile started rolling backward toward the street. He scrambled to try to stop it, but it just kept on going. It rolled across the street and into a ditch. Luckily we were able to get it out of the ditch without a tow truck, but we still have a big dent in the bumper to remind us!

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Zoothornrollo: Traditionals that involve hiking and getting away from the city. When we see caches that haven't been found for a while, they get our attention, too. It is fun to find 'lonely caches' that don't get many hits. There have been two times when we've found containers that survived controlled burns, and the container was melted, but the log was able to be signed. We also try to do virtuals and Earthcaches while on our road trips.

What is your favorite local cache?
Zoothornrollo: No one cache comes to mind, but Bubbles the Bayou Monster is a fun one.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Zoothornrollo: Other than the ones mentioned earlier, GCGB2Q -Top of Thousand Steps(Bear Paw Trail), comes to mind. It is another hike up a steep trail that we discovered in Pennsylvania. It isn't far from Williamsport, and the site of next summer's Geowoodstock. We really like seeing the names of cachers we know when we are out of state. This summer, we found a cache in Utah, and the last people to sign it were Rich & Lola. We also ran into ellisbe at a cache in Pensacola, on Spring Break. He was coming to the cache as we were leaving it.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Zoothornrollo: While in Houston, definitely Winter, but sleet and snow in Missouri didn't stop us! When we are on our longer summer trips to other states, Summer caching is the way to go- even in the desert of Nevada among the Joshua trees.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Zoothornrollo: Not as much any more. There are too many FTF hounds in the area. We do have FTFs in five other states, though (AR, AZ, NY, KY, and NM). We got them courtesy of the Geocaching App on the iPhone. We don't have 'alarms' that come up when a new one is published, so usually they are found before we know about them. The ones we just happen to come across while on trips are much more satisfying. We attended a geocaching session being held at a New York state park on an island in the St. Lawrence River last summer and met a local cacher who was planning on publishing an earthcache in a few days. He invited us along on a hike to check his coordinates and to verify the directions on the cache description. We were happy to help him out and got the FTF when the cache was published.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Zoothornrollo: It is a Jeep Patriot that is just the right size to carry us and our camping gear. It is manual transmission, but not 4WD, but that hasn't kept us from going most places. We like it because we can go just about anywhere we want to go. It is small enough to turn around in tight places...you know, the remote dirt roads we seem to spend a lot of time traveling on.

What other hobbies do you have?
Zoothornrollo: Camping, hiking (especially state and national parks). We are avid readers, and are active volunteers at our local public library. Mr. Z plays basketball every week, and throws darts at a local pub.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Zoothornrollo: We have 19 more states to cache in, and lots of Earthcaches are still out there. We also want to do the virtual at Guadalupe Peak (GC4EEF). We can't claim the virtual there, because we made the hike the summer before we started Geocaching. We don't want to follow the suggestion that others have made to Photoshop our GPSr into the picture and claim it. We also still need to do the Four Cache Loop.

Is it all about the numbers?
Zoothornrollo: Yes and no. We look at the numbers, just because, but we really just enjoy the traveling and seeing new places and things. When we are close to a milestone, we do look for high concentration areas. We enjoy back-road series that help 'boost the numbers”. We were relatively close to the E.T. Series in Nevada this summer, but weren't even tempted to try.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Zoothornrollo: Thank YOU for the opportunity. One really frustrating story... This summer we did as many Earthcaches as we could. We knew about the Earthcache challenge, but weren't keeping track of the different types. When we got home and started to log them, we found out that the last type we need was one we looked at, but decided not to do, because it had been a long day. It was only about 3 miles off of our route, but we skipped it. Wouldn't you know that it is one of only 40 in the US? We have enjoyed the comraderie of the local cachers, and the chance to get out of the house to see new and different things. We are a team, and really appreciate having something that we both enjoy doing together. Probably more than 98% of our finds have been found together.The hobby has taken us to places we wouldn't have gone otherwise. We've both lived in Texas 40+ years, and neither of us had been to the Rio Grande valley until we started the County Challenge. We've come to appreciate small-town America even more than we had before (and we've found some GREAT mom and pop diners!). One final word from Mr. Z. I had PE with Mr. ATMA in high school. He was a photographer back then (he used FILM!). I hope he doesn't drag out any of the candid photos that he has of me for this feature!

