Geocaching, geocoins and the many roads of life.
This is made up of stories from my caching and my reviewing. It is a collection of those along with comments and thoughts. Photos, and maps of some adventures and lists of some of the oldest caches.
I just updated the Utah Stats Page
I have not been good at keeping up on this site or the page, but I have plans to do better.
Looking at the stats You can see the following trends.
A few months ago I decided that I was going to take squaw peak road over the mountain face and get away, relax, and enjoy the afternoon.
Well not exactly. I was actually reviewing caches and the cacher placed a cache on the mountainside. At 8600 feet and a mile and a half from the nearest cache on the road, it was placed a few hundred feet from another. What kind of luck is that?
Well the cacher disabled the cache and said that they would not make it up there for some time to fix it. So after a month or so I had an idea. Well I have wanted to drive up there, perhaps I would head up.. move it two hundred feet, and get back with the cache owner that I helped out. It was brilliant, a fantastic idea. What could go wrong.
Yes.. what could go wrong.
We live at 4600 feet, and so a substantial climb to get to the cache site at 5000 feet higher than where I was.
So we packed int he truck and started the drive. I passed by a few caches that I have not found, then a few that I had. The climb went up, and as we got up a ways the girls wanted to ride in the back. Nice that allowed us to have more room. Then it started to rain. Not hard, just a drizzle. But the little bit of rain was enough to make the road really slick
Well I looked and looked for the cache that the person said was up there, with no luck. I was soaked by the time I finally gave up. Well so much for a good turn...
| GCHQMX | 129 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Bryce Canyon National Park- Inspiration Point |
| GCG2ZP | 109 | 5/12/2003 | Virtual | Angel's Landing |
| GC177KB | 108 | 11/1/2007 | Earthcache | Delicate Arch |
| GCHQFJ | 83 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Arches National Park- Balanced Rock |
| GCZ5YD | 79 | 11/2/2006 | Earthcache | Zion Narrows |
| GCB598 | 78 | 1/1/2003 | Unknown | JAC0B's MOVING #2 |
| GCZ5Z2 | 78 | 11/2/2006 | Earthcache | Blind Arch - Great Arch of Zion |
| GCDB76 | 77 | 1/13/2003 | Unknown | JAC0B's MOVING #3 |
| GCQF8F | 74 | 9/9/2005 | Traditional | Salt Lake City Travel Bug Hotel |
| GCJG49 | 73 | 5/20/2004 | Virtual | Arches National Park - Delicate Arch |
| GC3B | 69 | 8/27/2000 | Traditional | Potters Pond |
| GCZCME | 67 | 11/15/2006 | Earthcache | Avalanche on Wall Street- Bryce Canyon NPS |
| GCA87C | 66 | 11/1/2002 | Unknown | JAC0B's MOVING #1 |
| GCHQFR | 65 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Arches National Park- The Arches |
| GCZD91 | 59 | 11/17/2006 | Earthcache | Balanced Rock: Arches National Park |
| GCHQMK | 58 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Zion National Park- Checkerboard Mesa |
| GCZ5YB | 56 | 11/2/2006 | Earthcache | Weeping Rock - Zion NP |
| GCZD8X | 56 | 11/17/2006 | Earthcache | The Windows Section: Arches National Park |
| GCHQN2 | 55 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Bryce Canyon National Park- Natural Bridge |
