FSC-2018 Rules

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August 2018 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name: MikeOtt

Real Name:  Mike Ott

 

1.     How did you become involved in geocaching?       My father who lived in north Jersey sent me a local newspaper article on geocaching in 2002.  I already had a simple ETrek GPS for hiking/kayaking in Vermont.  It seemed interesting and when I went to GC.com I saw that there were two geocaches only two miles from my house, so that was my start.

2.     How did you choose your caching name?       The newspaper article my father sent me featured a geocaher, Brian Snatowski  (not sure its spelled correct) who’s caching  name was BrianSnat.  It was easy to copy that concept to create my caching name.

3.     What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?         I try get virtuals whenever possible.  I started out mostly getting hiking traditional caches that were ammo boxes. (seems that was mostly what was available way back in 2002.)   I also like Earth Caches and field puzzles.  Least favorite are many stage multi and very difficult to solve puzzles.

4.     Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?      One of the most physically challenging was GCD, the oldest cache in Washington, that I did with Tim from Amanda and Knobbie.   It took over 5 hours including a 2+  mile hike to the cache with and over a 1700 foot elevation gain.

Also a  really hard cache in south Jersey  was GC1169   Malaga Challenge  a true 5-5 cache.  I did that with IMSpider , his north Jersey friend TheSurfCaster who brought climbing gear, and and rflester.  It was a long kayak paddle across a lake and up a narrow river and then the fun part of using climbing gear to get about 50 feet up in an old tree.  No signing the log for everybody, we all took turns making the climb.

5.     What are your current geocaching goals?       Since I am less than a 1000 away from 25,000 cache finds, that would be nice whenever it happens.  I have worked on caching in all 50 states  ( greatly helped by Hostanut and JeffS47 caching trips) and only need 2, so a goal would be to get Georgia (highly likely) and Hawaii (high unlikely).  Still working on Canada to improve on over 400 finds in 6 different providences.

6.     Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?   Either Hawaii, Mexico or Europe since pretty much covered the US and Canada.

7.     What is your most memorable caching experience?       I enjoyed the Project Ape cache GC1169  Tunnel of Light that was over two mile each way hike through an old RR tunnel.  My favorite was a Vermont cache GC1ZK09 Radar Days.  It was over 3 miles each way on gated road that took you to an abandoned 1950’s Cold War radar station on the top of a mountain.  I spent a few hours exploring the old radar installations,  I went by bike but ended up walking, pushing the bike up the steep mountain road.  Coming down was a quick fast trip, but I had to stop two times as the bike brakes were overheating.

 

8.     What do you like about geocaching?    Getting out and hiking in the woods and seeing new and unique locations

9.     Do you have some favorite caches in the area?    GC3DYYT “Your key to  Cache” is unique.  Also recommend GC4QTGE, GC2QCZC AND GC4MJJD  (look them up!)

10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests?     Right now it’s mostly my 2 year old grandson and twin 1 year old granddaughters.  I do volunteer for White Clay Creek State Park (Delaware), White Clay Creek Preserve (Pennsylvania) and the Mason-Dixon trail system.

July 2018 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name: KSullivan
Real Name: Kelly

1. How did you become involved in geocaching?      A teacher next door to me was having students use gps devices to find containers in the school yard. It sounded intriguing. I borrowed the GPS (an eTrex yellow) and tried to look for geocaches. My husband and I found one. We had no idea what to look for searching for a micro on our second attempt. It was frustrating! It was a year before I picked up a GPS again. I was invited to participate in a Discovery Education Geocaching Day and I was paired with a cacher who knew the ropes. I had 7 finds by the end of the day and was hooked!

2. How did you choose your caching name?        I tried to come up with the most exciting thing I could come up with!! Just kidding! I didn’t know what I was doing and used my name.

3. What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?        Traditional caches are my favorite, followed by a field puzzle. I love a moderate hike to an ammo can!

4. Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?        I did a series in Indiana that was both physically and mentally challenging (GCMWZJ). There were 6 different caches and you had to pick up a field puzzle at each one to solve and get coordinates for the next one. The terrain was challenging as were each of the puzzles. I was not familiar with the area and had a limited time to complete it. Luckily it was with my sister and nieces so we worked together to do the puzzles. We all made it to final except for my one niece who hurt her ankle along the way.

