Christmas Vacation

I decided to take a week off of work for Christmas vacation. We asked the kids where they wanted to go and they all three said "We want to go to the Zoo". My wife and I told them that is something we could do. So on December 21st we loaded up the car and drove down to the Philadelphia Zoo. And by the way they are open all year round. We arrived and paid for the tickets, and then went inside. Now there are a lot of exibits to see, but be warned that some of them are moved inside because they are only out during the warm weather. There are lots of buildings to go into and you can see all of the birds, reptiles, and animals that are housed there. We saw all sorts of snakes, gators, turtles, and frogs. I could not believe how big some of these snakes and turtles were. They seemed to be able to come right through the glass and BITE you.

                                          King Cobra

                                         Rattle Snake

                                          Crockodile

Then there are the larger animals both inside and outside. We saw some large gorillas who really do not like to be stared at. They tell you not to look them in the eyes or they become very aggressive. It's amazing how big these gorillas really are. I would not want to tangle with any of them.

We moved on to the large cats that are outside. They have tigers, lions, lynx and many others.  It was neat watching the cheatah walking around showing off his muscles. These guys just walk around or perhaps run a bit, and the cold weather doesn't even bother them.  Even though they look so tame they are really not to be played with. As we stood there looking at the Cheatahs you could actually hear them purring like a kitten, but I would not want to be on the other side of the fence with one of these guys.

                                         Bengal Tiger

                                         Cheatah

We were also able to see some Vampire bats. What is neat is that we saw them at feeding time. They feed them real cows blood. They put it into large bowls and then put the bowls in the cage. The bats fly around for a while and when they think it is safe they fly down to the bowl and begin drinking. It was really neat seeing them do this. Their cage is inside and it is in a totally dark room. They have lots of black lights there so you can see them. You can take pictures of them, but no flashes of any sort are allowed. I was able to get some pictures of them, but you just can't make them out so I did not post them. You'll have to go there and see them for yourself.

We then went outside again to see the birds of prey. They have two eagles that have been injured and cannot be released back into the wild. They were very beautiful. My son was able to immitate a high pitched sound which really got them squaking. We saw a variety of birds flying around and then we went into a big building where they have birds flying all around you. They had parrots, doves, and all sorts of birds of many colors. Here are some pictures of them.

If you have never been to the Philadelphia Zoo I highly recommend that you take your family and go see it. If you go during the off season, such as the winter, there are a lot, lot, lot, fewer people there. And you get to save some money too because the tickets are a little cheapr. And if you go during the warm weather you can take a ride in their Hot Air Balloon. So go have some fun, and while your there hit a few caches in the area.

NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA GEOCACHERS (NEPAG)

I recently read an article that talked about how Geocaching.com got started. As I read that I thought to myself “why don’t I write an article about the NEPAG” so I decided to go ahead with it. I’ve asked some folks who’ve been around for a while how it got started and here are their answers.

When did the NEPAG get started?     It was started in May of 2007 by Matcat, Hound (from Fox_and_the_Hound), Bottlecap, Olbluesguy, Got GPS?, and MtnDave.   The Current administrators are Hound (from Fox_and_the_Hound, Walnuttripper, and Mrs. Whistler (from Whistler & Co.).

How many members are there right now?    Currently there are 291 registered members with about 50 who visit regularly.

Who can submit posts and articles?     Anyone who is a registered user can post to the forums.  Likewise with articles, but articles must go through an administrator to get published on the homepage.  So if you want to publish an article just right it and then send it to one of the Administrators for approval.

What is the goal or mission of NEPAG?       The goal is to provide cachers in NEPA with a place to discuss caching in our area, and to discuss generalized Geocaching developments as they pertain to our particular part of the country. It also provides a way for members to ask questions and give advice or tips (though not tips on specific caches!), and through cache events, to provide a place for Geoachers to socialize and meet other cachers.  We also host special events from time to time, like the Enjoy, Enjoy! series of caches, the Shotgun race event, a photo "cointest," the sale of NEPAG logo merchandise, and a contest specifically for new members.