| GCZ5Z9 | 55 | 11/2/2006 | Earthcache | Checkerboard Mesa - Zion NP |
| GCHZZ1 | 51 | 3/22/2004 | Virtual | Temple Square Virtual Tour |
| GC1C96Z | 48 | 5/15/2008 | Earthcache | Red Canyon Hoodoos |
| GCHQGR | 47 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Canyonlands National Park- Mesa Arch |
| GC3B33 | 43 | 2/18/2002 | Virtual | Gilgal |
| GC6FD7 | 42 | 7/10/2002 | Virtual | Golden Spike |
| GC9938 | 40 | 10/8/2002 | Virtual | Cove Fort Historic Site |
| GC26VF2 | 40 | 4/15/2010 | Traditional | Sign the Date |
| GC18FK5 | 38 | 1/9/2008 | Earthcache | Wilson Arch |
| GCZD93 | 37 | 11/17/2006 | Earthcache | The Moab Fault: Arches National Park |
| GC1TYC9 | 37 | 6/20/2009 | Traditional | Galileo 400 |
| GCHQGC | 36 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Canyonlands National Park- Grand View Point |
| GCHQHZ | 36 | 2/21/2004 | Virtual | Bryce Canyon National Park- Mossy Cave Trail |
| GCGXCQ | 35 | 9/16/2003 | Virtual | Sheer Beauty |
| GCH83R | 35 | 11/17/2003 | Traditional | Mexican Hat |
| GC20EX7 | 34 | 10/30/2009 | Earthcache | Landscape Arch |
| GCQNT2 | 33 | 9/24/2005 | Traditional | DIE CAST CACHE |
| GCZCZM | 32 | 11/16/2006 | Earthcache | Dead Horse Point |
| GC1Y60D | 32 | 9/5/2009 | Traditional | Westminster |
| GCYTMM | 31 | 10/7/2006 | Traditional | Red Arch |
| GC19ZTC | 31 | 3/7/2008 | Earthcache | Artesian Systems |
| GCHHXG | 30 | 1/18/2004 | Virtual | Harry and Mike's Place |
| GCHJ1X | 30 | 1/21/2004 | Virtual | Take a Gander ...(and meander) |
| GC1799H | 30 | 11/11/2007 | Earthcache | The Bonneville Salt Flats |
| GC28AA8 | 30 | 5/10/2010 | Multi-cache | Roy Travel Bug Bed & Bath Hostel |
| GCHWCJ | 29 | 3/8/2004 | Virtual | Brigham Young's Final Rest |
| GCYFEM | 29 | 9/23/2006 | Traditional | Mall RING Road |
| GCHZ82 | 28 | 3/20/2004 | Virtual | The Conference Center |
| GC1796W | 28 | 8/7/2007 | Earthcache | Goblin Valley |
| GC70F6 | 27 | 7/14/2002 | Virtual | DHP Overlook |
| GCGTHN | 27 | 9/1/2003 | Virtual | Centurium |
| GCQJ0J | 27 | 9/13/2005 | Earthcache | Dinosaur Tracks in St. George Earthcache |
| GCXPPE | 26 | 8/13/2006 | Traditional | Turn your Head and Cough |
| GC15FGQ | 26 | 8/27/2007 | Earthcache | St. George Inverted Topography |
| GCB4D3 | 25 | 12/15/2002 | Virtual | Dewey Bridge |
| GCH3WQ | 25 | 10/22/2003 | Virtual | Hurricane Ditch Riders |
| GC19HG5 | 25 | 1/29/2008 | Earthcache | Devil's Slide |
| GC1YDQD | 25 | 9/8/2009 | Earthcache | Lake Bonneville Salty Remnants Earthcache |
| GCGKG2 | 24 | 8/5/2003 | Virtual | Take A Load Off |
| GCJA2D | 24 | 4/26/2004 | Virtual | Bryce |
| GCRMAM | 24 | 12/12/2005 | Traditional | Fire in the Hole |
| GC1785W | 24 | 11/7/2007 | Earthcache | Bridal Veil Falls Earthcache |
| GC2GP4T | 24 | 10/13/2010 | Traditional | Airbender |
| GCGMWK | 23 | 8/12/2003 | Virtual | American Bonzai Tree |
| GCHTYH | 23 | 3/2/2004 | Virtual | Up State |
| GC13K8F | 23 | 6/17/2007 | Unknown | Knock Knock.....Who is it????? |
| GC1M6YX | 23 | 1/29/2009 | Traditional | Goblin Valley State Park (V2) |
| GC18ED | 22 | 8/25/2001 | Traditional | Right Between (And Above) The Eyes! |
| GCGWVG | 22 | 9/13/2003 | Earthcache | Ancient Worm Trails |
| GCGXCN | 22 | 9/16/2003 | Virtual | Giddy-Up |
| GCX8Q7 | 22 | 7/21/2006 | Traditional | Calf Creek Vistas |