5. What are your current geocaching goals?       I hope to make it to a few geocaching events that I haven’t attended yet—West Bend, Going Caching, etc. I’d like to get some caches in the 13 states where I haven’t been geocaching.

6. Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?
I’m up for caching anywhere!! I really want to get some caches in places I have traveled before I started geocaching—like Scotland and Italy.

7. What is your most memorable caching experience?      I have a good one and a bad one. I’d have to say November of 2016 when I broke my ankle. I feel in a huge hole and broke it in three places. Even though I hopped to the geocache, I couldn’t get it open. Apparently, I was trying to pry off a screw top lid! That experience changed my life and set me back a year!
My best one is a trip I look with Tabbikat out west for the sole purpose of geocaching in National Parks. I’ll never forget the fun we had, the beauty we saw, or the buffalo that almost gored us. (Okay, that’s a little exaggeration.) I remember getting a virtual cache, “Be Inspired” (GCG8XY) and standing on a cliff thinking, “I need more of this in my life.”

8. What do you like about geocaching?      Everything! It’s become very social for me. I’ve met the BEST people geocaching. I also love hiking, finding a beautiful place that I didn’t know about, reading maps, leaving my signature on a park and grab to show I’ve been somewhere, planning routes, and learning things from virtual and Earthcaches.

9. Do you have some favorite caches in the area?       I really like a kayak caches. There are quite a few in my area that are all favorites. Both the Duckayakanoe and the GeoBoat series were fun. I also like ones creative ones like (K)not our First Cache (GC39HPP) where you question if it’s a cache or how to retrieve the log. Another favorite is a real night cache (GC3G80) “Night Cache-If you go down in the woods tonight.”

10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests?      I used to make quilts, but I don’t have as much time to work on them since I started geocaching. I have a side business (LuLaRoe) that I really enjoy even though it takes a lot of my time some weeks! I love to read and travel (but that always involves geocaching.)

June  2018 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name: Shorttripp

Real Name:  Rick Fetterman

1.     How did you become involved in geocaching?       In February of 2008 while at a high school wrestling match, my friend and coworker asked me if I heard of Geocaching.  I said Yes. His wife and him had been doing it since Dec 2007 and asked if I would like to go the next day.  Sure, I had a Garmin Nuvi.  Sunday morning we met and were going for a cache called “71”.  I even went in the store and asked if someone hid something in here, with some looking we finally found it on a pole. That’s how it all started.

The very first day after wrestling, I told my son and we saw a cache at Glasgow Park and I said let’s go and find it.  Well we got there and it took us up the sledding hill.  We searched and found a groundhog hole with nothing in it.  Searched until almost dark, went home and looked at the cache page again.  Found out it was an event that was on 2-2-08 @ 2:22pm!

2.  How did you choose your caching name?      I used to fish a lot and had a beach house on Indian River Bay. When we bought our boat many names were written down and after some thought we came up with the name.  We only went on short trips on the bay but the name Tripp is my wife’s family name and that was how the boat became “shorttripp” so I kept the name in caching.

3.     What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?         Traditional because there are more of them

4.  Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?        Puzzle caches.  Some make you do a lot of research.

5.     What are your current geocaching goals?      Well I had a goal to reach 10,000 finds and that has been reached. No more goals.  Just have fun caching!

6.     Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?       Colorado and Washington and I am going there in July to visit family.  One son in Colorado and one in Washington.

7.     What is your most memorable caching experience?    Doing the Star Spangled Banner series.  We drove over 450 miles in one day to finish the series.  5am to 10pm.  Also finding a cache in Turkey.  My GPS only had an arrow indicator and distance; no maps.

8.     What do you like about geocaching?     The places it takes you to where you would never go.

9. Do you have some favorite caches in the area?     Events.  There is something always good to eat.

10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests?     Fishing and Crabbing.  Don’t have the “shorttripp” anymore so I go with other friends on their boat.

 

May 2018 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name: CrashDavis12

Real Name: Tim Searl

1.  How did you become involved in geocaching?    I heard about it on a podcast and it seemed interesting. I downloaded an app to my Android phone, then forgot the app was there for a few weeks. I was on the boardwalk in Rehoboth one night and remembered the app, so I looked to see if there was one nearby, and there was – GC1A49Z, Puzzled? By Rehobch. I went to the posted coordinates in the center of the boardwalk at the end of Rehoboth Avenue, and there was no cache there. Hmmm… an interesting puzzle for me to solve, and the rest was history.