Featured Cacher For September 2010 - Maxwell

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:57:11 +0000

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
Maxwell's Hammer: Mr. Max and I are a team. He has a Garmin Oregon, and I have the Garmin GPSmap 60CSX. We like the bells and whistles on his Oregon, and the big bright screen on my 60CSX. We also have a Garmin Colorado for back up, and a Nuvi for the cachemobile. We use GSAK, and Rob has the cGeo app for his Droid phone.

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Maxwell's Hammer: I really like BigBender's caches. His "Maybe in Plain Sight and Maybe Not" series is great.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Maxwell's Hammer: Mr. Max and I went to our first Geowoodstock event this year. It was awesome! We met people from all over the world, and did some impromptu caching with some of the neatest folks. One day, we cached for a couple of hours with a retired railroad engineer who called himself "Mr. Magic." He performed magic tricks for us as we walked from cache to cache.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Maxwell's Hammer: I have many, many embarrassing moments. Honestly, I serve as pure entertainment for the people who go caching with me. Somehow, I manage to get myself in predicaments where I have to shimmy under barbed wire fences. My waistline is not my best feature, and apparently the sounds I make while trying to squash myself beneath a prickly fence is HILARIOUS to my fellow cachers.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Maxwell's Hammer: In the summer, I like urban caches. Traditional caches are my favorite, but I also love Earthcaches and Virtuals. In the winter, I love the long hikes through George Bush Park in search of ammo cans. I have found that if you dress properly and carry a hiking stick, the park is a great adventurous place to be. Mr. Max and I haven't had much success with solving puzzle caches. So we tend to avoid them for now. Occasionally we try to solve one, but we usually have no idea where to start.

What is your favorite local cache?
Maxwell's Hammer: There are so many great ones. I loved the Rosenberg Creepy Critters caches. And all of the caches hidden in cemeteries are fun for me.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Maxwell's Hammer: I really liked finding "Queen Ann Elevator" in Seattle. We were fairly new to caching when we found it, and we were so proud of ourselves when we finally had it in our hands.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Maxwell's Hammer: Both! Why? In Houston, summer is the perfect time for grabbing park-and-grab caches and urban hides. Winter is great for the caches where bushwacking is required.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Maxwell's Hammer: No. I have only been the FTF twice, and one of those was a tribute cache that Cachin' Shark hid for me after I found my 1,000th cache. She gave me the coordinates ahead of time so that I could be first-to-find. The other time, I was with Kirbydox and we just happened to find a cache that had been published hours earlier. We were shocked to find a blank log. I only care about finding the cache. It doesn't matter to me how many people have found it before me.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Maxwell's Hammer: My favorite cachemobile is my husband's 1978 Jeep CJ5. It is in pristine condition (he rubs it with a diaper), so we don't use it as often as I'd like, but when we do it's pretty sweet. Usually we take Mr. Max's Toyota Tacoma or my Toyota Camry. We load it up with all of my caching gear and off we go.

What other hobbies do you have?
Maxwell's Hammer: Hiking. Camping. Sewing. Swimming and soaking in the hot tub. Cooking.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Maxwell's Hammer: I'd like to find a cache in every state in America. But I have a long way to go for that one. I'd like to add to my Beginner's Luck series. Most of the current ones are micros, and I'd like to hide some larger ones with swag in them for the kiddos.

Is it all about the numbers?Maxwell's Hammer: No. Not now that I have finally hit 1,000 and joined the comma club. It was all about the numbers until then. Now it's all about meeting other cachers and discovering all of the cool places I never knew about before I became a cacher.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Maxwell's Hammer: The Houston area geocachers are the nicest folks I have ever met. They are welcoming, helpful, interesting and fun to be around. I'm so glad Rob and I moved here 11 years ago. As the saying goes, "I'm not from Texas, but I got here as fast as I could!"

Featured Cacher For August 10 - Lefty Writer

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:55:55 +0000

How did you decide on your caching name?
Mr. Lefty Writer: Being predominantly left handed, the "Lefty" part was easy. For those who have read my logs, y'all know I love to write (and write…and write….and write). I also like the whole dichotomy of the Left/Right thing when spoken aloud. I use Lefty Writer on pretty much any forum I sign up on. After Cindy and I got married, I asked her if she wanted to change our caching name to "Team Lefty Writer" to reflect both of us, but she preferred we keep the "official" name as it is. Unofficially, we call ourselves "Team Lefty Writer".

Mrs. Lefty Writer: Patrick already had a name, so we just call ourselves Team Lefty Writer.