Is there a cost to become a member, and if not then how do you pay for the web site?         
There is no cost to become a member. When we hold a raffle at an event, we use the money to pay for the website and domain name, to pay for the pavilion rental for the event (if applicable), and to purchase certain small items needed for the event itself when needed (charcoal, paper products, etc.).  If we take in more than we need, we'll hold a drawing wherein all the raffle entries that didn't win are dumped in a container and one person wins a small amount of "cache cash."  If we rent a pavilion for an event, such as at a state park, we put out a donations can which people can toss a doller or two in, but they don't have to if they don't want to.  When we have NEPAG merchandise for sale, we sometimes get a small profit, though the main aim there is to be sure we break even.  So far, we have been able to pay for our small expenditures through event raffles and merchandise sales, so we have not felt a need to formalize membership by having dues.

Who designed the logo?       It was designed by Fox-and-the-Hound. He came up with a representation of the state with beams of light that seem to draw you into the group.  There were also many names for the group at first, but the final decision was made for it to be NEPAG, which is nice and short.

Wow, that is fantastic.  Now you might say “Why join”? Well there are many good reasons to join. Events are held which allow members to get together and search for caches together, and it allows everyone to get to know the new members. It’s also a way for new members to get some answers to questions they may have about our sport, but really aren’t sure who to ask.

Speaking from personal experience this is a great organization. I really enjoyed getting to know a lot of the cachers whose names I always saw in the logs, but never knew who they were. The first event I attended was held at the Merli-Sarnoski Park and it was a great time. I met even more people who share the same obsession as me. We did a lot of eating, talking, exchanging info, caching, and picture taking. And as always there seems to be a contest of some sort for all to be involved with. This event really was fun and it gave us a taste for what NEPAG was all about, and it made me want to become more involved with the group so I made it a point to make sure we could attend the next event. The next event was held at the Lackawanna State Park. Our whole family went to this one. It gave us a chance to meet more of the members, share some cider and donuts, and even win a few prizes. We could not stay for any caches that day, but it was good to meet more members.  We had lots of fun and we cannot wait for the next one to come to our area.

So if you have never checked out the NEPAG site then you need to do that right now. Don’t put it off until another day. Just click on the NEPAG logo above, check out the next event, sign up, and come out to meet some great people and have lots of fun. Who knows, you might even find some time to search out a few caches.

Many thanks to all who helped put this together.

TRACKABLES: Travel Bugs and Geocoins

As most of us know Trackables are either Travel Bugs (TB’s) or Geocoins (GC’s) that travel from cache to cache. There are other types of Trackables, but these are the ones we’ll talk about here. The very first TB was an idea by Mount10Bike, a Geocacher from Washington State, who hid a lawn ornament shaped like a frog. Its goal was to travel from cache to cache. Then he released a GC to commemorate his 100^th find. These Trackables became a big hit. The number of TB’s and GC’s continue to climb as each day passes.

I just sent out two TB’s for our homeschool project, which is part of the Educaching class that I mentioned in an earlier post. These TB’s were sent to Australia and England. They were dropped off there by two Geocachers that I met online. I mailed the TB’s to them and then they placed them in the caches for me.

Each TB has the same goal. It is to travel to as many caches as possible and then return to the USA by April of 2012, or earlier. That is when our students graduate. This project will allow the students to track the TB’s through Google Earth, and learn a little bit about other cultures and places. The TB’s are named Pencil Numero Uno, and Pencil Numero Two-O. (The students named them.)