2.  How did you choose your caching name?    It’s a screen name I picked while I       was watching the movie Bull Durham. Crash Davis is the catcher on the Durham Bulls.

3.   What type of cache do you prefer seeking  traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?        It changes depending on how much time I have to cache and where I am. I like puzzles in Rehoboth and Conshohocken. I usually look for quick C&Ds when I’m on my lunch break at work or on a road trip through a new state. When I have time, I like the hike to a scenic location to see a place where I’ve never been. Oh, and I always try to stop for Webcam caches since they are so rare these days.

4.   Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?        Any puzzle cache over 4 stars. I wish I had more brain power for some of those!

5.   What are your current geocaching goals? To try to average at least one a day throughout the year. I usually go on day-long caching adventures to maintain this average.

6.   Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?      I’d like to find a cache in all 50 states, so I have 31 more to go.

7.   What is your most memorable caching experience?       I was looking for a cache in Aruba, GC614F – The Other Lighthouse. It was on a rocky cliff overlooking some very rough surf on the Caribbean. I was by myself, with ocean off in three different directions, so I felt like I was standing on the edge of the world.

8.   What do you like about geocaching?       I like to solve puzzles, but I also like the cloak and dagger aspects of looking for something in a hidden world that sits as a layer on top of the regular world.

9.     Do you have some favorite caches in the area?       Several. I like GC3DYYT – Your Key To Cache, GC6F31 – Tour De Solar System and GCR7B7 – FOURTEEN MINUS SIX. I solved that one with no help!

10.    Do you have any other hobbies or interests?       I just recently joined my local fire company, and I’m working on a national firefighter certification. I like to sail on tall ships (GC62TMT – FSC-2015 Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard), I like to ski and I also coach my son’s lacrosse team.

April 2018 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name: Cody Hollow Farm

Real Name:  Stacy Hindt

1.   How did you become involved in geocaching?     Went caching with a friend in 2007, and took off running from there.

2.  How did you choose your caching name?      At the time, it was easy, I chose the name of my farm in Fair Hill Maryland.

3. What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?       Virtual, traditional and puzzles with friends.  Webcams are great too!

4.  Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?      Before or after weight loss surgery? Lol.. on a serious note..both Ape caches.  Washington we carried our son our shoulders, he was 4. That was a 6 mile round trip hike! Brazil was a group effort to get there, and I’m proud to boast I am fully inoculated and vaccinated, lol, and then we took the circuitous route to the cache and hiked two mountains and almost 10 miles before dinner.

5.  What are your current geocaching goals?       Uhm… Iceland, Alaska again, and I’m seriously looking into Sweden.  Oldest caches in the States and all the virtuals in Maryland.

6.  Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?      Ask me after the summer Olympics in 2020, I was asked to go with other photographers and of course I will cache!

7.   What is your most memorable caching experience?       Wow…ranking highly..Hawaii with the family, Alaska with my son and getting charged at by a 8foot tall baby moose,  the Northern Lights in Alaska, BOTH APE CACHES!!!! and three countries in one day! Any LEO encounter, and that epic speeding ticket with Wirtz in Maine and South Dakota! She and I always find hot police officers to pull us over….

8.  What do you like about geocaching?       The journey where it takes me. The people.

9. Do you have some favorite caches in the area?
Jusefs cache. CAM caches, 14-6, and of course, WV Tim caches!

10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests?       I’m a part time professional photographer. I ride horses and love to cook when I can . Cajun is my favorite. My family and their interests, and of course, I LOVE CATS!

March 2018 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name: JeffS47

Real Name:  Jeff Strauss 

1.     How did you become involved in geocaching?    In 2011 I read an article in the Wilmington News Journal about geocaching and set up an account. I did not have a modern cell phone but my son’s did so for father’s day that year I asked them to go caching with me. We found one cache in Talley Day Park and one in Bellevue State Park that day. I then bought a Garmin etrex that summer and attended my first event at the Smyrna Diner and was hooked.

