Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Geocaching New Years Day 2013

For the past few years it's been our tradition to go out and grab a few geocaches on New Year's Day.  When we left at 9:00 am it was sunny but cold - a nice 12 degrees plus a blustery wind.  We just bundled up in multiple layers and off we went!

Mom started out the New Year right by immediately finding the first cache.  Can you spot it here?




The next cache was a DNF and a comedy of errors.  I forgot my hat and gloves in the car when we parked and walked about a block to the cache site.  We looked and looked and couldn't locate the cache.  After about 10 minutes I felt like my ears were going to fall off, so I ran back to the car, slid into the front seat and pulled on my hat and gloves.  Got out and ran back to the cache site.  Looked some more and still couldn't find the cache.  We all headed back to the car and I realized that I dropped my GPS someplace.  Dad and I headed back to the cache site, looking for my GPS along the way.  We didn't see it anywhere and headed back to the car, where we ran into Louie, holding up my GPS.  It turned out that it had fallen out of my pocket and landed in the car when I went back for my hat and gloves.  I was happy to find my GPS, but we had to add that cache to our DNF list.

The next cache was my favorite of the day - any guesses?


It was a log sheet hidden behind this letter panel.  Pretty clever, huh?


The next cache was better suited for those not vertically challenged, like Papa.  Do you see it?


My dad, at 79 years old, is still game for climbing the occasional tree....


No climbing required for the next cache, an easy one on a guard rail...


I liked the next one too.  It's a tribute cache for a 1000 cache milestone for an area cacher....





Along the way we ran into another cacher at a cache location.  It's always fun to meet up with others and say hi.



We found a wide variety of caches and ended up with 13 finds and 1 DNF for the day.







Are you noticing the complete lack of snow in the Chicago area???  Come on already, it's January after all - where the heck is the snow??



21 comments:

  1. What a happy caching new year! I'm always amazed at your parents spunk, and I bet your dad could climb higher up a tree than I can lol. Looks like you all had a great time, and now I have an idea of what different containers can hold a cache. My first (and only) find was in a green Army box, so was easy to deduce that THAT was IT! I'm going to have to really keep my eyes peeled to spot containers.

    Where IS the snow???? Grrrrr!

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  2. I agree with Della - your parental units are radical. Come on snow - baby needs a new pair of aqua shoes! xo

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    1. My parents are both very game to do anything. Wait til my mom has her knee replacement surgery - SHE may be climbing trees next!

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  3. A good way to spend New Year's Day. Wow, I'm surprised you don't have any snow. I thought you'd gotten some from that last storm! I'll do a snow dance for you!

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  4. You are so good at this -- I am so NOT, lol! Still looks like fun. I'll have to keep trying. :)

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  5. What a wonderful thing to do with the whole family. Some of these are a challenge but you get a lot of satisfaction at the end of the day...the COLD day! Sweet hugs!

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  6. I hope my daughter is as cool as you when I am 79.

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  7. Can't believe you still don't have any snow. I am going out side and do a snow dance for Chicago. I'll probably make the snow gods so angry with my antics they will start hurtling snow at you.:)

    Glad you had a fun day.

    Hugs,
    Laura

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  8. What is the funniest/most unusual spot you have ever found something? Looks like someone may have walked off with the DNF one. Are you just supposed to note what you have found or are you supposed to take the container?

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    1. We got a confirmation that the cache is still there, we just weren't clever enough to find it yet! We have to go back.

      I climbed about 40 ft. up into a pine tree for one and you can see it here: http://snugharborbay.blogspot.com/2011/04/ninja-monkey.html

      You do not take the cache. There's a log sheet inside them to sign and then you put them back for the next person to find.

      Here is what some cache containers look like:
      http://snugharborbay.blogspot.com/2011/04/so-thats-what-cache-container-looks.html

      http://snugharborbay.blogspot.com/2012/02/cache-containers.html

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  9. I love the picture of Papa climbing the tree! That is just tooo cute lol!!!

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  10. Sounds like a very successful geocaching day to me! How many DNFs have you got? Do you usually go back and try again and then find them?

    Hey! As you know I've finally got a smartphone!!! ;o) Which means GPS capability... so... any idea if there are good geocaching aps out there which could help me get started? I don't want (nor can I afford) to go out and buy a real GPS until I'm completely hooked by this crazy game... but for a while now I've really wanted to try it out! And it's all your fault!! lol! :p

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  11. You can get the regular geocaching app, which is $ 10.00 I think thru I tunes. You can sign up for the BASIC membership on geocaching.com and you'll be able to cache then. Let me know if you need any help.

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    1. Ok, so looks like I need to monetize my itunes then... I've yet to actually ever buy anything through them! The only aps I've downloaded so far were the free ones. Time to decide which credit card will be used... :p

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    2. Cris, I'm going to get you geocaching yet....

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    3. Darn! Account created and I see there are several in my neighbourhood (around the Cape) and plenty others in the city... it's going to be tough not starting out asap and concentrating on work stuff instead! :p

      Again: YOUR FAULT!!! ;o)

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    4. I have been told on more than one occasion that I'm a bad influence. ROFL!

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    5. Why do I not find that hard to believe? ;o)

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  12. Such fun! I need to get back into it myself. Happy New Year Kim and family :)

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