There is lots of great stuff in the newsletter this week. Again, there are not a lot of milestones due to the very cold weather. There are a few brave souls willing to risk frostbite to find a micro.

There is a note from the webmaster and a new article from Blue Grass Tom. Also, check out the Tech event this weekend. It should be great fun.

I used the last cacher profile this week, so if there is a new BOD member who hasn’t done a profile or anyone else who would like to do one, just send it to “newsletter at iowageocachers.org”. Also, any tips or tricks, cache highlights, event reviews, or really anything you would like to share.

Ever seen the "dba_open failed on CONTROLS" message appear on an IGO web page just under the forums icon? Ever wondered what it means?

Well, in case you're curious, this message means that our web server is unable to open a portion of our online database. You can't see the database directly but it's there...behind the scenes supplying you with information about new caches, IGO members, member statistics, what's new, and more. This particualr message appears when lots of members try to access the web site at roughly the same time OR when the site is working on a process that can take a lot of database time. Automatically sending out e-mail notices when a new newsletter gets posted is one such process.

What do you do when you see this message?

Simply be patient and try to revisit the IGO web page after waiting a few minutes. Be sure to hit the "refresh" button on your browser just to be sure you're seeing the latest content too. Sometimes the site will free up in a matter of seconds. At other times, like during generation of 500+ newsletter notices, it may take 15-30 minutes before the backlog of database requests is satisfied.

From goobers5 - On Garmin 60c models (and many others, I believe) there's an easy way to navigate to a waypoint using street routing and then switch to off-road (pointer arrow) routing once you get close (or parked). While in street navigation mode for a specified waypoint just press MENU to open a list of options. From the list select RECALCULATE (usually the default option or very near the top) and you'll be presented with a choice between STREET NAVIGATION and OFF-ROAD or direct route. Choose the OFF-ROAD option and presto, you're pointer arrow will appear and lead you right to the cache (if you're lucky).

GC.Com Username: mole275 although i usually just sign the logbook Joel

Number of Finds/Hides: 657 / 5

Occupation? I work at a plant in Marengo that prints all that junk you get in your sunday paper

How you got your username? Mole high school nickname and as anyone that has been around me much at all knows im blind without my glasses 275 weight I wrestled in high school (if I was only that skinny now adays)

How long have you been caching and how did you get started? Looking back at that first log again I notice it was 3 years now on october 4th. I got started when I saw an artical in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. I already had a gps that I had bought for hunting but never really used for that purpose so I took it out and started hunting caches.

Favorite cache/why? I think back of the caches I have done so far 3 pop out in my mind so I can’t just narrow it down to 1.

“Skywatcher Gorge” simply because of the views and wildlife you see on the way out to it (oh ya and that trip Mark and I took out to it that time)

“Tunnel 2 Tunnel” I liked because of the urban setting and at the time I did this cache I hadn’t seen a whole lot of hidden in plain sight caches (stage 2 was the one that really sticks out in my mind)

Finally I’m going to add “I’m Drained 2” to this list not for the cache but the experience I went through finding it I think the best way to explain this is just to post my log from this cache walked down the drain from “I’m Drained 1” have a few suggestions for anyone that’s planning on attempting this method .

suggestion #1: if you cant swim or have children with you DO NOT ATTEMPT GOING DOWN THE TUBE.
suggestion #2 do not attempt to go down the tube.
suggestion #3 for those of you that don’t listen to suggestion 2 bring a change of cloths your gonna get wet .
suggestion #4 when you get to the end of the tunnel and are walking out in the water that is just a little over knee deep on me turn to your right as you come out the tunnel and stay very close to the wall till you get under the railroad bridge then climb up the rocks.
suggestion #5 if you plan on doing the cache this way park your car here walk back to I’m Drained 1 which is just over a mile away so when you get here your dry cloths are here and you don’t have to walk a mile wet .

With all this said it was a great time walked out of the tube at about 5:15am found the cache and walked back to my truck above ground.

Least Favorite/why? Well it used to be any micro hid in the woods and I guess it still is but coming in a close second is blinkies stuck to post covered with grass and stomped into the ground (YOU ALL KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT)

Current caching goals? Well its always been to catch Summitt Dweller in finds but like Steve keeps telling me your never gonna catch him if you keep caching with him.

Geocaching can be a solitary sport for many of us, depending on family status, time availability and the level of addiction of other family and friends! That’s why it’s fun to get out and meet others at a geocaching event!