Notice they are Ticonderoga pencils, which we think happen to be the best pencils around. My wife always tells the kids that “what goes through the pencil tip sticks.” Meaning if you write it enough times you’ll remember it. I know this all too well. While attending Basic Training in the USAF my Drill Instructor called my name and I said “yeah”. He then informed me I needed to learn a little discipline. He had me write “I will always say Sir, Yes Sir” 100 times. When I was done I told him “Sir, I’m finished”, he then said “Good, now rip it up and flush it down the toilet.” I then told him “okay.” His response was “write it 200 more times when you’re done with that.” Sir, Yes Sir. I’ll never forget that. By the way, I hate pencils.

Okay, back to TB’s. Have you ever sent a TB to another country, if so, where did you send it to? If not, what is the farthest state one of yours has been too? Also, what is your favorite TB/GC that you own, and what is the neatest one you have ever found?

My favorite TB that I own is “Anniversary Bug.” This TB was released on our 25^th wedding anniversary while revisiting Niagara Falls, which is where we spent our first wedding anniversary. It is currently traveling in Canada. The neatest one I have found so far is a GC and it is called Mercury Rising. It is just so cool. Here is a picture of it.

I love reading the cache pages the owners come up with for their TB’s and GC’s. They are all usually really interesting.

Now maybe it’s just me, but I really enjoy seeing where my TB has been, and how many miles it has gone since I released it. Does anyone else do this, or is it just beginners curiosity? Right now I have 11 TB’s and 1 GC. The GC is one I won in a contest. I hope to soon make my own design for a GC. So tell me a little about your TB’s and GC’s and your adventures finding them or hiding them.

Geocaching Part 2

Geocaching.com is just one of the sites where caches can be listed, but they are by far the largest web site around for Geocaching. On this site you can learn just about everything you want to know about the sport. They cover where the caches are located, how to hunt for them, how to log them, how to hide them, and they even have articles on buying and using a GPS. If you’re looking for any information about Geocaching then this is the place to start. Note: only members of Geocaching.com can hide caches that they then publish to their web site.

Now that a new cache has been published we need to look for it. First we log onto Geocaching.com and type in our zip code. From there we look at caches that are hidden near our location. Once we have chosen a cache we download the coordinates into our GPS and off we go. After a short drive we arrive at the parking area. Here we get out and begin our journey. Our walk or hike to Ground Zero (GZ) could be just a few yards, or it could be several hundred yards. Only time will tell.  We follow our GPS headings to GZ and let the fun begin. We start by looking around right at GZ. We look high, we look low, and we look under and inside.

We also take into account any clues or hints we picked up from the cache page. Let’s say our hint was “Don’t be stumped.” This would mean we need to look inside, or around, any stumps near GZ. Ah, there is a stump right in front of us. Upon further investigation inside of the stump we find the cache. We open it up and take out the logbook and sign it. Then we look through the SWAG. We decide to take the Travel Bug (TB), and we leave a Geocoin.

We then place the cache right back in the stump and leave it just as we found it so that the next Geocacher can have just as much fun finding it as we did. Now we need to log our find on Geocaching.com.

We go back to the computer and back to the cache page. There we log the cache as “Found”, and then we search out the Travel Bug. A TB or Geocoin is an item that has been placed in a cache by another Geocacher. It is trackable on Geocaching.com through the trackable number on its tag or in the case of a Geocoin the number is engraved right on it. TBs and Geocoins also have their own page. They tell you all about the item such as what goal it has, how far it has traveled since it was released, and who the owner is. The TB or Geocoin can also be logged into your account. This is one nice feature of using Geocaching.com. All of your “finds” are automatically numbered, and kept up to date, once they are logged in.

Well we found the cache, took a TB, and left a Geocoin. We logged our finds and now it’s time to move onto another cache. That’s the beauty of Geocaching, there’s always another cache to be found or a new place to hide one. I hope you have found this article helpful, and enjoyable. See you on the trails and Happy Caching!

Geocaching Part 1

Since I am usually talking about Geocaching on this site, and some folks think I should run my article again, I am going to include it in the next two posts. So here goes.

