More time has passed so that must mean some geocaching was done. Nope. It's a busy time in the spring around Anzac and in particular the sTuRgi!

I recently put on a Geocaching seminar at the Anzac Community Hall which was rather well attended and appreciated. Scouter Gizmo was undercover as just Jim, as he was my left hand man delivery what I put together. I called it Geocaching 101 - plain and simple. The video I scooped from geocaching.com didn't work in my powerpoint, but I tried. The folks in attendance sure understood what I was throwing down. As I packed up they took my hint to go look for the newest listed GC in Aznac. So off they went and found no it without issue.That made my day and effort I out into the seminar all worth it.

I have completed a total re-haul of all my pictures, including geocaching pics - lots to come.

I FINALLY received my new Blackberry 9930 and first application I loaded was Blackberry Bridge, then Geocache Navigator. This new phone is faster and works well. More to come.

I'm building geocaches to sell now. Our yard sale is just around the corner so I'm going to lay out some samples, offer a few for sale and take orders. This is a test, see how much interest it generates.

 Our Travel Bug (TB) TCB was picked up sometime ago and made a journey west to the Coast in Mission, BC. The Mission TB/GeoCoin Hotel is the current location of this TB. I am very happy to have our TB in this location on account it's specifically for TB and GeoCoins. This should certainly help out TB make it's journey to Graceland in Memphis Tennessee. I can't wait for more reports!

The TCB bug has had a great journey so far, no pictures yet, but hopefully soon!!

New website for Geocaching!

I've only just started to read into this website as I have come across it a few time. Garmin, arguably one of, if not the largest manufacturer of GPSr's and GPS software now has their own version of www.geocaching.com

So I checked it out, and I'm not overly impressed. I am now just seemingly getting the hang of our account (on geocaching.com), and how things work! However I am open to change, and if it's easier or the kids can learn it too - I'm in! So I'll do more reading and reviewing on my own, and ask around! 

If anyone has been poking around on this new site, please post your comments!

None listed in FMC area!

Canada and Northern USA!

So, the caches are being listed slowly but surely. Definitely worth a look into. 

Building Geocaches! Daddy's job.

I LOVE BUILDING GEOCACHES. I don't know why, but I do. I have always collected and kept lil tins, tubs, containers, kool stuff that I thought would come in handy some day! Turns out, as a Scout you always need little containers to make packing easier. Now, that the sTuRgi are geocaching ADDICTS! my collection is coming in handy! 


I have built 3 ammo can geocaches - one got scooped. They are great for caching, and are easy to kamo! I found mine at Princess Auto (this is the place for a Daddy to grabajaba, a cart and 2 hours) but you can get them anywhere nowadays! 


We have successfully built some solid, weatherproof, geocaching friendly caches to date, but they have been basic. Time to turn it up a notch.


SPOILER ALERT - If I need to explain, click the x in TRHC!


Our next series of caches will be bumped up in terrain, and difficulty. As our experience grows hunting for caches, as does our experience for ideas to hide the treasures! Coming next will be a serious of "L&L's" aka Lock n Loads. Small to regular size caches (according to geocaching.com) with great hidden SWAG and fun for all! These caches will include multi-caches, micro-caches, a possible Earthcache, ah here's the list I'm working off.

As much as I like doing plain ol GC'ing - there's so much more, but baby steps, baby steps I remind myself!! I would really like to host a CITO event in the RMWB, but that's when Scouts is done. 

I also have some kool lil dudes that are supposed to hold stuff. So I had a brain fart one night and decided to put these lil fella's in the GC collection of stuff. These outta make for some good stories when found. They will be higher in difficulty, as to NOT get scooped! 

Now, another great part of building geocaches is adding the SWAG in each cache we build. I go to the dollar store (don't get me started on the issue of finding stuff actually a buck) with a coffee, and 4 empty recycled shopping bags to fill ;-)The crap one buy for more-or-less giving away in our caches is alot of fun! As much as the toys are important to the mini me's it's tuff keeping it out of their site till it lands in the cache. I guess it's practice for Santa. 

Candass and I discussed on the way south last trip the plan to construct a big plaster of paris and chicken wire "fake rock" cache. Complete with lid and shocks to hold it open! More on that to come soon !!!!!! This will hold great stuff we need to get rid of and trade. Remember GC rule # 1

I also just created 3 of our first "micro" caches. Which brings me to my next rant about building caches. Some people seem to make up their own versions of what/how each cache size is rated. I go with the geocaching.com version below, most don't (IMHO)!

and here's the websites examples

sTuRgi caches below!

My lil dudes. 

A magnetic cache. 

Yes, it's an onion!

Magnetic and out in the GC world!

Our "Sign of the Oil Sands" cache. 

Wise in the use of all resources. and kamo duct tape. 

Expect regular updates on new, fresh built caches!

Been light on the geocaching, but not really. The mini me's found a couple during a rip into FMC, any day is a good day to Geocache.

Lately we've been busy with Scouts and camps. We are very fortunate to have a great Scout Camp located just south of Anzac off of Hwy 881 on Engstrom Lake. We've completed 2 successful camps with all 3 levels of Scouting in the Boreal Frontier. At both of these camps we did gps and directions discussions, along with hiking and 3 geocaches hidden for the Scouts to find. It was a long day of stomping thru the bush with the Scouts, but FUN was had by all - and I think some of what we were doing was sinking in.

Last Thursday I took our Scout Troop for a 1-1/2 hike to locate our Woodward Trail GC - and the Scouts fared well, they needed a bit of help, but for the most part have the gps coordinates, and reading direction well. It was a great hike, we found owl pellets, the GC, a deer skull and antlers and learned a sense of direction. To top it all off, we hauled 3 bags of garbage out of the bush!!!

