Geocache Season has Begun!

At "Hockey Cache In Canada - Gretzky #99 (Revisited)"

Today is the first day of spring, but geocaching is already in full swing. Sharon12 and I kicked the season off in Brantford on March 2nd, grabbing excellent caches such as the first half of Coach's Crew Sails the 7 C's and March Madness! both of which 13coach13 helped create. I also finished the requirements for an Alphabet Soup, I just need to go get it!

After that was a small drought thanks to a winter "last hurrah" snow/rain storm. But I still managed to grab a few caches, including an early March FTF (which was certainly interesting), a birthday cache and introducing geocaching to someone while on a date! I was also busy publishing two caches which have thus far received very positive responses! 

Sharon12 at the Battlefield Falls Cache

Smith's Knoll Battlefield Cemetery

Finally it was the 15th and my first (in season) geocaching event of the year. Sharon12 unfortunately had to work that night but that didn't stop us from using the morning to grab some amazing caches in the Stoney Creek area of Hamilton. Of course Hamilton being the "City of Waterfalls" we got an amazing view of the Battlefield Falls. Cache of the day for us would have to go to A Tropical Drink by the legendary Blue Quasar.

One of our favs

After that I went to Brantford alone for the event and to do some caches. My first cache had unfortunate incident that had me spreading profanity non-stop. Luckily I've survived so far, but this does nothing to ease my concerns regarding the Event Curse. I mean, serious personal injury? What's left? Only broken bones and death! Anyway the cache turned out to be an FTF for me so it evens out. I got a few more caches including a my first letterbox of the year. The event itself was great, I heard a couple good stories and had a good meal. 

This Saturday was GHMGC's (Golden Horseshoe Monthly Geocaching Club) meet up in Burlington/Oakville. It was my first non-event meeting of multiple cachers and caching as a large group. It certainly made for an interesting time. After a few caches me and Sharon12 split apart from the group to get some of the most interesting caches (we were on a limited time schedule) including my first Earthcache of the year. We trooper'd through from 9 till 2:30 with no drinks or food to finish the Big Smiley Series!

Beautiful day to go caching

Overall an excellent way to celebrate my first GEOCACHE B-DAY! There is no debate that geocaching has profoundly changed my life (for the better). The people, places and things that geocaching has brought me to are unimaginable and I can't wait for more!

And its definitely not over yet, on the 30th I have another event that Sharon12 will be attending with me. And after that I'm looking into the future for possibly going to a couple CITO events, the Spring Fling mega event in Barrie and the Geobash mega event in New York!

Happy caching!

The FTF Code of Honor

Inspired by a topic thread on the geocaching.com forums I wrote up a quick FTF Code of Honor, FTF etiquette whatever you want to call it.

1. If two or more geocachers arrive at the GZ at the same time then out of respect the FTF should be shared. Regardless of who spots the cache first. 
2. To claim FTF the cache must be found and signed by a geocacher after the cache is published
    2.1 Beta-Testers or anyone given coordinates or information before a cache is published cannot get the FTF. COs providing a Geocacher with information not given on the Geocache Page is also forbidden.
    2.2 Exception: A Geocacher or muggle finds the cache inadvertently prior to publication and can claim FTF
    2.3 Exception: Event caches or caches placed at events and later published. See Rule 4.
    2.4 Exception: An Earthcache may be considered an FTF as soon as:
                                 A. The requirements are met.
                                 B. An online log is posted.
                           An Earthcache FTF may be revoked by the CO if conditions are not met.
3. No laws or attribute rules set by the CO shall be broken in the pursuit of an FTF. Examples: Running red lights, caching at night when told not to. If any attribute rules are broken by an "FTF hound" then it automatically moves onto the next eligible finder. See Rule 5.
4. Event cache FTFs are left up to the CO
5. Confrontation and debate is to be avoided, do not ask for FTF confirmation from a CO. If you believe you have claim to an FTF for whatever reason, mark it in whatever program you use as such and move on. See Rule 6.
6. FTFs are not an official part of Geocaching, relax and have fun.

Anyone else got anything that should be added?

Long “Weekend” Geo-Fun

Last weekend was “Family Day” Weekend in Ontario. This was perfect for a good geocache trip for a big reason: there was an event near Toronto and I needed to find an unusual cache for the Ontario Public Holiday Challenge.

I started the weekend of right with a quick geocache FTF run on Sunday before work. Carnigrewal got the FTF (which I had called since FoamFollower placed the cache). But I was able to meet some cachers including JoeyF who teamed up with me to look for a nearby cache we hadn’t found yet. We came up short but it was still fun and got me in the spirit of going to a geocache event.

On Monday it was go time. I woke up and I looked like a blizzard outside. “Darn” I thought, “How am I going to find caches in this?”. Oh well, I packed my needed accessories and left (whoops forgot extra batteries, no way that could bite me later…). Luckily the snow died out completely as I left town.

I started caching of right with Wheel of Fortune ... Spins a tough yet but interesting Dex4 cache which prays on my fear of heights.  I moved on towards the event (I was running late as it was) but I wanted some caches! So I drove around Kilbride collecting the Kilbride Country Cache, a nice tricky hide, Grandpa's Cache which has a great cache container and Restin' in Kilbride a fun multi-cache. Kilbride overall is a good place for caching a couple of hours.

