Number 700

Still not much to report, I didn't go out very much at all this year. I'm not sure why not, I guess other things took priority. The good news is that I was able to find my 700th cache this year. I was recently visiting East Texas and not only found number 700, I also added a new state to my list. I flew into Shreveport Louisiana and drove to the town in Texas so I stopped and grabbed a cache on my way. I currently have found caches in 25 states, that's one half of the U.S. to you and me.
Hopefully more adventures in 2012, Happy New Year!

Rain, Rain..

Not many adventures to report, I haven't been able to get much Geocaching in so far this year. Between the snow and rain I haven't had the inclination to get out in the muck to tromp around. Hopefully we will start to see some nicer weather and the swampy conditions will dry up a little. There are a handful of new caches in my area that I would like to go after, so we should be able to get out soon.
I never did get out this winter to find those few that were surrounded in poison ivy, so I either brave the stuff or wait until next winter to find them. I learned at poison ivy really becomes a problem when the plants are agitated such as being walked upon. So maybe if I take one route in and another out I will be alright. It won't hurt to be sure to wipe my feet off before getting back into the car either. 
Hopefully I can convince my lovely wife to join me more this year. There are several caches that are along some hiking trails in our area that we can find, while getting some hiking in at the same time. Here's to dry(er) weather!

Winter Caching

Here in NE Ohio winter caching can be a bit tricky. A foot deep blanket of snow really adds to the difficulty of some caches. On the other hand, some of the more active hides are easier to find because of all of the foot prints from previous searches. Most urban caches are still fairly accessible unless you're looking for a light post cache that happens to buried under a huge pile of snow from the parking lot plowing. Other problems include containers that are frozen in place or frozen closed.
This winter I have been much less active than last year. Probably because caching was so new to me then I was more willing to brave the cold and snow than I am this year. I have been out a few times and was able to find my 600th cache in January. Unfortunately it coincided with my grandfather's funeral. I decided to dedicate my 600th to him and found it in the small town of Carlsbad, New Mexico. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=03023a4d-f97e-473b-9371-f69543d56148
I'm anxious for the weather to break so I can get out there again. Hopefully I can  some of my adventures this year and help newer geocachers as well. The cold and snow of winter gives way to the mud of spring but I'll take that over the bitter cold any day. However, there are a few local caches that I want to find before the Poison Ivy takes hold. Last summer I took one look at these areas and said "Nope, I'll be back in the winter." I suppose I should get out to those caches before it gets too late.

Cemetery Caches

My favorite kind of caches are cemetery caches. I find cemeteries very peaceful and interesting. I especially like old cemeteries and I enjoy looking at the headstones and markers. I discovered that some cemeteries have mainly flat markers and most older ones have headstones. I have come across several interesting headstones in my travels. 
As for caches, all that I have found were hidden respectfully at the edge of the cemetery or in trees or bushes within the grounds. In Twinsburg we have two great cemeteries, one loaded with seven caches. Crown Hill Cemetery is located on Darrow Road (Rt. 91) just south of the 480. This cemetery has large grounds and a few ponds. Locust Hill Cemetery is located off of Aurora Road (Rt. 82) just north of the 480. Locust Hill is a small cemetery but it is the final resting place for notable families from Twinsburg's past. The Wilcox Twins (Twinsburg's namesakes,) Chamberlin and Bissell families have several markers. 
When I travel I really enjoy exploring new areas and the cemeteries I come across while geocaching often give me some history of the location.

A cast iron headstone.
Location: Noblesville, IN

An interesting headstone from 1907. There is a photo inlaid into it.
Location: Houston, FL

Detail of the inlaid photo.
Location: Houston, FL

An ornate headstone.
Location: Indianapolis, IN

A rather foreboding message.
Location: Delphos, OH 

This is how I would like to be buried...with a huge tree on top of me.
Location: Noblesville, IN

Travel Bugs and Geocoins

Another fun aspect of geocaching is finding travel bugs and geocoins. These items are known as trackables and are intednded to travel from cache to cache. It is up to us to help them move around complete their missions. Unlike trading for SWAG, you do not have to leave anything in the cache when you take a trackable. 
A travel bug (TB) is basically a dog tag like item with a tracking number etched in it. Often a TB is attached to some sort of "token" like a toy car, a small doll, key chain, or just about anything. Often TB's have a misson. The TB in the photo has a mission to find other TB's from the same animated series. 

The travel bug is technically the metal dog tag on the right. I removed the tracking number.

Geocoins are the same basic idea, but they are not attached to anything. As with TB's, geocoins have a tracking number etched into them. Many geocoins have some sort of theme and can sometimes be customized. 