When you cache, what equipment do you use? (PDA, Garmin, Magellan, software)
Mr. Lefty Writer: I use a Garmin Vista HCx, while Cindy uses a Magellan eXplorist 500. We also have a Palm Z22 PDA loaded with CacheMate while we are in the field. I use GSAK to manage our data. In addition to that, I frequently use a digital voice recorder to make detailed notes or observations about a specific cache so I can use that later when logging the finds online. Throw in a digital camera, and sometimes an HD camcorder and we'll call that good. Mrs. Lefty Writer thinks it's pretty funny when I load myself down with all of this "stuff."

Mrs. Lefty Writer: By the looks of my husband, Patrick, everything but the kitchen sink! Let's see a PDA, two GPSs units, TomTom (sometimes), voice recorder, camera, two hats, two walking poles, a pack back, a cooler, a print out list…get the point!!

Mr. Lefty Writer: See what I mean?

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Mr. Lefty Writer: Wow, there are several that really made an impression on me! It's hard to list just a few, as there are many that made us laugh when we saw the container, or cheer when we finally found it, or just marvel at the view. One very clever cache is in a rest stop on I-10 east bound, just east of San Antonio: Desert Flower (GCTPDX). Another ""must do"" cache is a virtual in Grand Cayman (GC6CE7). It was on this cache that my beloved Magellan SporTrak Pro drowned. Now that's a long story, but if you want to hear it, look me up at the next event.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Mr. Lefty Writer: We've had several special caching adventures, but the one that I tend to recall is our honeymoon cruise. We were on the Westerdam on an Alaskan cruise, and our last port of call was Victoria, B.C. Having already scouted out the area and selected a bunch of caches, I loaded up the GPSr, and PDA. The ship didn't arrive until later in the day, and we weren't able to disembark until after dinner. By then, it was already dusk. Knowing we'd be out after dark, I wanted to make sure we had a flashlight when we got off the ship. We hustled down to the cabin to grab our jackets, GPSr, PDA, etc. and left the ship.
Once we got out of the cruise terminal, we selected the first cache and took off. This cache (GCJ7CQ) was right on the beach, and the view was awesome! Besides our ship, there was another Princess ship tied up next to us, and with all the lights on, it was quite a site! The nearly set sun and the lights on the ships prompted me to reach in our bag for the flashlight….which wasn't there! Yes, that's right, I totally left our flashlight in the cabin! D'oh! Being the resourceful cacher that we are, though, we used the light from our PDA and the Maggie as our ""flashlight."" Believe it or not, once it is full dark, the Palm Z22 actually puts out a lot of light. We used them both over the next few hours as we explored Victoria.
It was so dark, that when we wanted to take a picture, one of us would have to hold the Maggie with the screen out so there would be something to aim the camera at. The temperature was dropping, too, so we were glad that we had at least brought our jackets with us. We got back to the ship about half an hour from the ""all aboard"" time. We ended up with 14 finds that evening, which was more than we thought we'd get.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Mr. Lefty Writer: For me, there was this one time when Cindy was working, so I decided to join up with the ""Memorial Park Mob."" We were to meet at a particular parking spot in Memorial Park. We all had the coordinates for the parking spot, so I dutifully plugged ‘em in to the GPSr. I was running a bit late, so before I got to the park entrance, I called ATMA to let them know I'd be there, but just a little late. I pulled into the park entrance, glanced at the GPSr, and saw that it was pretty close to where I should be. I jumped out of my truck, grabbed my stuff, and started looking around for everyone else.
"Where the heck is everybody?" I wondered to myself, "I don't even see ATMA's van!" I looked around some more, wondering what to do next, when my cell phone rang. "Hey Lefty, where are you? Everyone is waiting for you." I replied to ATMA that I was at the parking spot, described the surroundings, and was told that I should be able to see everybody, if not their cars. It was then that I took a closer look at my Maggie and saw that I still had another tenth of a mile….that way. I glanced over to where the arrow was pointing, and sure enough there was another parking lot with lots of cars including our group.
I then got back into the truck, hustled over to where everyone was waiting, and tried not to look like the idiot I felt I was.

Mrs. Lefty Writer: Hmmmm I would have to say either the time I dropped the GPS upside down in the mud as I was losing my shoe in the mud, or the time I left the GPS on the park bench and ATMA had to turn the car back to go get it!!

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Mr. Lefty Writer: I like traditionals, multis and virtuals. I'm not much into puzzle caches (even though we have one of our own) because I usually feel pretty stupid when I try to solve the danged thing and can't even figure out where to start. What makes it hard is that I'll read some of the logs: ""Pretty easy puzzle, solved it in about 3 minutes.""