2.  How did you choose your caching name?     JeffS47 was already my email name so I just use it.

3.     What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?     I like them all. I especially like puzzles when someone else solves them.

4.  Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?    The long hikers are sometimes a problem for me because of my hip.

5.     What are your current geocaching goals?    I have caches in 42 of the 50 states and am planning a trip to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama next month with MikeOtt, so that will leave just 5 states to complete all 50.

6.     Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?    Alaska, Hawaii and Ireland, Scotland and England.

7. What is your most memorable caching experience?    All the caching road trips I have taken with both MikeOtt and Drew136. Also see pictures.

8.     What do you like about geocaching?    All the friends I have made. The Delaware Geocaching community is one of the best groups of people I have ever known.

9.     Do you have some favorite caches in the area?    Many of the FSC caches that have been placed by all of you over the 7 years I have done the FSC and also the crafty caches machined by Marty Mitchell.

10.  Do you have any other hobbies or interests?    My three adult children and my two beautiful grandchildren.

August, 2015 With Drew136, CrashDavis12, OliversOuting and HuntingKids04 at GCGV0P Original Stash Tribute Plaque – Oregon

January, 2018 Arizona’s oldest  GC57.

Hillside Multi GCWFY7 July, 2016 with OliversOuting, MartyMitchell And CrashDavis12.

Bar Harbor Maine Earthcache GC3RJ39 “The Bar That Named a Town” with MikeOtt  October, 2016

January, 2017 with BenLorma07 in NJ at GCZKWA  River Stroll 2-Memory Lane

October, 2016 Caching run to Philadelphia with MikeOtt MartinMitchell and Drew136.

Los Algodones, Mexico – January, 2018  –  9 dusty dirty caches in 3 hours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 2018 – Cacher of the Month

 

Caching Name:  SOAR-D12D14
Real Name:  Barb Bobik

Caching Name:  Lucky-Duck
Real Name: Karen Burgess

1.     How did you become involved in geocaching?      We are sisters and both got involved in August 2012 while in center city Philadelphia on a girl’s weekend getaway.   Mary Hutchison (Shout out to Ragtopday) wanted to do some city caching as part of our weekend activities and we had no idea what she was talking about!  Our group spent the afternoon in the city caching and we both made a find that day. After that, we were hooked.

2.     How did you choose your caching name?       We each quickly came up with a name that same day in August so that we could search for caches and sign the logs. I (Karen) chose Lucky-Duck which is a variation of a street name from my vacation home at the beach. I (Barb) got my name from two eaglets that I had been watching that summer on a live webcam.

3.     What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?       We don’t necessarily have a favorite type cache that we like better than others, however we both really enjoy finding a “creative” cache. We are also really motivated to complete any caching challenges such as the yearly FSC and the Chocolate Town Challenge.   The One Day iconic Challenge was unique because it required us to find all eight different types of caches in one single day.  We completed it a few years ago and really enjoyed finding all of the different kinds of caches.

4.     Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?      Vermont 1, the oldest active cache in Vermont was challenging both physically AND mentally.  This was found during a three day caching trip north with a goal of finding the oldest cache in seven different New England states.  We had to climb STRAIGHT UP a mountain for an hour which was quite a workout and put us there near dusk.  Once there, the directions were difficult to follow as it had us take different bearings and walk 100+ steps multiple times with no landmarks between turns.  We quickly came to realize that it is hard to measure the distance of a step.  Based on prior logs. It seemed like no one could agree on the length of each stride.  The best logon this cache reads “Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Up-then bushwhack and wander in the woods.”  We finally had to give up searching and retreated back down the mountain in the dark (Not for the feint of heart).  After finding NO restaurants still open and the only mom and pop motel room available, we went to sleep cursing the cache.  However, sore but refusing to log a DNF, we made a second attempt in the morning.  This proved to be just as difficult but with more daylight we eventually made the find.  When we were almost back down, we came upon a caching couple from Ohio (Outdoors we go) who breathlessly asked us if they were getting close to the top.  We smiled, gave them our phone number, some tips, and just encouraged them to keep going. Several hours later we received a” phone a friend call” from them needing more assistance which helped them earn their smiley.