Front of a geocoin. I removed the tracking number

The back of the above geocoin

What seems to be the most confusing thing for cachers is how to accurately log trackables. I'll try to lay this out in a very basic way:

1. Take the TB from the cache.
2. Go to Geocaching.com and click "Trackables" on the left.
3. In the "Enter the Tracking Code of the Item:" area, input the TB/geocoin tracking number and click "Track"
4. In the upper right of the screen, click: "Found it? Log it!" 
5. Select the type of log. If the person before you did this right, you should be able to select that you retrieved it from the cache it was in. 
6. Input the tracking number again.
7. Add a comment.
8. Click "Submit Log Entry"

Now the TB/geocoin will be in your inventory. If you go to your profile, you will see all of the trackables listed in the lower right side. 

1. Once you decide to place the trackable in another cache, you will need to log that you did so. This will allow the next person to "retrieve it" and keep the process going. 
2. Place the trackable in a cache.
3. Go to geocaching.com and log the cache like you normally would.
4. BEFORE SUBMITTING THE LOG, scroll down and find the trackable you dropped off.
5. To the right, select "Dropped Off" and then submit the log. 

Great job!

Watch out!

Geocaching is fun. We get out of the house, we hike around, maybe find new areas we never knew where there and have a good time. However, there are some potential hazards we should be aware of. Of course different parts of the country will have different things to watch out for, but in general many of the topics I will discuss apply across the board. Most of this information is common sense, but it is easy to overlook things we might not be familiar with. 
Keep in mind that at some point you will probably venture into the "wilderness" to look for a cache. In NE Ohio we have large (and small) areas of trees and plants that we usually refer to as "woods." Other similar areas are deserts, forests, jungles, etc. 

•  Poisonous Plants: We have A LOT of poison ivy here in the Midwest. I didn't realize the the seriousness of poison ivy until my youngest son got into some...while geocaching. He was out of school for a week. Simply using the "leaves of three, let it be." is not enough. There are several plants with three leaves that are non toxic and some like poison sumac has 7 to 13 leaves on a branch. Thorns are another hazard to be aware of. I have found myself trapped in a forest of thorn bushes and exited with battle wounds.

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy

• Dangerous creatures: This group includes insects and parasites as well as animals and humans. As always, while in the wilderness, watch for creatures like snakes, skunks, ticks, mosquitoes, scorpions, spiders and hunters. I have been out caching and come across hunters placing their tree blinds. 

• Dangerous landscapes: While geocaching it is common to pay more attention to your GPS than where you are walking. It is easy to step into a hole or trip over a log or rock, slide down a slope or (gasp!) walk off of a cliff.

• Trespassing: Geocache owners are supposed to get permission from the property owner before hiding a cache on private property. However, caches may be hidden in a area that abuts private property and you may accidentally trespass. I like to scout out an area  using either Google maps or the geocaching website (which uses Google maps) before going out.

• Stranger danger: You may be venturing into unfamiliar areas so it's not a bad idea for bring a friend while geocaching. There are some areas where walking around with high tech equipment just isn't a good idea. The buddy system is also a good idea when hiking in case someone gets hurt.

If you cache while traveling, be sure to know a little about the hazards for the area you will be searching. I was working in southern Tennessee and found a nice, big tick on my sock after I returned to the hotel. A full body check was in order after that discovery.
So go out there and have fun, but use common sense, be prepared and educate yourself.

Out and About

We have made it to the cache hiding area, known as ground zero or GZ. Our GPS shows that we are right on top of the cache...but where is it? Well, that is the second part of geocaching. 
Once you have made it to the hide area, you have to locate the cache. It is very helpful to know the size of container while looking. The size will have an effect on where the cache is hidden and I have seen many different sizes and types of cache containers. Caches can be hidden just about anywhere, but there are some rules:

• No cache can be intentionally buried underground. 
• Most cache owners try to avoid hiding caches in a way that would cause people to destroy or dismantle anything. It is a general rule that we should leave the area better than we found it (well, at least not worse.)
• Any cache hidden on private property should have permission form the property owner.

So you have found the cache, now what? You will want to find the log and sign it. The log is your proof that you indeed found the cache. I have read about some cache owners who will check the log in the cache against the log on the website. I personally don't bother as I figure people are only cheating themselves if they don't actually find the cache. You may then want to look in the container to see if there is anything worth trading. Once finished with the cache, be sure to replace it as you found it (unless you found it laying out in the open,) to be ready for the next cacher. Now on to the next hide!