| GC10400 | 22 | 12/28/2006 | Traditional | Moki's Moki Dugway |
| GCA279 | 21 | 10/18/2002 | Virtual | Holes N" The Ground |
| GCG9F6 | 21 | 6/14/2003 | Virtual | Gravesite |
| GCGX4B | 21 | 9/10/2003 | Traditional | Corona |
| GCHZ8T | 21 | 3/20/2004 | Virtual | Brigham Young Historic Park |
| GCRMAE | 21 | 12/12/2005 | Traditional | Krypton |
| GCYZD2 | 21 | 10/20/2006 | Traditional | The Blue Anasazi Rain Deer |
| GCZD9A | 21 | 11/17/2006 | Earthcache | Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracks |
| GC13TYA | 21 | 8/14/2007 | Unknown | What's Mom the Cook cookin up..... spaghetti |
| GC29A8E | 21 | 5/27/2010 | Multi-cache | MULT |
| GCGHWK | 20 | 7/28/2003 | Virtual | You Can See Forever |
| GCHVPG | 20 | 3/6/2004 | Virtual | THE TABERNACLE |
| GCHVZK | 20 | 3/6/2004 | Virtual | Landing on I-215 |
| GC171QQ | 20 | 10/29/2007 | Earthcache | Hanging Valleys of Kolob Canyon |
| GC19V7J | 20 | 3/1/2008 | Traditional | Phoney Baloney |
| GC2C299 | 20 | 8/29/2010 | Traditional | Good News, Bad News (Seinfeld #1) |
| GC1D3B | 19 | 9/3/2001 | Virtual | Submerged Jetty |
| GCJ836 | 19 | 4/19/2004 | Virtual | Remeber Pearl Harbor |
| GCRMAK | 19 | 12/12/2005 | Traditional | Dog Dog |
| GC8A | 18 | 10/15/2000 | Traditional | Pony Express Stash |
| GCFE7E | 18 | 4/19/2003 | Traditional | Fat Man's Misery |
| GC1DF9Y | 18 | 6/25/2008 | Unknown | Heard it through the grapevine |
| GC1N2QC | 18 | 2/25/2009 | Earthcache | The Great Upheaval Dome Controversy |
| GC82B3 | 17 | 8/21/2002 | Traditional | Desert Sentinels |
| GCD2BE | 17 | 2/8/2003 | Virtual | Remembering the Volunteers |
| GCYYTZ | 17 | 2/21/2004 | Traditional | 5,000 RED FEET KOKOPELLI ~ Re - Visited |
| GCN8TY | 17 | 3/24/2005 | Traditional | Mt. Carmel Hole in the Wall |
| GCZ9CC | 17 | 11/9/2006 | Earthcache | Lava Tube - Snow Canyon |
| GC106V9 | 17 | 1/1/2007 | Traditional | VIPER |
| GC1AXE4 | 17 | 4/4/2008 | Traditional | Hogs Back |
| GC1BPQK | 17 | 4/28/2008 | Earthcache | Promenade Wetlands Earthcache |
| GC1DE6T | 17 | 6/21/2008 | Traditional | Trucker Stop #13 HEH, HEH, HEH |
| GC1FAM4 | 17 | 8/21/2008 | Unknown | EYE'S OF A UTAH GEOCACHER |
| GC1PNQ8 | 17 | 4/7/2009 | Traditional | Dead Horse Point State Park (V2) |
| GC1D4D4 | 17 | 12/12/2009 | Unknown | Our 100th geocache - WAREHOUSE |
| GC2HH5T | 17 | 10/29/2010 | Traditional | Mailbox #246 |
I have been tossing out my reviewer tips of the day. I thought i would toss them here as I reach groups of five.
So here they #1 to #5.
If a reviewer tells you your cache is too close to another cache, then you move it to get it listed, only to move it back soon after publishing, you cache will take a quick trip to the archive bin.
A summit log is not a cache, a State Park log is not a cache, a Wilderness access log is not a cache, and a guestbook is not a cache. A cache might be placed in, on, or near those, but they are not caches.
Look at the map, preferably the satellite before submitting. Many times caches appear in the ocean, in a backyard, etc.
Best case scenario: You get a note asking for permission, or if you went swimming for 3000 miles to place the cache.
Worst case: The cache is in the hills and gets listed, people drive and hike for hours, then hate you when you meant W40° and not W41°
Look before you place.