Geocaching (geo-cashing); what is this new sport that is becoming one of the best outdoor sports around. Geo, which means “earth” and cache, which means “a place where items are stored or hidden”, when combined together means “to hide something in the earth.”

In the old days items such as money or treasures were hidden in the earth to keep them from being found by unwanted people. Today, treasures, or caches as they are known, are hidden with the intent of being found by other people. The only catch is that you have to have the coordinates to get you to where the cache is located. And, not only do you need the coordinates it is to your advantage to have a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver to help you get to those coordinates. Once the coordinates are entered into the GPS you follow them to what is called “Ground Zero” (GZ). This is where the fun begins.

Let’s look at how the cache ended up being hidden in the first place. A Geocacher, one who plays this scavenger hunt, has to hide the cache. This is not an easy task. They first have to find a suitable place for the cache to be hidden. This could be on public or private land, and needs to be done with the land owner’s permission. The cache location could be in a log, under some rocks, in a tree, in a stone wall, or just about anywhere. Once the spot is found the Geocacher takes several coordinates with his GPS and records them. These are averaged out to get a more accurate reading. Once this is done the coordinates are then marked for later entry on the web site Geocaching.com, which is the most widely used Geocaching site. We’ll talk more about them later in the article.

So the Geocacher has a place to hide the cache. Now he must determine what size of cache container to use. There are several sizes of containers that are used. They are Micro, Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large.

A Micro cache could be as small as a bottle cap, bolt or film canister, and usually only contains a log sheet to be signed by the person who finds it. A Small cache could be the size of a magnetic key holder or a small Rubbermaid container that could hold a log sheet and about a cup or two of contents.

The Medium, Large, and Extra Large containers are usually Army Ammo cans of varying sizes, or Lock-n-Lock containers that can hold not only a log book, but they will contain different trade items (SWAG-Stuff We All Get) left by other Geocachers. The idea behind SWAG is that if you take something out of a cache you need to put something back in. The main requirement for a cache container is that it must be waterproof. If it is not then the logbook and SWAG could get wet, and no Geocacher wants to find wet or soggy stuff.

Next he needs to figure out how to disguise the cache so that it’s not as easy to find. If it is too easy then it is not as much fun. For our example we’ll use a small 2 cup Lock-n-Lock container that has an air tight seal. In it we will put a logbook and some SWAG, which might be a matchbox car, a rubber ball, a pair of dice, a keychain, a watch you’ve been waiting to get rid of that works but is the wrong color, and a Travel Bug (more on these later). Then he takes the cache out to the planned hiding spot, which for our purpose will be a stump in the woods, and he places it inside of the stump. Now he puts some leaves on top of it and maybe a piece of bark. He wants it to look as natural as can be. Now off to the computer to get it published.

So the cache is hidden, and the coordinates marked. Now it just needs to be logged on Geocaching.com. Once their permission is given, and it has been reviewed, it can be published to the World Wide Web for all Geocachers to search for. Each and every cache has its own page associated to it. It lists the coordinates, historical information, and clues or hints to find it. There is also a log of all past Geocachers and whether they have found it or not. This is also where we will log it if we find it.

More in Part 2.

Pennsylvania Grand Canyon

PENNSYLVANIA’S GRAND CANYON

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to visit the PA Grand Canyon with my wife, mother-in-law, and about 52 other Forest Landowners. We are all members of the Susquehanna County Forest Landowners Association (SCFLOA). This was the Fall Foliage trip that our group decided to take this year. It was a bus trip to see the PA Grand Canyon in its entire splendor, and then to also visit the PA Lumber Museum.

We arrived at the Grand Canyon and it was spectacular. The leaves were beautiful in their colors of red, orange, yellow, green, and all shades in-between. This was my first time being there and I could not believe the view you have from the observation area. As you look out over the rolling mountains it seems as if you could see into forever. Looking down in the gorge you could see the mighty Pine Creek. It was flowing strong from all of the recent rain.  We were at about 1833 feet elevation, and Pine Creek sits at about 1050 feet. The water looked swift and cold for an October day, yet there were still people heading downstream in canoes. We could just barely see them when they were way upstream. At one point I noticed a big bird soaring overhead and when I looked I realized it was a Turkey Vulture. He looked huge as he flew over us. He landed somewhere below us on the rock ledges.