5.     What are your current geocaching goals?    Between working full time and sharing caregiving responsibility for a family member, our current goal is just to find more common time to cache together. This will hopefully give us the opportunity to participate in more challenges and cache more often.

6.     Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?       Neither of us have a particular place on the radar at this time, but we would like to continue our quest to find a cache in every state. We are getting there slowly, but surely.

7.     What is your most memorable caching experience?     Actually there are several that are quite memorable.

When we were fairly new to caching, we did a weekend trip to NYC and completed the Bridges and Arches of Central Park cache.  It was quite an undertaking to complete in a day for us newbies. We made the find in the dark and the cache owner delivered our numbered coins to our hotel the next morning.  It was so fun to explore ALL of Central Park and we encourage anyone who hasn’t gotten this cache yet to check it out.  Word of advice, take a reference photo of everything you are asked to find.

We also really enjoyed the Rock Band trail caches in Virginia Beach. Believe it or not, the three days that we spent riding our bikes in both rain and the hot July sun were a blast!  By the way, Rock Band #2 America is now archived, perhaps due to one of us accidently dropping it off of the inlet bridge into the water.  Oops….

Honorable mention would be the caches we found on the island of St. Maarten.

8.     What do you like about geocaching?       We both like the challenge of finding the cache. I (Barb) like the stress relief geocaching provides and I (Karen) enjoy being outdoors while exploring new places.  We have met some wonderful people through caching and have made many great sister memories.

9.     Do you have some favorite caches in the area?      There are a lot of Delaware caches that we have enjoyed while completing the FSC Challenges each year.  It would be hard to select just one or two as our favorites.  Since we tend to lean toward specific caching challenges, there are many Delaware caches that we have not yet attempted to find. Of course, along with 594 other cachers, we would have to call “Your Key to Cache” one of our favorites due   to it’s uniqueness.

10.   Do you have any other hobbies or interests?      When time permits, I (Karen) enjoy relaxing at the beach, boating, or reading a book.  I (Barb) also enjoy having my toes in the sand, as well as hiking, biking, and bird watching.  Summer concerts are something else that we really enjoy doing together.  The best is when we can combine the two “C’s”….caching at a concert.  We’ve done that a few times.

January 2018 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name: captnkirk17

Real Name:  Kirk Holzapfel

 

1.     How did you become involved in geocaching?  I read about it online when the Planet of the Apes movie had “Ape Caches” with movie props hidden all over the world.  For some reason I never did it or got an account until my kids wanted to do the Delaware Geotrail in 2009.

2.     How did you choose your caching name?   I was in the Air Force right before I came to Delaware in 1987, a few people called me “captain kirk”, so I used that as my email, and in other places I where I need an online nickname. If captnkirk is taken I use captnkirk17.

3.     What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?    I like big old traditional caches in the woods, and puzzle caches I can solve. I am also a big fan of virtual caches too, glad to see more of them placed.
4.     Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?    Physically it was Alley Opp (https://coord.info/GCVGGH) hidden deep in a cave that I like in West Virginia.

Mentally it was Speakeazy (https://coord.info/GC43BFX) rehobch dedicated it to one of my caches, so I had to solve it, but It took me hours. Puzzles and caches are a lot alike, if you look for an hour and you find it, you feel great, if you try for an hour and you don’t get it, it’s just that much worse.

5.     What are your current geocaching goals?   I have nothing big planned at the moment, just find caches in some further away and more scenic locations, and hide some more caches.

6.     Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?     Out West, I have traveled the area quite a bit, before geocaching was invented, so I don’t have any finds in the Western US yet.

7.     What is your most memorable caching experience?     Probably doing the Delaware Geotrail with my kids when they were young, when you have fun with your kids its always memorable.  I also like the old virtual caches that take me to interesting places I never knew about and I would never have visited when I travel.

8.     What do you like about geocaching?      How it makes you go on little adventures to places you would have never known about otherwise.

9.     Do you have some favorite caches in the area?      This has to be the hardest question on the list.  I think Delaware is lucky to have an abundance of great cache hiders.  I particularly enjoy historic locations and old ruins so if you hid a cache near an old barn in the woods, century old gun emplacements, one of the jetties I have walked out on, remnants of old iron mining operations or any of the other interesting places in this state, thanks again.  Special thanks to Mike Ott, Delaware is a small state, to have hidden over a hundred caches here is amazing and I have yet to log a bad one.
10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests?      I have decided geocaching is going to be my old person sport, like golf is for many people.  I also enjoy exploring caves, hiking, camping, target shooting, scuba diving and skiing, but I don’t seem to do any of them as often as I would like to anymore.

