FTF

Special Issue · GeoWoodstock 14er

GEOCACHER

The Magazine For Geocachers

SPECIAL EDITION

JoGPS

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The Godfather of

GeoWoodstock ··············································

Taking Geocaching to New Heights ··············································

Introduction to

GeoScouting

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Plus:

GW14er Schedule GW14er Map GW14er Trackable Guidelines

GeoWoodstock 14er

GW14er SCHEDULE

Drop by the FTF Magazine booth at GeoWoodstock 14er to claim your free “Have You Found Sparticus” button. (while supplies last)

Purchase a Subscription to receive your free Sparticus Geocoin and Yeti Pathtag.

10:30 am - 11:00 am Opening Ceremony Main Stage · · · · · · · · ····························· 11:00 am Breakout Sessions Main Stage · · · · · · · · ····························· 11:00 am - 12:30 pm GSAK Event Barn · · · · · · · · ····························· 12:00 pm Group Picture Main Stage · · · · · · · · ····························· 1:00 pm Challenge Cache Review Main Stage · · · · · · · · ····························· 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm Cachly Event Barn · · · · · · · · ····························· 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm Ask the Reviewer Event Barn · · · · · · · · ····························· 4:00 pm GW15 Announcement Raffle/Closing Ceremony Main Stage

General Activities 10:00-4:00 Kids Activities · · · · · · · · ····························· 10:00-3:30 Trackable Trading Area · · · · · · · · ····························· 10:00-4:00 Vendor Village · · · · · · · · ····························· 11:00-3:00 Food Trucks

Welcome ························· ··· ··· ··· ···· ··· ···

Welcome to Geowoodstock 14er and Colorful Colorado The main event will be held on SUNDAY July 3rd, 2016 at the Denver Botanical Gardens, Chatfield Farms in southwest Denver. The Location is a 750-acre native plant refuge and working farm located along the banks of Deer Creek in southern Jefferson County, Colorado. Close to state parks, mountain access and all things geocaching. Having Geowoodstock 14er in Colorado is both a privilege and an honor. With all of the GeoCachers from all around the world coming to our beautiful state is very exciting. We would like you to take some time, not only at the events of GWS 14er, but to visit many of the sights of our state. Mother Nature has been very good to Colorado with plains, mountains, waterfalls, sand dunes, forests, etc. Why 14er and not just 14? Colorado is home to 53 fourteeners, mountains that meet or exceed an elevation of 14,000 ft. Some you can drive up (2 only an hour and a half away), most have them you have to hike, but all are what helps make Colorado so beautiful. Welcome, one and all! – Rocky Mountain Geocaching ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Greetings! I hope you enjoy this special mini (ammo can sized) edition of FTF Geocacher Magazine commemorating the 14th annual GeoWoodstock. And good luck finding Sparticus! (Hint: he is not among these pages) – Keith Petrus (TheFTFGuy)

FTF Geocacher

The Magazine for Geocachers · · · · · · · · · · ······························ www.ftfgeocacher.com FTF Geocacher is published bi-monthly (6 issues per year) by Icon Creative Services 3500 Island Moorings Pkwy Port Aransas, TX 78373 · · · · · · · · · · ······························ For more information, email [email protected] For advertising information, email [email protected] · · · · · · · · · ·······························

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In Memoriam

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The Godfather of GeoWoodstock by Brad Simmons (Monkeybrad)

This weekend thousands of people from across the world have descended on Colorado, joined by a love of Geocaching, but how did we get here? Fourteen years ago a man had an idea that the people who loved this game as much as he did should get together and celebrate it by sharing ideas and stories. That idea became the first GeoWoodstock and the man was Joe Armstrong, better known as JoGPS. A year has passed since Joe left, but in many ways he is still with us. It was 2003 and the national Geocaching community was much smaller, with only a handful of people who had found 1,000 geocaches or more. Most of the avid geocachers of the time were active on the Groundspeak Forums and, while they often spoke online, few had met in person. Joe envisioned a simple geocaching event that would bring together as many of these cachers as possible in one place. Nothing fancy, just a chance to get avid geocachers together to talk about the game, share ideas and get to know each other. After

