Why Sometimes it's Good to Geocache in the Off Season

Here's what this beach looked like when we found a geocache here in early May:
 

 

  

Here's what it looked like in early July!

  

 

  

Geocaching in touristy areas in the off season makes things a lot easier as there aren't so many muggles around!  Another good tip is that some parks (esp state parks) only charge admission during the summer months, so planning to geocache there in the spring or the fall can save you a few bucks.  

  

This is also another great example of one of the best things about geocaching - it brings you to places you would probably never find on your own.  We were brought to this little, out of the way beach on Lake George to find a geocache back in May - then when we were in that area just recently and were looking for a place to eat our picnic lunch, we knew of this great little spot!

  

See you in the log books...

 

Do You Geocache Vicariously Through Others?

 

 

Do you always say to yourself, "I've got to try geocaching one of these days...."?  Are you unsure of how to get started?  Well, you have got to listen to this podcast (a podcast is like an audiobook/talk radio - it's a talk show you can listen to right on your computer or your iPod/mp3 player)!  This is a podcast by Cliff Ravenscraft of GSPN.tv - he is a producer of many fine podcasts that I really enjoy listening to on everything from popular TV shows like Lost & Desperate Housewives to topics like technology and daily bible devotions.  Anyway, my favorite podcast is called "My Crazy Life" and that one is basically an audio diary.  Well the other day, much to my surprise, he and his family decided to go geocaching for the first time - and he took his microphone along and you get to go along with him, his wife and kids on their very first time geocaching!  It's a load of fun to listen to (I'll give you a hint - they didn't find the first one!), and it shows you how quickly he was able to find and understand the basic instructions, and how easy it was to give it a try!
 

My Crazy Life Geocaching Part 1

My Crazy Life Geocaching Part 2

  
Whether you are already a geocacher, or have always WANTED to be a geocacher, give it a listen, it's a hoot!  (You can listen to it right on your computer or you can download it to your portable media player if you wish.)

See ya on the trails!
 

Benchmark Hunting

  
Have you ever seen one of these?  They're all over the place - most likely there are some right in your town, in plain view.  It's a benchmark. 
  
From Geocaching.com:

What is a benchmark?

A benchmark is a point whose position is known to a high degree of accuracy and is normally marked in some way. The marker is often a metal disk made for this purpose, but it can also be a church spire, a radio tower, a mark chiseled into stone, or a metal rod driven into the ground. Over two centuries or so, many other objects of greater or lesser permanence have been used. Benchmarks can be found at various locations all over the United States. They are used by land surveyors, builders and engineers, map makers, and other professionals who need an accurate answer to the question, "Where?" Many of these markers are part of the geodetic control network (technically known as the National Spatial Reference System, or NSRS) created and maintained by NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS).
 
Some Geocachers enjoy hunting for benchmarks as sort of a side hobby, since often times in our treasure hunting we bump into them anyway.  You don't actually even need a GPS in order to find benchmarks.  You can go to the Geocaching.com page on benchmarks HERE and on the right hand side at the top, plug in your zip code to find benchmarks close to you.  You can click on a particular one and read the datasheet for it, which gives coordinates, as well as written directions for finding the benchmark.  The datasheets themselves are very interesting - they document attempts over the years to check on the benchmark.  Some benchmarks are very old and the written directions might consist of something like, "10ft east from large oak tree, 100 yards south from Mr. John Smith's stable, and 18 paces north of a large rock outcropping" (but there should be more modern directions documented as well).  Even if you don't hunt for any, the datasheets can be fun to read!  Go take a look and see where there are benchmarks that you never noticed!
 
There is much more interesting info about benchmarks - if you want to learn more, be sure to check out Geocaching.com's page on Benchmark Hunting.  If you can find any benchmarks, Geocaching.com will even let you log them.
 
Yes, we've found lots of benchmarks. :-D
 

Why It's Important To Log Your DNFs (Did Not Finds)

Some people are very reluctant to log a DNF (Did Not Find) when they don't find a geocache.  For some people it's an ego thing - they just don't want any of those "sad faces" in their account - they don't want to suffer the embarrassment of admitting they couldn't find a geocache.  For others, it may be that they tell themselves they'll go again another day and try to find it, and they never get around to finding it and never log the DNF. 
 
Well, embarrassing or not, or whether you plan to try to find the geocache again another day, you should still log your DNF because this is the only way the geocache owner will find out there may be a problem with their geocache!  Sometimes you can't find a geocache because it's not there - sometimes geocaches mysteriously disappear, or sometimes they get "muggled" (non-geocachers find it and trash it or take it).  And other geocachers will continue to waste their time and energy trying to find caches that are not there unless people log their DNFs so that the geocache owner will realize there is a problem and go out and check on their geocache and either come back to the cache page and note that the geocache IS still there and it's just a tough hide, or they can disable the listing if the geocache is missing until they have a chance to replace it.

So please, don't be embarrassed if you don't find a geocache - it's happened to the best of us, believe me (in fact right now there's a geocache we've been to TWICE and still haven't found it - we did confirm though that it IS still there - we just can't seem to find it!).  And hey, it might not even be there to be found, in which case the geocache owner will appreciate knowing there may be a problem and if they see another DNF or two come in, they'll know they need to go out and check on it. 

I hope you never have any DNFs, but if you do, please log it.  As a geocache owner, I thank you!