Mrs. Lefty Writer: I like traditionals and multis, because you can adjust your search for size and difficulty. I have yet to dabble with puzzle caches.

What is your favorite local cache?
Mr. Lefty Writer: Tough choice, as there are many that I really like. Since I have to pick just one, though, I would have to say it's "All I Want for Christmas is Snow Again" (GC19VW0). It's not particularly hard, but it was a fun cache to do.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Mr. Lefty Writer: Again, what a tough choice! This cache is one I often tell friends about, especially if I know it won't be a spoiler for them. While preparing for our Alaskan cruise, Cindy and I spent some time in Seattle and did a little caching after visiting Groundspeak HQ. Luckily, we decided to do ""Seeing Seagulls"" (GCZ02V) on a Saturday morning when there weren't too many muggles around. Very clever place to hide a cache, lemme tell ya!

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Mr. Lefty Writer: I prefer to cache in our version of "winter." It's not so darned hot and usually the vegetation isn't quite as dense, especially the poison ivy! Even park and grabs can be tiring in the peak of summer.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Mr. Lefty Writer: IF we see the new listing pop up and IF it isn't too far away, then yes, I'm tempted to go for it. On one of our first attempts on a newly published cache, though, it was an epic fail. You'll just have to read all about it when you visit GC1N5Q7. I'm just sayin'….

Mrs. Lefty Writer: I am tempted to try to be FTF but my husband won't let me speed!!

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Mr. Lefty Writer: Besides ATMA's mini-van? We usually take my vehicle, a Hyundai Santa Fe. I like all the room it has, and the gas mileage isn't too bad, except if we do lots of park and grabs. Every once in a while, we'll take Cindy's Taurus, but not often.

Mrs. Lefty Writer: ""Frodo"" is a black Hyundai Sante Fe with lots of room for all of our geo stuff and more!!

Mr. Lefty Writer: Yes, she actually gave both vehicles a name. Ummm, yeah…..

What other hobbies do you have?
Mr. Lefty Writer: Did I mention that I like to write? I love to go shooting when I can, although it starts adding up when buying lots of ammo. I always take a camera with us whenever we go on any trips (Yes, we love to travel, does that count as another hobby?) and now that we have acquired a compact HD camcorder, I want to start shooting lots of videos. I love to cook, and even my wife seems to like it, so I guess I'm pretty lucky there, huh?

Mrs. Lefty Writer: Foooooood!! Nothing beats a good meal after a day of caching!!

Mr. Lefty Writer: See? She does like my cooking! Yay!

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Mr. Lefty Writer: We have talked about hitting 1500 by our next cruise, but that's coming up on us pretty fast. One of my goals is to complete the Texas County Challenge and the Texas Area Code Challenge in the next couple of years. Also, I'd love to find at least one cache in every state in the US.

Mrs. Lefty Writer: I think our next goal is to reach 1500 by our next cruise.

Is it all about the numbers?
Mr. Lefty Writer: Well of course it is! Without numbers, you wouldn't have longitude and latitude, would you? Seriously, though, I'd rather find one or two caches in an awesome location then do just a strict numbers run. That's not to say I don't enjoy a little power caching now and then either. I like variety, so after doing some scenic caching, it's fun to challenge ourselves with a power caching run, just to see how many we can do in a day.

Mrs. Lefty Writer: Well…….? A lady does not cache and tell. You will have to wait for my tell all book to come out.

Mr. Lefty Writer: Hmmmm, I think I'll just leave it at that.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Mr. Lefty Writer: I'm glad that I found an awesome wife who loves caching like I do, and I'm glad there are so many cool people in the area. Where else can one get an inside view of a major airline, or learn the local history of our community? I'm glad to be a part of such a unique environment!

Featured Cacher For July 10 - Great Birds

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:55:15 +0000

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Great Birds: The Four Cache loop is my favorite. I've loved hiking in the East Texas woods since I was in Scouts. Now I can combine the hiking, friends and technological gadgets. I've done the walk three times now and hope to again this fall.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Great Birds: No serious embarrassment, just a series of minor humiliations. I am not very good at actually spotting cache containers. More that once fellow cachers have given me hot or cold clues for a cache that was in plain site, to anyone else that is. I like caches that are difficult to get to but easy to find when you get there.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Great Birds: I really like earth caches which tend to be in more interesting locations. I've never been much of a puzzle person, so I mostly avoid them.