I was a bit hesitant to attend my first event – I didn’t really know anyone else who did this, other than my son, and all those other people had so many more finds than me that I kind of felt self-conscious about actually socializing with others.

Nevertheless, I decided to go for it and see what would happen. In short, it was great! I’ve never met an unfriendly cacher at an event, and these people actually do not look at you funny when you talk about geocaching – in fact, they encourage it and like it, too!

For those who haven’t attended, here is some information on “geocache events.”

Indoor Events

I’ve seen two kinds of indoor cache events – social and instructional. Just before writing this, I attended a social one, the Galesburg Breakfast Cache #2 (GC103X2). Cold outside, but fun inside. It was put on in excellent fashion by Elburto of Illinois caching fame, and it included all the things that make such an event a success.

First job is to secure a location. Judging by what I’ve seen, we geocachers like a good meal, and that means getting a room in a restaurant. It’s hard to know how many will attend, so I suppose finding a cooperative restaurant that doesn’t want an attendance guarantee is key here. The buffet type places always go over well from my experience.

Second, is to get the news out quickly and in enough time in advance for folks to put the event on their schedules. My good caching friend, Larry (cc8c4), put on the Party Like It’s 1999! (GCZFB5) last December in honor of drtmn’s 2000th find, and he told me that the geocaching.com people like an event to be listed at least 2 weeks in advance. Makes sense. You can find out what’s happening by frequently going to the home page of geocaching.com, selecting your state and clicking. At the top of the page will be the upcoming events and their pages. It’s fun to see who’s planning on coming, to maybe do a little kindly trash-talking in some cases, but at least listing your interest helps the host make sure the selected room will hold everyone or to find a bigger one.

Third job would be to plan how the event will unfold, a format, if you will. The ones I’ve been to feature a sign-in log and some tables to leave Travel Bugs on for recording or trading and some space for showing geocoins and leaving lists for others to help in recording the coin numbers. And, of course, there are always door prizes of different types – some donated coins, TBs and caches are typical. Everyone eats, and this is a great time to pick up hints on your DNFs, especially if the cache owner is present. Then the host says a few words, runs the prize drawings, and then we thank them for sponsoring the event!

Afterwards is a time for caching. I bring a list of caches I want to get in the area, and most times there are “temp” or temporary geocaches nearby for finding. These are hides that are placed by the sponsor and others which are not usually formally listed on geocaching.com, but rather the coordinates are given at the event. They’re usually not listed online, because in the interest of keeping the caches close by, they oftentimes don’t observe the 1/10th of a mile separation rule, or sometimes the hiders want to reclaim the containers for use in future caches. So, if they’re not listed, how does one log them? You simply add each temp on the geoevent page as “attended” with some words on the cache and its name, and that add the find to your online tally.

Instructional geoevents continue to be popular. The 101 events give the basics, followed by some outdoor real-life experience with temps. I see a 201 coming up soon at F.W. Kent County Park in Tiffin, just outside Iowa City, Geocaching 201 – A Tech Event (GCZZ05), which plans to expand on basic knowledge with software application instruction (which I need!) and a discussion on paperless caching, followed by some outdoor fun. So that you are not disappointed by something that is too easy or too hard for you, be sure to check the curriculum listed online before attending.

Outdoor Events

There are numerous events outdoors, some of which span several days and involve camping. Obviously, there occur more so in the warmer months. Today, I was looking online at new listings and saw there was one in Wisconsin at the Boy Scout Camp I used to go to when I was a kid, Camp Ohdakota GeoScouting Event (GC10MDD). One requirement for attendance is that you’ve got to lead a group of scouts around to the temp caches, because only the scouts will be given the coordinates! Good one!

The format for these is much the same as for indoor caches – secure a site, publicize it in advance, offer to help the host if that is not you, some food, some prizes, some fun. There are some variants, too, like the upcoming Geocaching Easter Egg Hunt (GC10HJ4) in eastern Iowa in March involving some team competition caching. Looks like fun!

All in all, these events really have helped my geocaching. Meeting some of my “heroes” like oldtimer1, Hunt & Peck and drtmn made me feel like I was part, even if a small part, of this often lonely fraternity of forest lurkers known as geocachers. It also increased my knowledge, I picked up some hints for my Did-Not-Finds and I got cell phone numbers of cache owners and friends for when I’m really in trouble! Have fun on the trails in 2007!