consulting with friends and other geocachers, he chose Louisville, Kentucky as a central location and created the first “GeoWoodstock.” The event was a success with about 75 people traveling from all over, a nearly unheard of number of attendees at that time. In typical Joe fashion, he decided to step things up and the next year saw nearly 300 people gather in Nashville, Tennessee. With each passing year, the event continued to grow as it moved around the U.S. Although, it was originally conceived as a national event, it quickly gained international status as cachers traveled from around the globe to attend the then “world’s largest gathering of geocachers.” Through the years, the event has always been innovative, creating the first ever event geocoin, being the first “Mega-Event”, and the first event with over 1,000 attendees, among other milestones. It is fitting that we gather and remember Joe as we celebrate GeoWoodstock XIV. Joe was a strong

In Memoriam

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believer in geocaching events as the best way to build community within the game. I remember that, when I attended my very first event, he was the first person to come over and shake my hand to make sure I knew I was welcome there. That was Joe, always extending a handshake and a welcome to the nervous newcomers and the old-timers alike. So it is fitting that he is remembered for creating the original mega-event that continues to bring people together from across the world. However, many of you may not know just how much he influenced the game itself. JoGPS was a true “founding father” in Geocaching and his contributions are nothing short of legendary. His enthusiasm and passion for Geocaching and the meta game gave him a unique perspective and voice in crafting what would become many of the standards we now hold dear. Early on, Brian, Hydee, and Jeremy recognized Joe for his enthusiasm and service to his local community. His work with local parks systems and Geocaching HQ led to his appointment as one of the early Geocaching volunteer reviewers, a role that he enjoyed for many years. During these formative years, when the game was evolving rapidly, his keen insights into the game and human nature helped to craft and advise many of the guidelines and standards that we take for granted today. In addition to reviewing geocaches across the world and serving as a moderator in the forums, he was also instrumental in helping to choose, recruit and mentor a great many of the current geocaching. com volunteer reviewers.

PoP Travel Snack

The capital of Colorado, and the largest city in the Rockies, Denver is also known as the “Mile High” city because it is 5,280 feet above sea level. The city sits at the foot of the mountains, with incredible wilderness and mountains to the west and flat plains to the east. While Denver’s roots consists of cowboys and gold mining, it is a young and modern city as well as being fast growing. It is a huge sports city with professional football, basketball, baseball, and hockey franchises, and has multiple performing art venues and museums. – Peanuts or Pretzels (peanutsorpretzels.com)

As much as he contributed to the game from behind the curtain, he really began his service to his fellow geocachers as a player. He founded the Middle Tennessee Geocachers Club in 2001, making it the second oldest geocaching group in the world. He never served as a club officer, preferring a position “behind the scenes” as parks liaison. Joe worked closely with many parks departments on the state and local level during his entire career, but his early works to create responsible geocaching policies with

In Memoriam

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land managers created a template that many still follow today. In 2001, rather than accepting a ban on geocaches in Nashville’s MetroParks, Joe worked with them to create one of the first official Geocaching-positive policies with a major metropolitan parks system. He then built on this success to replicate this geocaching-friendly system with Tennessee State Parks, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and TVA, and in doing so, helped to create a framework for parks policies across the country. For most geocachers today, JoGPS is known for the creativity he exhibited in the caches he made, for himself and others. When you think of great geocache hiders in the Southeast you think of JoGPS and his Geo-Mojo series, including the most favorited geocache in Tennessee, Geo Mojo 6: Shadow of the Titans. In a day when you can order fake bolts and other “evil” cache containers from websites, it is truly amazing to look back 15 years and recognize just how many of these concepts originated in his workshop. The man was an absolute artist when it came to metalworking and it showed in his caches. It is a truly rare individual who can, not only, conceive of such remarkably deceptive caches, but who also has the ability to bring them to

flawless execution. Whether it is the amazingly crafted container, the history of the spot or a stunning location, seeking an original JoGPS cache is always a treat. In addition to creating his own amazing geocaches, Joe also worked to preserve the history of the game, often adopting older caches and then passing them along to new stewards. His preservation and recovery efforts saved many historic geocaches from archival over the years, including the last remaining Project A.P.E. cache in the jungles of Brazil. As I said, it is not possible for me to recount everything that Joe did for his fellow cachers or the game, but I hope that this incomplete record has done some justice to his contributions. When I remember Joe, I remember a man who always had time for his fellow cachers, whether you had found thousands or it was your first day. If you loved geocaching, he was there to guide, help or just listen to you. He was a force of nature, willful, stubborn, but with a good heart and a love for this game and community that cannot be questioned. I hope that as you’ve read this, a few smiles have crossed your face. I know many of you have your own stories to tell and memories to share, so I’ll sign off with this thought: Joe wasn’t the first among us; he wasn’t always the