As I looked back upstream I noticed one canoe heading straight for the bank. The people got out of the canoe quickly and then they disappeared into the woods. Then I noticed another canoe coming downstream, but there was something unusual about it. As I zoomed in on it with my camera I realized that the canoe was upside down and then I could see something floating in the water. I began taking pictures and we watched as the canoe went out of sight for a moment.

When it reappeared it was upright again, but there was no one inside. I began taking more pictures of all of their stuff floating downstream. The canoe eventually floated by us and then a person came out of a little house down below and got in a silver canoe and tried gathering up some of the people’s things. He had already missed the other canoe so there appeared to be no saving it. We talked with the Park Ranger before leaving and he said they were aware of the people and their situation, but that everyone was alright. He said there were people down below who were helping them. We were all thankful that no one got injured, but saddened that they lost so much stuff. We did not have lots of time to spend there so we loaded back up on the bus and headed on towards our next destination the Coach Stop Inn and Restaurant. Our lunch was buffet style with lots to enjoy. After lunch we headed off to the Lumber Museum.

We arrived at the museum and decided we would need to be back on the bus around 3:45 since the museum closed at 4:00. This would give us about 3 hours to see everything.  Sylinda, Mom and I headed into the main building to look at all of the vendors who were selling all sorts of items. They had antiques, books, new things, and items out of their gift shop. We spent quite a bit of time in there and the ladies did buy some books.

Then we headed down to the little lumber village. There were a number of buildings to look in. The first building was where the train came in and unloaded logs, then there was a stable, a filer’s shack for sharpening axes and saws, a blacksmith’s shop, a carpenter’s shop, and the mess hall, which housed the dining area, kitchen, and bunk house. It would really be neat to have seen this in action. We also went into the Steam Powered Sawmill. This building is still used about twice per year for actual demonstrations. There were about 60 men in one camp who did all of the work. Trees were cut down, debarked, and brought to the mill for cutting. This was a long and tedious job, and definitely hard work. These men got paid anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00.  After walking around and getting plenty of pictures we went back to the main building and bought some more gifts. Then we loaded the bus and headed out for Wellsboro.

We arrived in Wellsboro and had about an hour and a half to find a place to eat, get seated, order, and eat. The bus was leaving promptly at 6:00 p.m. We decided to eat at the historic, Wellsboro Diner. My barber back in Clarks Summit had suggested we eat there if we got the chance so we did. The diner has been there since 1929 and is an old train car converted into a diner. The food is fabulous and the service was phenomenal. We really enjoyed our meal and it was well worth the wait to be able to sit at the counter and watch the cook work her magic. She was friendly, focused, and fast. We were able to see everything she made, and it all looked delicious. When we were done we did buy some of the HUGE cookies they have there for dessert. We figured we could eat them later on as we traveled home. Since we still had a little time before the bus would be leaving, we decided we would go shopping around town.

We headed down the sidewalk and I noticed a book store on the corner. I told my wife and her mom they ought to go in there and I would walk down the street and see what was at the end. They went in and I started walking really fast. I knew from programming my GPS that there were two Geocaches in the little park at the end of the street. Sneak? You bet. I had preloaded some caches in the area into my GPS hoping for a chance to check them out.

I got to the park and there were several people there enjoying the beautiful fall day. I tried finding the first cache and I just could not find it. Then I wondered if it had been muggled. I decided to try for the second one. This cache was an easy find. I signed the log and then my wife called and asked where I was. I told her and she said “I knew it” I explained we did not have enough time to do both together, and I knew she would like the bookstore more. She then said I would have to bring her back to find it. I love it when a plan comes together. Now we get to come back at a later date. We then headed for the bus and we were right on time for departure.