Photos:

5-5 Geocache: I can’t climb, so I rappelled down from the top to discover Swallow your pride rock (https://coord.info/GC4WAV8)

Geocaching at 7 Tubs: It was a cold and snowy day when I took the bridge selfie required to discover The Seven Tubs (https://coord.info/GC1G4RY)

Geocaching in a cave: Me exploring in Bowden Cave, the location of Alley-oop (https://coord.info/GCVGGH)

Serpentene barrens with Brownie: Me and my dog Brownie (https://coord.info/TB54942) at a nearby Earthcache called The Serpentene Barrens (https://coord.info/GC18KX7).

December 2017 – Cacher of the Month

Caching Name:  mortonfox

Real Name:         Po Shan Cheah

1. How did you become involved in geocaching?   Man in the Wild mentioned geocaching on Where’s George chat back in 2001. So I promptly went out and tried to find the nearest cache, which at the time was 17 miles from home. It took two tries. On my first attempt, I took the wrong approach and could only get within about a quarter mile. On my second try, I got it.

2. How did you choose your caching name?   Until around 2011, it was Stayfloopy. Back when I lived in Northern New Jersey, one of the local businesses had a big sign saying “PARK RIDGE FLOORING” out by the road. The “R” in “FLOORING” had faded a bit, so it looked more like “FLOOPING”. That’s where it came from.

In 2011, I changed it to mortonfox to match all my other online accounts. This is the name of a character in my comic strip Limpidity.

3. What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual?    I think virtual caches are the best but hard to come by nowadays. Mostly, I seek regular caches because those are easy to look up and judge whether the walk is doable and, unlike puzzles, don’t require preparation. Now that it is easy to view and download webcam photos in the field, I do also like webcam caches.

4. Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally?    Tree climbing caches have been the most physically challenging for me. The first part is having to carry a ladder up to a fraction of a mile into the field. Then the ladder may not be long enough either. The hardest one I’ve gotten was in Mill Creek Park in Willingboro, NJ. My ladder was almost not long enough and when I got to the top, I still had to reach out on the tree branch for the cache. Fortunately, the bison tube was just within reach by an inch or so.

5. What are your current geocaching goals?    This year, I’d planned on tapering off my geocaching activity and stopping at 35,000 finds. That was my goal. I hit that milestone while at Metro Gathering and went quite a bit past it. I haven’t decided what, if any, my next goal should be.

6. Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t?    Out of the country, perhaps back to the UK where I haven’t been for over 30 years. The current socio-political climate though makes me think that it may be a good idea to wait a few more years before doing so.

7. What is your most memorable caching experience?    Keeping in mind that memorable can be both good and bad…

Memorable-good was the group caching outing near Estell Manor in South Jersey. When we were deep in the pine barrens, it was good having over a dozen people team up to search for caches. The hardest cache along that cache trail still took more than 15 minutes to find until someone stumbled on it by chance.

Memorable-bad was going to a geocaching event in the DC area in 2002, where we got lectured by a National Park ranger for an hour about placing geocaches on National Park land. That soured me on national parks for quite a while because I had nothing to do with those cache placements.

Memorable-funny was the bathrobe guy incident at the Garrett Mountain Reservation parking lot. I was retrieving a cache on the railing in front of a parked van. I actually had no idea that anything was going on in that van until a guy in a bathrobe rushed out of the back, got in the driver’s seat, and drove away quickly.

8. What do you like about geocaching?    It’s something interesting to do when I travel. The caches themselves may not be that special or unique but it’s better than just driving continuously.

9. Do you have some favorite caches in the area?    “Your Key To Cache” is my favorite and the only one in the area that I’ve revisited quite a number of times to exchange trackables. Aside from that, “How ODD Can It Be?” is a recent favorite simply because of the quirkiness of the location.

10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests?    Aside from geocaching, I play Munzee, Eventzee, and Flagstack. Also, I am still on Where’s George, the activity that got me started on geocaching.