In Memoriam

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best at communicating his ideas, but he held himself and the rest of us to a high standard as he explored many paths trying to find what the game would become. Joe played the game within the game like few others, and even if

you didn’t like him, you had to respect him. He was truly an institution and we are diminished by his loss, but he leaves a great legacy and many, many friends; and that, as the man himself would say, is “Too Cool.” l

It’s about the number of friends you make, the number of smiles you get, while you are just walking around; it’s all about just having a good time.” – Joe Armstrong (JoGPS)

The Road Less Traveled ··························

Taking Geocaching

to New Heights by Jesse Lunsford

When you think of geocaching and Colorado, one particular name comes to mind – Denali41. He was one of the first Colorado geocachers we met when we moved to Colorado five years ago. We were brand new cachers and he did not hesitate to share with our family some stories of his vast experience and knowledge when it comes to the world of caching. In honor of GW 14er, I thought we might ask him to share some of those same stories with you all. Enjoy!

Steve, can you tell us how you got started in geocaching? In July 2005 I climbed Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet) in Tanzania. A climber friend asked me to take his photo with the summit sign, emphasizing to me that the photo could not contain certain information from the sign. He explained this was for a “Virtual Geocache” (whatever THAT meant!). He took a pic of me at the sign and later e-mailed it to me. In October

The Road Less Traveled ·························· I decided to check out the geocaching website, signed up, and logged my virtual on Kili as my first geocache! I had hoped to use the caching name “Denali,” a mountain I’ve climbed, but it was already taken. “Denali41” was my second choice: hence, my geocaching name. What is your favorite type of geocaching experience? I enjoy all facets of geocaching, but backcountry caches that require challenging hikes, difficult hides, and twists on map/compass work are the caches that rivet my attention. Throw in a need to make field adjustments of GPSr settings for Position Formats and Map Datums, etc. in order to find the cache, and I’ve found a slice of geocaching heaven. Equally, a favorite type of geocaching experience for me is taking cachers into the field to help them find caches that require them to learn new Geoteering techniques with their GPSrs and maps. What is your most memorable adventure while geocaching? Golly, I’ve had many super memorable geocaching adventures! If I had to choose a single one, I would pick Vermillion Bluffs Badlands (GC1JT3G). It’s a very remote cache in an area of extreme NW Colorado accessible by ATVs but not by most 4-wheel drive vehicles. And I could find no maps of reasonable utility (even though they obviously exist for ATV enthusiasts). I made two unsuccessful attempts from the south over a several-month period and returned a year later after lining out another route and taking water and food and sleeping bag and shovel and jack and emergency gear that would keep me OK for about a week. The hike in, from the closest point I could drive to, was formidable

It’s a Winner!

GeoWoodstock is hosted by everyday geocachers just like you. Each year hosts work hard at planning an unforgettable event on a shoestring budget. A big part of the event is the Silent Auction and Raffle! Raffle tickets can be purchased on site for a small fee. Drop one or more raffle tickets in the raffle item’s designated jar to have an opportunity to win that item. There is no limit on the number of tickets per individual or item. because of the extremely dissected terrain, and the final climb to the top of the dome was daunting from the side I approached. I’ve had other extreme geocaching adventures, but this one remains my most memorable. You have accomplished something special in relation to Colorado. Can you tell us about that? I’ve had the pleasure of having climbed all 127 of the named peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park plus the 23 ranked peaks of the park that are not officially named–being one of fewer than a dozen to have been on top of all 150 of these beauties! Unfortunately, because they are located in the park, they offered few geocaching opportunities. I was the first climber to reach the