This past weekend, which will take me 2 days to recover from was another successful geocacher exposing weekend for our Beaver Scouts. Now they are 5-7 yrs old, and learning gps technology, lingo and how-to may seem challenging, but I think they understood the "idea" behind the game, it all went well. The Beavers Scouts got to find a real treasure chest, with Beaveree patches to put on their campfire blankets!! It was FUN!!

Next up 16MAY12 I am hosting a geocaching 101 seminar. Im not 100% what I'm doing, but hey I'll share what I know, lean on my geo-friends and share our experiences and help promote GC, the outdoors and spending quality time with your family!

Caching in Hinton.

After 40 yrs of breathing in this great province this Albertan has some special spots in the province to visit. Well, JNP and the area east of the park are some of my favorite places to hike and explore. After I was 16 I was hiking, fishing and exploring on my own (on account I had my license) throughout the eastern slopes of the park, north to Switzer park, and all the way south on the trunk road past Banff. The forestry truck road running N&S, parallel to the park has sTuRgi sweat and tears all over it. Simply my favorite.

So it was a natural selection to head south west to JNP and Hinton area for our geoadventure get-away! That's why we got here.

Sunday am the breakfast bell was a bit later 8am this time, so we all got a sleep in. The morning air was brisk and certainly fresh. I just can't explain the feeling I get when you first walk out into clean, mountain air, with a tint of horse poop, GAWD I love that!! We all packed it downstairs to have breaky with the owners and other guests. Liam insisted the bell be rung....again! Then we eat.

Breakfast:

• Bacon
• Pancackes
• Fruit
• Coffe n Juice

Packed lunch for our Geoadventure as we knew we would not be back for lunch at the ranch! We hit the road by 10am to get a full day of cachin in, and another Geoadventure begins.

Today's Geocaches:

Solomons Creek  

Dawg Heaven  

Old Powerhouse 

Welcome to Bruele

Old Yellow

Police Stash#1

Kiddie Cache

Stop, Pop & Roll

Inushuck

Height of Heights 

A FULL day of navigation, p breaks, sunshine, fresh air, family and geocachin!!! 

The hi-light of the day was certainly "Dawg Heaven" - his cache will forever remain in the sTuRgi hard drive for a long time. The coordinates for this cache were very close to the BCR, but we decided to leave it till later in the morning when it warmed up a bit. Well, we planned that one right. After locating the access road, Daddy had to do some 4x4 maneuvers and a stellar park job on a tight trail, and ICE!!! The listing for this cache was very intriguing, and had momma and I thinking a bit. Boy were we right, what an interesting cache.

Dawg Heaven GCNQ3H - a geocache located on the far side of a "pet cemetery" = Dawg Heaven. It was a beautiful spot, but with an emotional tie, that definitely touched the sTuRgi. This was a place for pet owners to lay their pets who passed on rest. A quiet, secluded spot facing west, towards the mountains. Now this is the place I would like to rest, if given the chance. BEAUTIFUL!!!! We had to explain to the kids what the idea was behind the pet cemetery, and Liam took it to heart and shed a tear. Who know our Crystal kid would be so touched - ya we both knew before we got their Liam would be affected, and he was. We explained that when pets die, it's like loosing a family member, and that this place was a happy place for the passed on pets to enjoy their time in a better place. And that this special place meant alot to the mommy and daddies of these pets. Liam certainly understood, but it brought alot of sadness to his young heart. It was our job to ensure he understood the reason, and I think we did a great job...after of coarse we all cried!! Momma led us to the cache, signed the log book and then we trekked back to the limo. We stopped at every grave, saying the names of the critters and wishing them a great day! The kids may have heard about the circle of life today, and they may have understood it a bit, but Im glad we stopped at this cache. 

Liam was sad still, and he mentioned he didn't want Spriggsy to die and come here. So we explained that indeed someday Spriggs would pass away, and maybe we would bring him here, or create our own spot for him to rest, with a great view. A place we can visit him anytime, and he'll be left alone to enjoy his time. Liam liked that - and with that it was time to go. Definitely one of the best caches we have been too, and learned alot about life and death!!

After this cache it was time for some grub, so picnic time it was. We headed into Hinton for a break, fuel and finally a LIMO BATH!!! The balance of the afternoon was more cachin, a nap for the Bean and Jr. On our way home we hit the cache Height of Heights. This cache is loacted just outside Hinton, on Hwy 40 North towards Grande Cache. There is a subdivision for the richy rich, who don't want to live in Hinton, but close to the mountains, my opinion a great spot to live, much like the Zac, cept RICHER$$$$$$$$!!!!!!

This cache was a great location, great view, ez access and a family designed cache - our favorite when caching with the mini me's. So we thought what a great spot to drop our first Travel Bug - TCB. 

So we did, left our first Travel Bug behind, with directions and a mission to get it to Graceland, home of the King of Rock n Roll - ELVIS!!!!! 

It is still there as of today 15Apr12, but we hope it starts it's mission soon. I am apprehensive that it will make it, but hey it's worth a try!. I took my TCB silver ring and attached it to the TB via a key chain ring. Hope it holds, Hope it makes it to Graceland. So far no-one has visited this cache since our visit, but it's a great spot and I hope the TB gets picked up soon!!!

Back to the BCR for din din, and R&R! Then the journey home in the am.

Geocaching & eBay

For those who know me well, know I am a eBay freak. I am always on eBay looking for that one special "trick" dodad that no-one else has!!

Check these out!! Someone better buy me these!! hint hint!!

GPS

Global Positioning System. 


The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible by anyone with a GPS receiver.


So basically the sTuRgi play an on-line game, using billions of dollars of equipment to find treasures hidden in the world, by common folk!! AWESOME!!!! 


Tools:

And probably the most important.