After that I had to speed it up. I drove straight to the event but was still fifteen minutes (fashionably) late. I walked up to the top of the hill. Met up with Rez2100, the event organizer and the other attendees. After a quick slide down the hill I was back to caching. I quickly found an event only cache and then moved on to try and find a letterbox. Big mistake, that whole area was still covered in two feet of snow. I moved on and got two more caches before heading back to the car.

Now my batteries are dying. Bah! I fill up on gas and then the search is on for batteries. I grab another quick cache by the event and then move towards home. I’m luckily able to grab Reservoir Ducks without needing my GPS on hand. I finally roll into Milton and buy a pack of batteries ($5! might as well steal my money) and finish off the day checking off two caches in Milton and Campbellville.

Tuesday was going to be tougher. I was going to Chicopee for some skiing. Just before I leave a new cache get published… in Brantford… on the way to Chicopee! Before I can even write down the hint or read the description I’m gone. Finally I’m in Brantford and I’m walking towards the cache. The first thing I notice about the GZ is the snow. There’s no footprints! I find the cache and open it up. I see that it’s been signed a whole bunch of times? Wha? Did I write down the wrong cache or something. Weird. I put a travel bug in and leave. More on that later…

Then its on to Chicopee, I arrive in Kitchener and move to find Tube Slides and Ziplines a thankfully quick find for me.

After my enjoyable day of skiing I return home and go online to log my caches. I come to the FTF cache and I see that some else has claimed the FTF? What?! First I examine the description, it’s a cache that was formally a multi that was republished as a Traditional. That explains the strangely full log book. Now to address the FTF controversy. How can I prove I was first, other than the “no footprints”? It hits me, the travel bug! I look at the travel bug page and sure enough the cacher claiming FTF picked the bug up from the cache. Meaning he had to have come after me! February FTF complete.

Slow December, Even Slower January!

Since the first of January, I've only found 1 cache in 9 days. A big problem is of course the cold and snow. It takes a lot to plan out a caching route during spring-summer-fall. In winter though it's even harder. Your looking for caches that aren't going to be buried in snow. That are in trees or some other object above the ground. Maybe even looking for caches that have been found recently, not just for footprints but to know they can actually be found. Just leaving the comfort of your warm home is difficult.

Another problem is the lack of caches. In good season you'd get a couple of new caches every couple days. In January there's only been about 5 new caches so far. I'm not worried about my FTF streak yet, the month is still young.

Good news though. Yesterday I did get an important cache. GC22320  was updated by its owner who found out that the information needed to get the coordinates had changed. I've probably been trying to figure out this cache since April, and it's the last cache I hadn't found located in my home geocaching territory, so to finally cross it off my to do list is a huge relief.

2010 In Review

January & February- I was... a....... muggle!
March- Got my first cache (and first DNF) on the 19th. Sharon12's first cache was on the 26th. First Multi on the 30th.
April- First Puzzle and Series cache on the 1st. My first US cache and Earthcache on the 13th. On the 27th I went on my first power trail and got my 100th cache.
May- Started off with a bang getting 15 caches in Petrolia, Ontario.I got my first Virtual and I had my first event too.

At Introduction to Geocaching, my first event cache

June- I reached my 200th cache. I got my first FTF and did one of my favourite caches of the year.  I also introduced my friend Rob to geocaching.
July- An excellent month with dozens of fun caches, including more caches in New York and the amazing Devil's Punch Bowl Earthcache. The things right in our backyard that we don't even see.
August- I attended my first major event- Dairy Daze V and the last Harvestfest and got my first Letterbox cache.

Our first and last Harvestfest

September- Got 50 caches while on a trip including caches in Arizona, California and Nevada where I got my first Webcam Cache. I also placed my first cache!
October- I attended the Petrolia Discovery Event where I got my 500th cache. I set personal records for most finds in a day (38) and most in a month (95). No doubt getting my Magellan Triton 500 this month helped.
November- I started the Geocache Tribune and got my first puzzle FTF.
December- I hate the cold, I only got 12 caches for Dec. But one of them was my 600th cache and an FTF making it 7 months of FTFs

Looking at 2011: 2011 is going to be a good year. I plan on attending Geowoodstock and getting some challenging caches. My goal for the year is 2500 caches.  That would be 4 times more than this year. I have a bunch of ideas for caches and I can't wait.

Sharon12 holding up a cache

Have a good 2011 everyone!

Find of the Month

My personal find of the month is a puzzle cache located in Hamilton, Ontario. The cache title only states a couple words and a number which is the clue. The cache was newly released so my geocaching partner and I went off in search of an FTF (new caches are becoming more scarce as winter begins to roll in). Upon our arrival we could not find anything at the GZ that would would point us in the direction of the cache. We even tried several times to add the number of a local by-law off a street sign to the number in the title of the cache. To no avail of course.

Finally I went inside the building by the GZ (a library/recreation center) and it hit me. The number was a Dewey decimal! Of course the library wasn't open until 10 am, so we had to wait it out (similar to something on the Amazing Race). Luckily no one else came and we made the FTF (6 month streak now). It was a great cache and my first FTF puzzle cache.

Got any stories to share?
*Note I'm not naming the cache because it could spoil it for others