The Road Less Traveled ·························· summits of all 255 ranked peaks of Larimer County, and have also been to the top of the 87 ranked peaks in Boulder County. These climbing/hiking adventures have provided opportunities for finding and placing some marvelous backcountry geocaches. Likewise, when I reached the highpoints of the 64 counties of Colorado, I enjoyed some delightful geocaching experiences. You have some pretty impressive geocaching stats cached in 51 states and 15 countries, over 225 5D5T caches, a streak of 631 days - but what statistic or feat within geocaching would you say you are the most proud of? This is another question that is difficult to make a choice on! There are three geocaching statistics I’m particularly pleased with: when I found Match Stash (GC4D) in Stockholm in June 2015,

Denver Area Caches

······· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Oldest & Most Favored Cache Tarryall (GC18 ) ······· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Popular Caches Cache Across America (GC34KP9) Pikes Peak Granite (GC3P9RH) Top of the World (GC7C07) Continental Divide at Loveland Pass (GC1DBA) The Highest Cache in Colorado (GC141NQ) ······· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · – Peanuts or Pretzels – (peanutsorpretzels.com)

I completed the Jasmer grid with four or more finds in each month, becoming, I believe, the first cacher to have filled the Jasmer four times. That was certainly a thrilling stat. A couple of years ago I completed the qualifications for the original Fizzy when I found my final needed cache near Dubuque, Iowa. The original Fizzy requires finding every one of the 81 D/T combinations with caches that were placed before April 6, 2007, a tough objective, and one that I’m happy about. The third stat that has been a focus is my D/T average. By late 2012 I had found 5,500 caches and my Difficulty and Terrain averages were mired at about 1.85/1.85. I decided to move them up, but when an average is weighted by 5,500 caches it’s really challenging to increase the average by even 0.01 point. Over time, I’ve built these averages to 2.25D/2.15T. That kind of average for D and T would have been easy to attain had I begun my geocaching with that perspective. But increasing them to their current levels with the dead weight of earlier stats has been a slow and rewarding process. One of the trademarks of Colorado is adventure. Those that are born here seek it and those that move here do so in search of it. Denali41 truly personifies the Colorado spirit of adventure and has found ways to incorporate it into his hobby of geocaching. Not all of us can hike Kilimanjaro or complete the Jasmer 4 times but we all can look for our own adventure in geocaching. I hope this interview with Denali41 has inspired you all to do just that! l

Badge of Honor ················ ···················

Introduction to GeoScouting By Mary E. Stevens, PhD.

A Brief History of Geocaching and Scouting I can hardly believe it’s been 12 years since we first went to talk to the folks at geocaching.com about all of the synergies between geocaching and Scouting! That was in October 2004, and it has been non-stop ever since. Everyone at geocaching.com HQ certainly saw the value to both programs, and have always been wildly enthusiastic and supportive. It took a little longer for Boy Scout professionals to realize that we were not really crazy after all. In 2005, I tried to explain the Cache to Eagle program to a top level Regional program person. He looked at me like I was completely nuts. We had that reaction quite often in the beginning. Fortunately we had some key supporters as well, who helped us push things up the chain and into BSA program. Now, over ten years later, we see geocaching everywhere in Scouting, It took a lot of work, but now geocaching is required for Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts enjoy the popular Geocaching Merit Badge. We brought geocaching to four Jamborees (40,000 youth each!), and all the way into the highest levels of both youth and adult leadership trainings! We now have hundreds of thousands of new geocachers outside having fun as they embark on their Scouting adventures.

What is GeoScouting?® GeoScouting® is a special name given to the sport of geocaching when used in Scouting and education. When we began geocaching in 2004, as longtime Scout volunteers, we immediately saw the value of the sport for the Scout program. We want to share what we have learned and many of our ideas with our fellow Scouts and Scout volunteers. Part of that effort includes our website www.GeoScouting.com, where we list multiple resources for the Scout community and our national GeoScouting programs like our Cache to Eagle® series. Cache to Eagle is where Scouts place caches across the nation at the sites of Eagle projects. This is a win-win, as the general public gets new caches to find, and Scouts get to show off their hard work. We even included this as part of the Geocaching Merit Badge requirements when we wrote that book. We have specific guidelines for these caches, to ensure that they are of good quality, and as always, we insist that Scouts maintain their caches properly. We have written two books – Geocaching for the Cub Scout Program, and Geocaching for the Boy Scout Program. Each of these books is full of informa-