Nothing is more depressing than telling a cacher. "I am sorry you hiked 5,000 feet in altitude, and put a cache with travel bugs in it, but you are 55 feet from another cache."
or the variation.
"... your cache is in a wilderness area." There may be a reason there is no cache within five miles of that location. You might just want to check first.
Be sneaky - sort of.
As sneaky as you want, or can possibly imagine with your hides. Try and figure out a way to torment other cachers. Make the hides memorable and thoughtful
Do not be sneaky with your reviewer. Slipping in an ALR, changing Earthcache logging requirements to a photo, not publishing where you say it is, or changing a waypoint of the final too close to another cache. All of these are ways to get your cache disabled, archived, or retracted.
At the earthcache GC1EGKZ
Back in December I put my geocoins up for sale and I had the opportunity to corrispond with geocachers from around the world. In the process I made contact with DK-Titan. Some cachers that live in Denmark. They were interested in the coin.
Well we made the sale and becan to corrispond. They were interested in visiting and going to Potter's Ponds. Potters is one of the oldest caches from Aug 2000. It is one of the three caches that exist from Aug 2000. So those people that are trying to complete the Jasmer challenge have a limited selection that month. (a cache from each month of geocaching)
In 2011, the trail to Potters was closed until well into June. The first ones braved the snow and the mud to make it there June 21. Normally the road is open by June 1st. So I did not hold out hope. So I kept in touch with them.
Eventually over time I kept in touch, and I found out the road was opening early. Just in time for their visit. I asked what they would be driving, and it was going to be a small car. After looking at the picture last year and the road of mud. So I offered to drive them up in my truck.
I decided to meet them closer to the afternoon. So if the roads were muddy it would have time to dry out. The day before had seen a lot of rain, so that gave us a little time.
I spent the morning checking oil, water etc in the truck so we can make the trip. Then who should drive up to find the cache at my house is DK_Titan. We said our hello's and they headed on their way and we went off to find a few more while I got ready.
The drive down to the cache takes about an hour. They wanted to grab and and all Earthcaches and Virtuals that are in the area. They only have a few (one if I heard right). So we planned the drive and hunt to look for them.
The drive was pretty uneventful. It was a nice drive and we stopped to see a number of sights on the way. We happened to stop at one that was at a scenic overlook. http://coord.info/GCJAWC I did not give any thought to the fact that it was older. It was from 2004, and though I do not give it any thought here, caches that old are pretty rare in Denmark.
We left the town of Fairview and began the climb. In just a few miles you go from 6,000 to over 9,800. We grabbed a few caches along the way. I even put one out at the highest spot on the road. It actually surprised me that there was not one there already. So now at 9800 feet near the road there is a new cache. 9800 feet of mountain with DK_Titan
So then we started descending there hills. There were a few more caches, and a few earthcaches to grab on the way. The few times that I had been up here I was with kids and a wife that did not want to spend a lot of time looking. So I was able to complete some of the caches with them.
We made it to the camp site and made our way to the nearest point to hike from. We crossed the creek and made our way over. New to the hike this year was a large dead tree has fallen across the creek. That made it so you did not have to hop rock from rock, or wade on the way over. So we balanced over and made our way over to the hill. 
The cache is not far up the hill and I followed behind them. When we got to the location I let them look for it. I knew where it was, but I it is always anti-climactic for someone to just point you to the cache. I sat and took a few pictures while they were hunting for the caches, signing the logs, and then our way back.
I decided that on the trip home we would not come back the same way. I think that is universal among geocachers. If you can help it you try other ways to find a cache. So we headed to the south and down the canyon.
It was a great drive, but rather than come to the West, where I wanted to go, we headed east. The road to the west was still closed, and would have had us exiting near Ephraim. Instead we headed to the East and worked our way to Orangeville, and Castle Dell. We were hoping to grab some Virtuals. Unfortunately I had forgotten that those were inside museums that we did not want to pay for, and take the time. So we headed North to the Price area.
Well once we hit there and headed home we found 8-9 Virtuals and Earthcaches. In all it was a fun day and a fun trip. I had a lot of fun and i was glad that I had the experience with them.
