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Number of Finds/Hides: 366 / 9
Signature Item: I have these cards with "WindChills 20 uses for a bandanna" that I leave (with a bandanna). I also have some buttons with my avatar on them.
Occupation? I am a partner in a small software company. We work mostly in the transportation industry. Ive been writing software about 10 years but have a background in electronics.
How you got your username? Years ago I was working on a side project and needed a company name. A buddy and I were driving to work one bitter Iowa morning tossing out ideas and came up with WindChill Technologies. The project never went anywhere but the name kind of stuck.
How long have you been caching and how did you get started? In November 2002 I read an article about geocaching in Boys Life magazine, I was hooked before I finished the article. I bought a GPSr later that week.
Favorite cache/why? That is easy (for now).... A couple of years ago we took a family vacation to Colorado. I posted a note on the geocaching.com forums asking for suggestions, and got a reply from "Tahosa". He said to drop him a note when we got out there and he would meet us and take us around to some caches. We hooked up with him in Estes Park and all piled in his truck. He headed out of town then turned onto a forest service road. We drove up that FS road for 45 minutes listening to Tahosa's stories about nearly everything. Finally he pulls off to the side and stops, the GPS says less than 1/4 mile, up the mountain. The hike was tough for a flatlander (DW and DD stopped about half way and waited for us to come back down) but the view was worth every step. The cache was x9416 (the topo map designation for a 9416 foot peak).
Least Favorite/why? I tend to not care for urban caches. Dont like the "being watched" thing.
Current caching goals?
I'd like to hit #400 before my four-year anniversary. Otherwise, no real goals.
Heart to Heart is located within the Robertson's Bird Sanctuary in the Greenbelt that follows the Black Hawk Creek in Black Hawk County. It's not far from Waterloo or the nearest parking area. Being interactive and electronic makes it a popular cache. Once found however, geocachers should not consider it a find unless they retrieve the hidden log container!
The cache container is not conventional by any means so bring your thinking cap and don't give up easily. For about two weeks in the Spring the bluebells in this area are virtually awe inspiring. It is a sight you will not soon forget.
The cache is mentioned in a Wykipedia article called "Geocaching for Educators" under the category of "General Ideas around Geocaching" and "Create a cache that explores health issues." Have a look: http://www.teachinghacks.com/wiki/index.php?title=Geocaching_for_Educators
There are many other caches in the Greenbelt area, several of which are also
unconventional and interactive.
Twenty-five area geocachers attended the Des Moines Area Meet and Eat event on July 29th. It was held at CiCi's Pizza on Merle Hay Road in Northern Des Moines. During introductions, everyone gave their favorite cache and where they were from. Discussion then turned to the IGO webpage and all were encouraged to join. The Hike N Seek was discussed. It appears that there are at least 5 cabins reserved already for the Hike N Seek. Prizes were given out and lots of discussions amongst the cachers about everything geocaching. A BIG thanks to Fishpounder for two $5 Cold Stone Gift Certificates and to Summit Dweller for the camping discount for parting gifts. 3AMT also donated an unactivated Travel Bug Tag as a parting gift.
Attendees included: Team Gamsci, Cydriver, Busboy, Iowa Copper, MasterCacher, SunnyCyndi (nice to see she hasn’t retired), Oddestduck, Juliecache, Matocaster, mrjrclark, E.G.Cache, junior43, looseneutraldrums, KCMose, Fishpounder, Summit Dweller, KKs Cashe, Kiteman, d_brown84, JSF001, MEE, and 3AMT.