About Those Trackables We are expecting 4,000 to 6,000 trackables through the Travel Bug Area at GeoWoodstock 14er. To accommodate this level of activity in a fairly short period, the guidelines below will be followed. There will be no registration of TBs into or out of the Travel Bug area. It is the responsibility of the cacher who logged the TB/coin into the event to either drop it at the TB area or pass it on to another cacher. It is the responsibility of the cacher who retrieves the TB/coin to log it in a timely manner. As the owner of a TB or coin dropped into the event, it is up to you to contact the person who plans to bring your TB/ coin about any concerns you may have. Travel Bug Trading Guidelines 1. You will receive 1 ticket for each TB you bring. There will be NO prize raffle, The tickets will allow you to take the same number of TBs during the day on Sunday (until 3 pm). 2. As you leave the TB area, you will be asked to turn in 1 ticket for each TB you are taking. 3. Those who did not bring TBs will have the opportunity to pick up a limited number of TBs after 3:30 pm on Sunday until all TBs are dispensed. 4. DISCOVER LOGS of TBs in the TB area will be discouraged due to the high volume of TBs and cachers expected. There will be a limited number of large TBs set aside whose owners have requested Discover logs. These will be available for pickup after 3pm on Sunday at the owner’s discretion.

Badge of Honor ···· ······ tion, games, and activities, and are designed to help the Scouts and their leaders use geocaching as a novel way to enhance their program. This includes ideas for events, making camo, how to use geocaching to make earning rank requirements more interesting, and more. At the request of fellow Scout volunteers, we have also created a line of products that showcase GeoScouting. This includes pins, patches and trackable coins. For a complete list visit www.geoscouting.com. These sales help offset our GeoScouting expenses such as travel to help units with events, the website and also supports the youth in our geocaching crew. There are many ways to use GeoScouting to learn new skills, see new places and to teach leadership and team-building lessons. The term GeoScouting fits especially well when the sport of geocaching is used in the many possible ways which both directly supports and enhances the Scouting program, and also brings geocaching awareness to this audience of over 2 million young people and a million volunteers. More importantly, we discuss how to design your own private activities, games and events that are themed to suit your purpose. All of these are an integral part of Scouting, even if you don’t think of them in your day-to-day Scout operations. This is GeoScouting! How can such a cool sport actually help the Scouting program – and vice versa? Part of what makes GeoScouting unique is our desire to move beyond simply finding the treasure. GeoScouting can achieve a multitude of other outcomes. These include using the sport of geocaching as a recruiting tool, as well as for keeping youth in Scouting for years

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because they keep having fun. Staying in Scouts goes along with being active outdoors – and geocaching! Running geocaching events is a great way for recruit new members and be sure the youth come back each year. Churches, schools and other groups will often allow you to share geocaching events with them and it’s a foot in the door to show large non-Scouting groups how much fun the Scouting program can be. The flip side also holds – Scouts who geocache can introduce non-Scouts to the sport and share the fun. We can do service events like Cache In Trash Out™ either as a group or on our own. Or it can be as simple as sending out a Scout-themed Travel Bug that will remind everyone who picks it up how much fun they had when they were Scouts. Geocaching is not an inherently dangerous sport, but a little planning goes a long way in making sure it is done safely. ALWAYS cache with a buddy! Even plain easy city geocaching is best done with company – and it’s more pleasurable that way as

well. You might want to carry that first aid kit. DO be careful searching for the cache. Cities and the countryside pose different hazards – from possible broken glass or other sharp objects in the bushes in city parks, to snakes and spiders under rocks. If you do get exposed to poison oak or ivy, be SURE to wash it off as soon as possible. Be sure to follow all Internet safety guidelines and never tell any stranger any of your personal information. What’s next? The adventure continues and will grow. As a brand new Daisy Girl Scout leader, I am excited to learn more about this Scout program and apply what we have learned to a new audience. GeoScouting lives on! l

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Thank You –––––––––––––––––––––––––

We hope your visit with us was beneficial, educational and enjoyable. We also would like you to return to Colorado and enjoy geocaching and the scenes of the state. Have a safe trip to your home, whether it is a mile down the road or thousands of miles across the world. Thank you for being our guest. – Rocky Mountain Geocaching