We headed back to Montrose, which was our starting point. All in all it was a beautiful day and we got to see many wonderful places. I highly recommend this as a place to visit, and if you do go be sure to allow plenty of time at the Grand Canyon for walking the trails that are there. I am not sure how many caches are there so you’ll have to check that out for yourself. If you decided to go canoeing make sure all of your stuff is in sealed plastic bags like this couples stuff was. It makes it easier to see as it floats by for taking pictures. Enjoy!!

Night Caching

Well I finally did it. I took the kids out night caching. I have done some caching before at dusk, but never at 9:30 p.m.  It was really dark out there. This was a two part cache in Glenburn, PA called Bad Elves.  We had found part 1 earlier in the day, but then I messed the cords up and we could not finish it at that time. So after picking the kids up from their jobs that evening we headed out once again.

We parked at the designated spot and then headed towards the cache.  All the while I was telling the kids to be quite. At that time of the night sounds really seem to carry a lot farther.  The kids were trying to figure out if they should have put their hoodies on backwards to confuse the Bad Elves, and they said I should have done the same with my backpack.  Kids. We walked along a path until it was time to leave the path and venture into the deep and even darker WOODS. There were all sorts of things we had to crawl across and go under. We were running into big areas of thickets and brush, but we kept on going. The kids kept asking how we were going to get out and I kept telling them "we'll just follow our tracks on the GPS back out, no problem." Was that a Elf I heard laughing. Nah!

As we were following the GPS to GZ I realized maybe we should have worn rubber boots instead of sneakers. This place was kind of swampy. Don't worry kids, keep trudging along.  Then it happened. We were at GZ.  I called out "Everyone start looking around for the cache",  and then the kids reminded me we only had one flashlight. "Oh, that's right."  So I held the light and they looked where I shinned it. Then my youngest son, the cache master, found it. Wow was it nice. It was so full of SWAG it was bursting at the seams. They started pawing through it after handing me the log, as usual, to see what they wanted to trade for. They all chose some nice things and then we placed our new trade items in there.  They each signed the log and then we put it back right where we found it. Now it's ready for the next cachers to find. This was all the easy part. Now the hard part begins.  Getting out.

By now it was even darker than when we started, but remember, no problem we'll just follow our tracks back to the car. I then lead the way through the brush and vines. But then wait, the GPS turned around and now we were heading in the wrong direction.  I looked a little confused and said we needed to turn around and head in the other direction. So we walked in the other direction. Then we came to a big ditch, which I do not remember coming through. Of course at that moment the GPS changed again. Now I was really getting frustrated. How could this be happening. All I have to do is follow the tracks back to the car, right?  "Who said something about Elves?"  I decided we needed to head in a different direction following a small path I could make out. Well that lead us to a huge wall of thorn apple like bushes with no where else to go. Who said to follow those deer paths anyways? Okay, stay calm. The kids are with me and I need to get them out without having to call 911. LOL.  Then I did the smart thing to do and prayed. Okay God I need a little help here.

At that point I decided to get up on a little pile of brush and see if I could get a better signal. Not working. The GPS is still jumping all over. I came back down and my 12 year old son, the cache master, said there was a little path near him. We decided to try that next. It lead us through some more swampy areas and then all of a sudden the GPS jumped back to working correctly. We were now headed in the right direction. We followed the tracks and then we saw a power line and the original path we came in on. Thank you God. I never felt so good in my life. The kids then said if I would have put my backpack on backwards the Elves would not have known which way were going and they would not have lead us astray. Kids, you got to love them. We finally did make it back to the car. We went home and logged our finds. What fun. I think I'll keep it to daytime caching.

If you decide to go after this cache I suggest not going at night. If you do you should probably wear your hoody and backpack backwards. And watch out for those Bad Elves. LOL.