What is your favorite local cache?
Great Birds: The most enjoyable caches in town are Parker Plus' sneaky hides. They are always clever and after finding one, you feel like ""Why didn't I think of that?"".

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Great Birds: There is a series of earth caches among the Anasazi ruins in the Wupatki National Monument in Arizona. Just a fascinating place.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Great Birds: Winter caching in Houston is certainly easier. For some of the more rugged caches hunting in winter is practically nearly essential. But I have found more during the summer because there is always that urge to go out first thing in the morning. That way I get out of the house before other things catch my attention.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Great Birds: Not at all.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Great Birds: I drive a Tundra 4 wheel drive pick up with a bed cap. It is the most versatile vehicle I've owned. I can go where I want take plenty of friends and haul loads of gear and a kayak or two.

What other hobbies do you have?
Great Birds: I take my kids on camping adventures with the YMCA. It is wonderful to be out of doors with my family. More recently I've started kayaking. There are an amazing number of wild places to paddle within Houston.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Great Birds: I am slowly working toward getting to 1000 finds. I am always scouting out more spots for my ""On Location"" cache series.

Is it all about the numbers?
Great Birds: It is about being outdoors with friends.

Thanks for this interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
Great Birds: Caching has added a great deal to my life, particularly the great people I've met. There is nothing like sharing adventures and misadventures with people build friendships.

Featured Cacher For June 2010 - Rich & Lola

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:54:38 +0000

What are your all-time favorite cache(s)?
Rich & Lola: Welcome to Jurassic Park, (GC962E). We never found the cache but the drive to get back to the cache location made it a top ten caches status.
Overton Wash, (GC4341), no longer active, but one of the best in Nevada.

Do you have any special caching adventures you want to tell us about?
Rich & Lola: We were doing one of Parker Plus' draw bridge caches after 9/11. Lola was taking pictures when the refinery workers stopped and asked what we were doing. We told them about geocaching and in turn they reported us to the FBI. We had them visit our house the next day and had to explain geocaching to the FBI. Funny thing is there is a public park across the street from the cache location.

Have any "Most embarrassing Geo-moment" you would like to share? Details please!
Rich & Lola: We were in Michigan doing Beginner's Luck, (GCG089). This is the one cache Lola did not do and it was probably lucky for her. My brother in law, nephews and I started walking to the cache. The GPS showed 3/10th of a mile. We started bushwhacking and after about a mile of that, we found the cache about 20 feet from a snowmobile trail. We started back to the cars when the GPS batteries died, so now, here we were in the middle of the Hiawatha National forest, LOST, tried and using the two way radios to have my sister honk the horn to get a good bearing. Instead of honking every couple of minutes she left the horn honking continuously, causing an echo out in the woods so I talked brother in law into walking to the road. Eventually Lola and my sister found us walking down the side of the road. Still to this day I don't know why I did not take batteries from radio and put them in the GPSr.

What is your favorite type of cache (traditional, multi, puzzle) and why?
Rich & Lola: All caches are good. We prefer Ammo Cans in the woods or desert but as long as we find it, any will do.

What is your favorite local cache?
Rich & Lola: There have been many good caches over the years like Parker Plus' evil hides. Billy H's Texas Micro in the woods was another one. Nethog and Whipit's unique containers are also real nice. There are so many to name so we will just say thanks to everyone who put the caches out for us to look for.

How about your favorite out of state cache?
Rich & Lola: Bluff Mountain Cache, GC2D7, our 2nd ever cache. We went there and heard a lot of noises in the woods. It was dusk and all we could think was that a bear was out there looking with us so we came back the next day and found the cache.

Summer or Winter caching? Why?
Rich & Lola: Winter since there are a lot less thorns, poison ivy and chiggers to deal with.

When a new cache is listed, are you tempted to go for FTF?
Rich & Lola: No, we wait until a few logs are in before trying for it.

Tell us about your cache mobile.
Rich & Lola: It is a Jeep Liberty that has about 200,000 miles on it now.

What other hobbies do you have?
Rich & Lola: Traveling and photography so we can combine hobbies and caching.

Do you currently have any caching goals that you are working towards?
Rich & Lola: No, not really but would like to stay in the top 50 cachers in Texas. So many of the newer cachers are power cachers so we would just like to stay in the top 100 cachers in Texas.

Is it all about the numbers?
Rich & Lola: No, but Rich would like to always have at least 1 more find than Georeyna!